Cherry-Limeades, Welding, and Sunflowers

Sometimes, when we girls are on the way home from school, David calls. He nevers calls in the middle of the day, so I always know exactly what he wants. A cherry-limeade. From Sonic. Delivered to the middle of nowhere to where he is working.

Occasionally I am annoyed because it interrupts my (not-so-important) plans for the afternoon, but I always agree to bring him one. He is always extremely grateful (it makes me feel like a good wife), and the girls get to see him and "help" him work.

Here is my very cute husband, in his welding cap, holding my very cute baby--and the cherry-limeade.

David drinks enough cherry-limeades in a year to pay the salary of one of the employees. He loves them that much. I once attempted to make them at home for him, my attempt at cutting costs, but apparently they were just not the same.

(Notice the freshly welded corner post behind him, and the long stretch ready and waiting for a line of perfectly driven t-posts. David is the ulitmate fence-builder. He takes pride in it. People notice it. Neighbors recruit his help. Elizabeth thinks daddy's new fences are "berry bootiful." And they are--no one can build a fence quite like David.)



Rhian is always the first to offer her help. Here she is "helping" neighbor Jerry measure a pipe and lineup the next cut. He is ever-patient, ever-willing to accept her help (and advice). Jerry will be a grandpa for the first time this fall. We are very excited for him. He will be a tremedous grandpa. He has had a few years of practice with our kids--not to mention years of teaching sunday school to keep him in practice. Although we are quite sad that our kids will not be the center of attention any longer.


Rhian quickly tired of her duties and went off to pick a sunflower instead.

Notice the very large root ball attached.

But Grandpa Mike has a handy-dandy (and very sharp) knife just right for cutting root balls off of sunflowers for little girls. Grandpa Mike makes knives. Extremely beautiful knives that are now in great demand across our little ranching community by both cowboys and hunters. Although I am sure the intended purpose for them is cutting flower stems for little cowgirls.


So then Elizabeth had to have a sunflower too. (Monkey see, monkey do...)


And Grandpa Mike, of course, cut her stem as well. And then he got a lecture about how a sunflower is first a bud and and then opens to have "widdle yewow pikey thwings" (aka petals).


Then Elizabeth sat down on Grandpa Mike's lap, and Jacklyn needed room too. (Monkey see, monkey do...) Doesn't he look quite content with his great-granddaughters on this lap?


And this is the picture for posterity. (It would be perfect if Jacklyn did not have chocolate all over her face, and didn't have such a scrunched up look on her face...) I think I will have it framed for him for Christmas. And he will get all misty, like Grandpa Mike does...he got misty just sitting there with his granddaughters on his lap. He is soft-hearted. I love that about him. And so do the girls. Little girls and soft-hearted grandpas have a special relationship.


So--as you can see, it was worth it to drive out into the middle of nowhere to bring David his cherry-limeade. And one for Jerry. And a water, no ice for Grandpa Mike...