Downed Tree

How many hours will a "downed tree" entertain children?

We are still counting!

After this picture was taken, city workers came and used a bucket lift to get to the top of the tree to saw some of the remaining branches before taking down the rest of the tree. By the time they were done, the kids had plenty of branches to move here and there to build their rooms in their imaginary castle.

Shaylee and Elton are spending the night with us tonight and with the added neighbor kids, it was quite the party! Here is Casson (the boy that I babysat this summer) and Levi in one of the many rooms they put together.

Shaylee has never been afraid of getting down and dirty....even in her church dress!

Here is "Prince Hyrum" in his room.

Servants Elton and Brigham and taking a nap after their long hard day at the castle.

As I was out talking with our neighbors while all of our kids were playing, I couldn't help but think of today in sacrament meeting. Sister Bullen gave the opening prayer and in it she thanked the Lord for the rain and cooler weather. I wanted to yell, "Amen Sista!" for all to hear so badly! I was in heaven tonight when I watched as one of the neighbors put on a light jacket. This is the first night in months that I have felt like it is actually "nice" outside. I know it sounds so negative but I am being honest when I say that during this summer there were often times when I wondered why anyone would want to live in this state! Record breaking tornado damage, fires, and horrid, humid heat....well, sounds like hell to me! So, I sat back with my neighbors, listening to them laugh with the wonderful back ground noise of our children out playing again in weather that you can actually do it in without worrying if heat exhaustion will set in......I felt like I just might like this state after all.