This past week our community held a service for a fallen officer.  What an experience.  There was law enforcement from as far away as Chicago, New York and Texas (in a weird interaction, I met one from Fort Worth).  The procession was over 7 miles long and included more than 600 Law Enforcement vehicles.

Here are some pictures taken from a local photographer.

Someone made this for the church....

They flew the flag in...awesome to watch.

The younger 2 boys and I watched the procession at the end.  Another great lesson of respect and honoring others.  I watched about half the funeral.  When the dispatcher did the last call...wow.  I don't know that I had ever heard that.  Pretty impactful.

Not too long ago, Benjamin and I sat down to watch a Netflix series that has been getting a lot of attention among middle school and high schoolers.  It is called 13 Reasons Why.  I find it very frustrating that as a parent I even have to consider whether my child should watch anything like it.  I figured he would sneak it in, so offered to watch with him, hoping for some dialogue.  It is about a girl, who in the end, commits suicide and I guess she lists 13 Reasons Why.  So sad that it is seen as an option for kids.  Almost glorified in certain circles.  The world that kids are growing up in these days.  I don't know that I want to finish the series, but at least there is another avenue for conversation.

9 more days of school.  I am already getting my plan of attack ready!  I am going to have to be very creative this summer.  Hopefully lots of day trips and some camping!

A quick check in!

I am still plugging away at the gym!  It seems that our workouts have gotten more intense lately.  We did Adam's WOD (workout of the day).  He was one of our coach's sons who died of cancer last year.  I guess he loved long, endurance type workouts that uses your own body weight.  It consisted of
1000 meter run (800 is half mile), 100 jump ropes, 100 sit ups and 10 pushups, then
800 meter run, 80 jump ropes, 80 sit ups and 8 push ups, then
600 meter run, 60 jump ropes, 80 sit ups, and 8 push ups,
it continued through 400 and 200.
I finished is 47 minutes.  It was a booger!  I still thing running is one of my weakest areas!

The WOD that is done every Memorial Day in all the gyms is Murph's WOD (most of the WODs are named after fallen military personnel).  I have not yet decided if I will do Murph's WOD Memorial Day evening..It is a mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 sit ups, 300 air squats and then a mile run!  I will have to see how I am mentally that day.  And to think some people do it wearing a weighted vest!

Jacob recently participated in something called Farm Fair.  It is for any 4th grader in the valley.  I think they have just over 1100 that participated this year.  They travel to a local farm and learn all about where their food comes from.  Jacob loved milking a cow and a goat, as well as making homemade ice cream in aluminum cans.  A wonderful way for kids to see where it all starts!

Jacob also signed up for 5th grade classes last week.  He had to pick 2 electives.  He chose robotics and Spanish.  I was very excited to see Spanish as an interest of his!!!!  He is also considering band.

This kiddo dressed up as a cowboy the other day.  A classmate of his said he wanted to dress like a cowboy, so Joseph joined him.  Now he is wanting boots and a hat for his birthday.  I think it was the first time in a long time he has worn jeans to school...usually it is sweats!  He did leave the gun at home!  And by the looks of the picture, he has just about outgrown his belt!

It seems my quiet little life has gotten busy.  They called me back to work, so 10-15 hours of my week are now consumed with work!  I am so thankful though for the added income.  I am trying to get lots of things done as I head out for a long Memorial day weekend!  Last week we had a deputy that was killed in the line of duty one county over.  His funeral is just around the corner from us and I will probably be helping with that most of Tuesday and frantically trying to meet my work quota by Wednesday!

A week or so ago Bree had something happen to her, we are still not sure what.  She had been inside most of the day and when I got home, she would not leave my side, was shaking and not walking on her hind leg.  After further inspection, it appears several of her back claws came off.  Have no idea what happened but she would not go out in the backyard for a day or two.  She is back to 100% on it now though.  We did lose the use of the field, although I guess we never should have been out there.  The 10 years we have lived here, people just used it to walk their dogs.  Then cows came last summer and the fence was replaced.  The field stayed empty most of the winter and as it started warming up, the field was slowly used again.  Well, I let Bree run out there a few days ago and went back inside.  Pretty soon there was a man at our back gate hollering for me.  He was getting the field ready for the cows and could not understand how people kept going in the field when it was not their property.  He ranted for a few seconds and when he took a breath, I told him 'you are right, we were wrong and I am sorry'.  It almost stopped him in his tracks...I think he expected me to rant right back.  It was not our property and we had just been using it.  He calmed down and he and I even joked that maybe Bree should help him with his cattle cause she needs a job.  But I am bummed!

Jose took a day off and him and I headed to a lake.  It was beautiful.  He took his raft that he adapted for him personal liking.

The sun was out, it was warming up and proving to be an awesome day.

Then I put my camera away and literally 2 minutes later it looked like this.

A huge wind came up.  He decided we would try to boat anyways.  It has a small trolling motor on it and he was not sure how powerful it was.  I got in and he pushed us off and we made it about 5 feet before we were blown back into the land.  It was just too windy for us so we played it safe before we got blown across the lake and no way to get back!

He has made several platforms and seats so it is pretty comfortable for a day of fishing.

Jacob has started football.  They are 1-1-1, with 2 games left (a very short spring season).

This has been a fun football season, because he is on a team with a lot of boys that go to a different elementary school but they will all go to the same middle school in the fall.  Great way to get to know other kids!

The guys who were doing the Eragon filming have put everything on hold.  I sort of wondered if they would.  It seems two of them do not have a car and one of the carless guys lives an hour away.  Benjamin was bummed, but maybe they will pick it back up at some point.

This is what is happening here today!

Yep snow!  I think it is suppose to stick around for a day or two...and all of our snow stuff is in the crawl space!  Ugh.

This kid capitalized on some nice weather earlier in May and the fact that he had finished some state wide school testing, so had a slow day at school and went fishing with his dad.

This picture cracks me up!

Benjamin's play was this past weekend! It was called Crhyme and Pun-ishment. A spoof on Mother Goose. He played the part of Little Boy Blue. It was a great play! Unfortunately with the lighting, did not get any good pictures or really video for that matter. I was not expecting the hilarious factor in the play. The drama director's husband is going to Boston University for a doctorate so they are moving. Not sure if there is any else who will step up to the plate.

The boys recently went to a 2 year old birthday party for a neighbor's little sister.  It was very strange looking for something for a girl and something for such a young one.  We decided on this, because she likes Minnie Mouse.  I gave it to Benjamin to carry up front and he refused!  He finally took it but walked with it behind his back.  Oh my word!

Since Joseph's birthday is in the summer, we recently celebrated it in his classroom.  Root beer floats for everyone!

Not a good picture, but he sat on the birthday stool while everyone sang to him.

It is sweaty season.  Ugh, the one thing I do not like about warmer months...you smell my boys before you see my boys.  The feet, socks and shoes are the worst.  I feel like I am always battling the locker room smell.

Joseph has decided to befriend some ants.  Not sure why he chose ants, but he has names them (crawly ~ because he crawls fast, bitey, we even have twin ants!)  His little imagination cracks me up.
This was a pet we had for a few days.

Jacob had found it while rattle snake hunting.  They were shocked to hear that we had horny toads growing up.  When the toad was in the house, it would not move around much at all, but once you put it outside in the sun, it was so happy.  I think Jacob felt bad about it not being in it's element, so we ended up giving it to one of JR's clients.

Bree has been loving being able to go into the field.  We have started leaving the gate open and the back door cracked.  So, she runs and plays and then when done, she just comes on in.  It is interesting because now that the gate is open most of the time, the allure of running off for long stretches of time is gone.  I guess so it is with kids...has made me think about boundaries with the kids and when the forbidden stuff is not restricted, would it not be an issue/problem anymore?

I forgot I never posted this picture.  This is for you, Michelle M.  I finally followed through with an April Fool's prank on my boys...except the joke was on me and I got my days mixed up and did it a day early!  It is suppose to be cake pops.  I have never made cake pops and boy, are those buggers hard to frost.  No matter how hard I tried, they kept sliding around and I could never make them look good.  It did not matter, the boys fell for them and the best part, it worked out so they all walked into the kitchen at different times.  Therefore, they all got to take a big ol' bite.  Instead of cake though it was meatballs!  Too funny.  I think I have started something because now the boys are scheming up other pranks they can do.  A running string of pranks would be fun, as long as it does not get out of hand.

This kid being a goof ball!

Benjamin out shooting with his dad!

It appears he hit his target!

I am trying a new way to attach videos...lets hope it comes through.  One of Jacob shooting hoops in the driveway.  (If it does not load, I will try something different next time)

Benjamin's 4H group is the longest running group in our county.  They met for many years and for reasons I am not real sure about, the club disbanded.  Four years ago a small group of people got the group up and running again.  For our most recent meeting, we met at the one room school house where the former group use to meet years ago.  (I am not even sure how long ago it was, probably 40 years)  It was such a fun evening!

The outhouse!

Just what I would imagine a one room school house would look like.

The old swings and see saw.

Loved looking at this.  I betcha it still works.

Found this little tid bit interesting.

 Not sure what was up with the light, but they played good ol' tug o war, along with sack races.  I wish they had played Red Rover, Red Rover...that was always one of my favorites.

The days have been beautiful lately.  I am heading off to the tennis courts 3 mornings a week.  It is so nice out, that is until the high schoolers show up for P.E.  The first time we were there, some of the students were walking by.  The teacher told them if they could be respectful they could play next to us.  One of the girls piped up and said, 'we don't know how to be respectful'.  How true that is with a large part of the younger generation.  Just sad.  Hard to imagine what things will be like in 50 years.

I have talked further with the filming guys.  They are still on for their project.  They are hoping to film the first four chapters of the book and then send it off to Fox (I think it is) to show them that there is great interest for them to tackle the book again and that it can be done well and according to script.  Benjamin will do some filming later in May and then probably won't film again until late fall.  I guess most of what they need to film must be done in the winter.  Since they are footing the bill, instead of that really cool grant, they don't have the money for lots of props, accessories, etc.  One of their mothers is in the process of making Benjamin some pants!

Benjamin's drama club performance is this weekend.  It sounds like a really fun play.  He is struggling with his part though, because his character is sad and depressed.  Most of his lines are said as he is sulking in his chair.  He finds it hard to project his voice and yet still seem sad.  I think he is enjoying all of the musical/singing stuff.

I received this from one of Benjamin's teachers

I guess one of the teachers brought in their pet snake.  Surprised to see it on his shoulder.  The hands in the sweatshirt crack me up.  I certainly would not have been in that photo.  If I had been in that photo, you would have seen that we are literally dead even as far as height goes.  So, give it another week or two and he will have edged me out be a millimeter or two.

I received these two pictures today from the behavioralist from Joseph's school.

"I love Mrs. Hinshaw.  I hope that you take care of each other."  It always warms my heart when my boys are considerate like that and take time to draw pictures/write notes.

It is this time of year again.

I found all the s'more fixins on sale.  I have them safely hidden away in the hopes that they will last us most of the summer.  (Yes, the ugly grass stains...one of the main things that frustrate me with Bree.  We have been leaving the back gate open in the hopes that she will just go into the field every time.  She is pretty good about coming back.)

I have been hitting the tennis courts several times this week.  Really enjoying getting back out there.  Might even look at a tournament this summer.

JR has finally found some rattlesnakes. I think he got about 10. He took a few days off this week and just walked, about 5.5 miles.

This happened a few days ago.

Joseph was over at a neighbor's house. There were some kids jumping on the trampoline at the house behind the neighbor's house. Joseph and some of the other kids had climbed up onto the fence and was looking into the other yard at the kids jumping. There was a dog in the yard and the dog jumped up and bit Joseph's hand, which was hanging over the fence. It was not a bad bite, more of a surface bite. However, his pinky was swollen and looked deformed. Not seeing what happened, I was not sure if somehow he got his finger stuck as he pulled it back and hurt it. So, we headed off to Urgent Care. On the way, I stopped off at the dog's house and the owner, whom I don't know, said all shots were current. Of course at Urgent Care they told me I had to report it, which I did. The Health Department and Animal Control both followed up with me. I never quite realized the process. Animal control contacted the owner and got the name of the vet and called the vet. The vet said shots were not current. So, the dog was removed from the home and quarantined for 10 days at a vet clinic. One of the boys asked me if I feel bad for getting them in trouble. I do feel bad, because the dog did nothing wrong. However, I found a teaching moment and told them that dog owners are responsible for keeping up to date on shots and that family had not done that. That being said, Bree has an appointment next week to get current on her shots! (The finger is healing but the Urgent Care doc was a little concerned that there could be an issue with a tendon because he can not fully flex it. I guess time will tell but might need to get it checked out further).

There was a huge snag in the filming of the book recently. Actually a show stopper. Not sure how this was not discovered or known, but the filming rights for the book are owned by a large production company and they are lifetime rights. So, they cannot shoot the movie. They might be considering doing a short clip to send to the production company anyways. Not really sure. They are discussing their options and how or if they will end up using the grant money. They have Benjamin penciled in to do some filming in a few weeks.

There has been lots of fishing and hunting going on lately.

Jacob went out with JR recently to start the rattlesnake hunt.  I think they are still holed up in their dens because they did not see any.  However, by the end of the week, it should be close to 70 so the hunt will continue.