Wyoming Sis' Visit!

We serve a God who gives GOOD gifts...and He definitely knew that I needed a good gift the week following my big sis/best friend's wedding! :) So He sent my Wyoming sis' Melody to spend the ten days following Anna's wedding with me, and boy did we have a blast!!!! Yep, there were times where I just needed Mel there for a shoulder to cry on as I missed my big sis! But we also found time for some pretty awesome adventures, heart to heart talks, evening walks, sun tanning, swimming, movies, pulling some pretty awesome pranks on David and Samuel Lyons (more on that later), praise and worship times, the animals and the list goes on and on! So let's start at the very beginning -- Aaron and Anna's wedding!!!

SO HAPPY to be together again! :)

Friends For EVER! :)

You can't get a photo shoot of me and Mel without sassy looks and "shooters" coming out sometime! :) LOL

So after the wedding we had a pretty amazing after party at our house on Sunday! There was pancakes, coffee, sweet fellowship, volleyball, pool time, and horse rides! Mel did a great job of capturing a few of these fun events!

Our lawn full of vehicles from the company! :)

Auntie Beep Beep and Joanna hanging out in the pool together!

Joanna absolutely L.O.V.E.S swimming!!! You can't convince her to be done even when her lips are blue from cold! It's pretty cute! :)

David and cousin Zachary in an intense game of pool basketball!

"Shoot David!"

Afternoon games of volleyball

Giving the cousins horseback rides!

Julia and Hannah enjoying a ride on Lucky!

Well Mel was at our house she fell in love with our adorable litter of FIVE ORANGE MALE kittens! This litter of kittens was the first ever in Rehm Ranch history where the entire litter was boys! Until we gave some away I just ended up calling them "the kittens" because they all looked the same!

Kitty love! <3 Mel tried to convince Jon (her husband) to let her bring one home but he flatly refused! "But Jon...just look at him, he's SO CUTE!" :) Lol

There were quite a few HOT days well Melody was visiting so we had tons of fun "chilling" in the pool in the afternoons!

A beautiful picture of our barn Mel snapped when heading out on a walk one evening!

Our stately German Shepard dog Watch!

One of our gorgeous Iowa sunsets! I love living in this part of Iowa! The sunsets and countryside are breathtaking!!!
Well Mel was here she re-strung Thomas' guitar for him so that she could use it for our praise and worship times! It sounded quite a bit better with the new strings on, although we had trouble with it slipping out of tune really easily!
Tuesday afternoon Mel and I filled up the Buick which we have affectionately named "the grandma car" and headed for one of my favorites spots around here -- The Quaint Little Cabin! :) Yep, again! :) I just love that little cabin and all the good memories that the Lord has allowed me to make there!!!
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts I firmly believe that lighter fluid is a woman's BEST friend! :) LOL In fact Mel was the one who got me addicted to it in the first place so it was only appropriate that she should start the campfire using lighter fluid! :) However, one small problem! We forgot the matches! Lighter fluid doesn't work to well without matches! LOL Thankfully the neighbors just up the road from the park bailed us out supplying us with a whole box of matches and we were good to go! :)
Ahhhhh....the pure satisfaction and sense of complete control that squirting lighter fluid onto a lifeless pile of sticks and watching them turn into a blazing inferno brings! :) LOL
Wednesday afternoon we decided to explore the nature trails together! We hiked to a secluded spot and then had to some heart to heart time! It was wonderful!

A bright green bug we found on our walk! :)

One of the beautiful trails we hiked down!

I L.O.V.E. this picture!!! I don't know what it is, but somehow green grass swaying and curling in the wind just gives you a sense of peace and rest inside!

Our secluded spot for our heart to heart! :) I got to share a really neat chapter with Melody from a book I was reading at the time called "Fierce Beauty!"

Self Portrait! :)

Enjoying God's creation together!

A cute little rabbit we spotted on the way back to the cabin.

One of the really special times we shared well staying at the cabin was when we took our lawn chairs and put them by the edge of the lake. Melody brought Thomas' guitar down and we spent a good while worshiping the Lord together and talking! It was SO REFRESHING!

Little stinker...stole my cell phone and is texting someone, again! Yep, she's done it once before, but this time I found out she was just texting a picture to herself that she wanted off my phone! :) Whew! :-P Lol

Mel was super good about getting in on all the chores well she was at our house!

She milked a goat for her first time and did better than some others around here who, ehem, shall remain nameless! :)
Well Mel was here we taught the kittens to drink milk from a pan! It was really cute to see their little chins covered with milk afterwards! :)

Matching Outfits!

Mel pretty much got in on EVERYTHING well she was visiting! :) The weekend before she had to leave I had to go to Des Moines, Iowa to play the piano for Iowa's children home school conference. Mel cheerfully tagged along, and become my personal "cheerleader" for my first time every playing in a large group setting!
Chilling in the back of a car together headed here or there during our busy weekend in Des Moines!
Ahhhh yes...this is where our prank on Samuel Lyon comes in! :) The theme of the conference was Greek/Bible times. However Samuel the "conference clown" thinks that it's a "geek conference" not Greek conference! Since the girls were staying at the same house that Samuel and Nicole were Melody, and I took the opportunity that was just to good to pass up to re-string Sam's shoes with neon colored shoelaces! :) Hehehehe!
Thankfully Sam is a "fun loving" guy and he took it all in stride styling his neon shoe lace shoes quite well! :) At least Sam was more fortunate than David! He got his toenails painted well he was sleeping, and we were working on his fingernails when he woke up...that didn't turn out quite as well! Lol

The entire cast for the drama at the conference in Iowa!

Saturday evening Mel, and I returned home from the conference and Sunday we were off to a new adventure! The neighbors had asked me to take care of their farm for them while they were gone so Mel, game for anything, came along to do the chores with me!
There is two houses that are lived in on the property as the son lives on the same place as his parents! We had to do chores for both of them!
Although we didn't mind at all as the Lapke's own one of the most beautiful farms around here! Oh what I would give to have a farm like this! :)
Every morning and evening when we arrived their three border collies would rush up to greet us! :)

Mel and I fell in love with their border collie puppy named Amber! She's a sweetie!!!

And who could EVER complain about this sight greeting you EVERY morning and evening as you hauled corn around to the different horses?! They had a beautiful buckskin filly that had just been foaled this spring that I L.O.V.E.D to watch come running down with her mommy at feeding time!!!

I just L.O.V.E. how gangly, adorable, and breathtaking foals are all at once! :)

Amber -- Cutest thing this side of the Mississippi! :)

Intent on watching the sheep!

Feed time! :)

Part of our duties was bottle feeding this adorable little calf who I affectionately named Milk Chocolate because of her creamy brown color!
It cracked me up when she would suck on the gate once we'd finished feeding her! Hilarious! :-D

Feeding two more of their insanely gorgeous half Arabian, half Quarter horse horses! I just L.O.V.E. that two year old buckskin filly! She's amazing!!! Her conformation is stunning and her personality great! Oh to own a horse like that! :)

Putting the corn back in the shed!

The Lapke's pretty white barn!

Headed up the driveway to feed some more of their stunning horses!

Yep...they're pretty much amazing! :) Jealous! :)

Sunday afternoon after we got home from chores I took a few fun maternity shots of Mel! Yeah I know right, you didn't even realize she was pregnant until you saw this picture!! This girl hides it incredibly well, but she hit the four month mark well at our house and so we decided to snap a few pictures!! I can hardly believe my Wyoming sis' is going to have a baby!!! :)
I am SO INCREDIBLY grateful to my heavenly Father for sending Mel to visit for the ten days following Anna's wedding! The Lord used her in a powerful way to refresh, encourage, and help me adjust in the week following Anna's wedding! SO MANY good memories were made that will NEVER be forgotten! Love you MORE Wyoming Sis!!!! <3

Every good gift and every perfect gift

is from above, and comes down from

the Father of lights, with whom there

is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17