Beware, this post is going to be VERY picture heavy.

Cause that’s how I roll.

I’m a visual person, what can I say?

Anywho, I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

Genealogy work has been on the light side, like slim to none actually, because I have been super busy with all of the things below, either directly or indirectly, and then, I was sick for two weeks.  I mean so sick even my skin hurt. blah!

If I have been slow to answer your emails, or comments, please forgive me.  You will see why in just a few minutes.

So, before I get started with my pictorial history for the month of July, I have to warn you, I have some great things coming up!  My two-year blog anniversary is coming up on August 16th and I have secured some pretty great giveaways so please stay tuned for that.

Also, I’m leaving next Thursday to spend 10 days in the DC area with my niece Leslie, and I am beyond excited!  We will be visiting cousins in New Jersey that I have found via this blog.  Also, the possibility that more cousins found via this blog will make the trip there to meet me, so I am blessed beyond words!  I can’t wait to meet my family!

Of course, what would a trip to DC be without a visit to the National Archives, the DAR Library, and the Library of Congress.  Maybe I can break a brick wall while there!

Then, I will do the usual sight-seeing and visiting with Leslie.  Be ready for lots of updates while I’m on my trip.

Now, for the compound news.

On July 1st, this was Knucklehead in our corn.

Then, on July 25th, this is The Hubs in our corn. Thank you chicken poop for all your great fertilizing qualities!

I did my first canning job with the help of my brother John. Tomatoes.  I’m so proud!

Speaking of Tomatoes, The Hubs picked these out of our garden, look how green they are:

Now they have ripened up and I suppose they are the next canning project.

There has been lots of picking of squash and The Hubs has already canned all of those up. They are done! Whew!

On July 13th, my babies, ok not so babyish anymore, chickens laid their first egg. It was a proud moment for Knucklehead as he was the one who found it.

Now, this is our daily haul. I’m sure they aren’t all laying yet as I have about 70 chickens. If all 70 are only giving me eight eggs a day, some are going to end up in a pot, with about 10 roosters that I know of!  As Renee Zellweger said in the movie ‘Cold Mountain’ – “I hate a flogging Rooster, let’s put ’em in a pot!”

Then, in a rare moment. I caught this on camera, the suspects unaware. Knucklehead was giving JT a massage. I later found out, that Knucklehead was told if he did this, JT would play a video game with him. For shame on JT, cause he never did. Some big brothers will stoop to anything to get a massage!

There has been lots of picking purple hull peas. I mean lots. This is my stepson Cameron helping Knucklehead. JT was on another row.  This Rooster, made it to the Pot.  Nine more to go.  We sure had a great meal of fried chicken that day!

Here is a sample of our haul of purple hulls, there ended up being about seven bowls like this.

The kids and I sat around in the living room picking them out while watching TV, and it made me think of the many times I did this with my grandmother.  It sure made me lonesome for her.  They ended up like this, in my freezer.

Then, The Hubs brought in plums. He had to go back to work, so I juiced them for him so he can make plum jelly. He has made one batch, but has several more to go.

I did this.

To get all this.

Silkie came by to get loved on, and I snapped this shot of her. She hates, and I mean hates the flogging Roosters too!

There has been lots of snuggle time with Ringo. Especially when I was sick. He loves me and I love him.

Then a very proud moment, and one that will be put in our family history. JT had his first Drill this weekend. He goes to another Drill next weekend, and then he leaves on August 19th for boot-camp. After finding all the Ancestors in my tree that have military histories, this makes me so proud as I’m sure it does them. I hope they all smile down on him and help the good Lord above to keep him safe. All prayers accepted!

I snapped these pictures of him when he came back home. They gave him his uniform and boy oh boy, does he look handsome! So, without further ado, please meet Private Justin Tyler Cole.

Did I mention how proud I am? Just wondering!

He sent me these pictures that another Private took while at Drill.

One thing he found at Drill was that he needs to get his two-mile run down to 15 minutes and 56 seconds. He was up in the 19 minute time range. So, what’s a momma to do? She gets in her car, drives around part of the compound, and figures out three times around is 2 miles. Then she puts the boys to work, while she drives behind them in the car soaking up the AC. Ya know, just in case they pass out or something. I’m a good Mom like that.

Knucklehead made it 1/2 mile before he had to stop. JT stopped at around 1 1/2 miles. I told him that big breakfast wasn’t a good idea!

So since then, I decided I should be more supportive. As in, take part with them.  I took them to the park here in Mt. Vernon the next day, and I walked with them. Actually, I started this Couch to 5k app that I heard about over on Mama Laughlin’s blog, and downloaded to my iphone. This is what helped her get started on her journey, so I thought, why not! I’ll give it a go.

I have survived the first two work outs, the next one will be this evening. Now, it’s been a couple of months since I have weighed, but after I did the first two workouts I thought, I better get a good weight so I know where I have started. As I stepped on that scale, I was so afraid it would be way more than it was last time. But guess what, I was down 7 lbs!! I guess being sick, and then doing this, I have dropped a few. Thank you GOD!

Then, the peaches came.

They turned into so many jars of this.

Then, cousin Debbie came by for a visit, and I was so happy.  I have been so lonesome to see my Texarkana family and she just brightened the day up for all of us!  This is Mom and Dad, with cousin Debbie James.

Now, in preparation for my trip to DC, Addie (my sister-in-law) and myself went to the mall yesterday. We spent the whole day, doing girlie things.   Things my chickens wouldn’t know about, and wouldn’t care about.  This is Addie while we were getting our toes done.

Thank you Addie, for paying for my toes for my birthday! I wish I had remembered to take the cotton out before I took the picture, but oh, well they were still wet and I didn’t want to mess them up.

Then I decided, what the heck, I’ll get my nails done. Thank you Glenn (my mother-in-law) for the birthday money!

Then The Hubs told me I could get my hair done. Thank you Hubs! No more gray hair!  Muah!

Wow, I feel like a girl again!