Happy Memorial Day!

Today is a day to give thanks and remember all the men and women who have served our great country. Here at Yesteryear Acres we live each day full of happiness and gratitude. I am so grateful to those who serve and those who have served in the armed forces. The call to serve is a brave and honorable one and I cannot express my deepest appreciation enough. Memorial Day comes but once a year, but I am grateful for those who serve each and every day. Thank you for giving me this chance to live my life happily. Thank you for protecting our freedom.  Thank you for allowing us to live our days full of love and devotion. Speaking of love and devotion... This Memorial Day is also puppy Monday!!! The puppies loved the cooler weather and sunshine today! They gave a special tail wagging romp around the yard for their Memorial Day Thank You! 

Sweet Pea's baby girl says thank you to all the service men and women! 

Sweet Pea's babies are starting to really enjoy their outside adventures

Look at me pounce! 

Oh hey there... You want me to pose like this?

We just love fresh air and the smell of the sweet green grass

They are just little love bugs! 

I like to soak up the sunshine 

We love Memorial Day Weekend! 

Ahhhh now this is the best spot! 

Lets play some more! 

I am dreaming of a tree house 

Mr. Yesteryear Acres gives the best back scratches 

Who says only cats can climb trees?

Happy Monday! 

Sunday Funday

Today we did nothing but have FUN.  ALL DAY LONG.  We had a family fun day that lasted from the moment we woke up until the very end of the day. Every single minute of the day brought endless smiles.

My son Rounding them Up!

Is this how you do it?

There is nothing better than starting your day out with a nice sunny horseback ride

My son could stay out all day long

We have the sweetest horses

Horsey Hugs!

My faithful Horsey Buckwheat

Giddyup!

Then it was time for some Trap & Skeet

Target Obliterated

Mr. Yesteryear Acres ....so happy!

He never misses

My son ....the expert!

There wasn't a clay pigeon left!

Bam! I got them all!

Backyard Fun....Yesteryear Acres Style

The Shooting Sisters

Don't mess with this guy

Pull!

The Master Griller

Barbecue Buddies!

Campfire Night

Who wants s'more?!!!

Ice Cream Season!

Memorial Weekend at Yesteryear Acres can only mean one thing.....It's ICE CREAM SEASON! Each Memorial Weekend we get our trusty ole ice cream maker out and the Yesteryear Acres Ice Cream season officially begins.  We are HUGE ice cream lovers here.  I think it is a family trait! We will be grilling outside, eating back by the pond and then for dessert....non-stop ice cream!!! Mr. Yesteryear Acres has the BBQ ribs on the grill and right by his side is our big ice cream maker churning away. It makes 5 quarts of delicious ice cream at a time and we usually make between 5 and 20 quarts of ice cream in one day.  Did I mention we love ice cream?  This weekend's flavors:

Vanilla Rocky Road with Pistachios

Maraschino Cherry Banana Chocolate Chunk

Coffee Toffee Crunch

and just for Mr. Yesteryear Acres......
a new flavor

Coconut Almond with mini chocolate chips.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Hope yours is ice cream wonderful! I know ours will be!!!!

Nightly ritual

We have a new after dinner ritual here at Yesteryear Acres. Once all the dishes are done and our bellies are full from all the good food, Mr. Yesteryear Acres, my son, my daughter and I go outside and take a few puppies with us for some concentrated one-on-one time.  We have contests to see whose puppy will behave the best, whose is the most snuggly, whose pup learns to play fetch the quickest and so on.  I have to say, it is a lot of fun.  We usually spend an hour lying in the grass, puppies all around, the warm grass underneath us and the blue fading to purple sky up above.  The puppies love the nightly ritual as well.  As soon as I start washing the dinner dishes, the puppies start barking with eager anticipation.  OH BOY! IT IS ALMOST PLAYTIME! It is nice to forget about all the things that need to be done and just relax.  We have time to chat, laugh, get puppy snuggles and have a great end to a busy day.  We have started bringing out our binoculars as we have a pair of Baltimore Orioles that seem to enjoy our evening puppy fun as well as a brilliant Scarlet Tanager. I can't tell you how many times, I just sit in the grass, look out at the wide stretch of green pasture that lies before me and smile all the way to the depths of my soul.  To sit and appreciate nature's beauty is a beautiful, refreshing and rejuvenating thing for the soul.  I am definitely grateful for our after dinner routine.  I couldn't ask for anything better.

The Skort Did It

I would like to sincerely apologize for the impending frost/freeze we are about to experience here in Ohio. This will be the latest freeze we have ever seen.  It is almost Memorial Day and tomorrow morning we will experience wind chill factors in the mid-30's.  Tomorrow night we have a frost/freeze warning.  What is the reason for this late winter weather? What oh what could be the blame for the absence of warm summer breezes?  What brought us to this frigid state?  I can tell you.  It was......the skort!  I finally broke down and bought a few summer items for myself.  I had several things that just didn't fit right and I decided that I would get a few things that fit perfectly. I found the cutest skort and had to have it.  It's a  skirt!  It's shorts! It's both! How perfect!  To make things even better - the skort is made of wicking material to keep you cool and dry in the hottest of weather.  See?  I bought a new skort for REALLY REALLY HOT weather ... and then..........Summer vanished! I apologize for the drastic change in temperatures.  If I had left my winter clothes on my shelves....If I had gone through summer with ill fitting clothes and no skorts....I guarantee we would have a bumper crop of red ripe tomatoes  by now and the sun would be shining.  I will try my very best to reverse this weather. Tonight I will wear my winter pajamas.  Tomorrow I will wear a nice fleece sweatshirt.  AND to really help turn things around, I will put a big stockpot of homemade chicken soup on the stove.  Skort?  What skort?  All I see are sweatpants!

Water Bottle Collection

I am a water snob.  There. I said it.  I am a complete and utter water snob.  I can tell what kind of water I am drinking instantly.  I wish I were NOT a water snob.  I wish I loved all water equally, but alas.....I do not.  There are some brands of bottled water that I really cannot drink.  They taste all plasticky and gross. Same for tap water.  Some are SO chlorinated that I feel like I am drinking a glass of pool water.  We have well water here and it is really good.  Like spring-fed yummy cool refreshing water.  I want all water to taste like that.  I also am super picky when it comes to water bottles.  I don't like water bottles that make my water taste like plastic, or metal, or chemical tasting or not at all water-like. If you saw my collection of water bottles.....ummmmmm....well let's just say I have tried a few and have a small "I wish I liked that water bottle but I do not" collection.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres has tried several times to trick me with water taste tests and every single time I know which glass has which kind of water. I can never be fooled. As hard as I try to like all water....I just can't.  My younger daughter is very green-minded.  She brings her own grocery bags to the grocery store.  She is a big recycler.  She has taken several classes in sustainability and works hard to reduce waste. My affinity for a certain brand of bottled water and the copious amount of bottled water than I consume troubles her.  Well her troubled mind can be put at ease starting today! I have found a solution! I just purchased a GLASS sports water bottle!  It is all glass - even the lip is glass and the best part....my water.....tastes like water!!!!  I am SO in love with my new bottle!  It has a silicone casing on top to reduce the likelihood of breaking and a cap with a small handle.  It is perfect! I can take my new glass water bottle on my workouts, with my doggies, on my bike, on my hikes - everywhere!  No more store water bottles!  I am so excited I found a solution! Who knew one water bottle could bring so much happiness! Yay!

She. Is. Home!

What are the best three words ever?  I will tell you.....
"She. Is. Home!"  YES!  My younger daughter is HOME!  I am SO happy!!!!  She left home after Christmas and has spent her semester abroad in Europe. Oh the tears we cried when she left!  The emptiness!  The missing her SOOOOOOOOO much!  NOW SHE IS BACK!  I got to the airport extra early and of COURSE - her flight was delayed.  I believe I made 3,788 loops around the airport terminal waiting for her flight to arrive.  If you look closely - you might see the wear marks in the carpet!  I checked the status board every 5 minutes like a lunatic.  "In Range" YEA! "Landed" YEA YEA!  "ARRIVED" YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!  I eagerly watched each person turn the corner hoping it was my daughter.  Finally I saw her.....and she saw me.....and she came running full speed and we hugged and hugged and hugged and the tears of happiness just rolled down our faces.  We made other people at the airport cry.  We were that happy to see each other!  Once we got home, more hugs and more happiness followed.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres gave her the biggest bear hug EVER.  My son gave her a huge hug and the doggies.....well the doggies all went C R A Z Y.  They were so excited.  They were literally crying and whining with happiness.  My daughter was surrounded by doggies in her lap, around her back, on her sides - everywhere.  The house probably couldn't hold any more happiness!  The smile on my face might never leave!  She is HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday Puppy Picture Cuteness

Mondays are always busy here at Yesteryear Acres.  On top of all the millions of things on our never-ending "to-do" list - Monday means PUPPY PICTURE CUTENESS DAY!  I usually end up taking somewhere between 800-1000 pictures just to whittle it down to the most adorable ones.  Believe it or not - puppies don't just sit still and wait for you to take the picture.  You have to be quick!  Here are this Monday's Puppy Picture Cuteness.....

Scarlet and McGyver have the SWEETEST Double Doodle babies!

They are already learning how to play fetch

They are pretty good at it too!

They are especially good at pouncing on their favorite fetch toys! 

Taking a nap in the shade is also good fun 

Do you want to play with me?

Sweet Pea's Goldendoodle puppies are getting bigger.

The puppy on the left LOVES Mr. Yesteryear Acres so much. I have over a dozen pictures and she is looking up at Mr. Yesteryear Acres in every single one.

I finally got her to look my way......... and look! She is laughing at me!

She says, "Did you like those pictures? hee hee"

HAPPY MONDAY!"

All before lunch time

My son greeted me this morning like this:

"What? What are you staring at?"

You notice something unusual???????

He then took me over to the barn where he had my horse all saddled and waiting for me.  We went on a lovely horseback ride together.

My son loves to ride

And we are so blessed to have beautiful countryside right outside our back door

When we were done riding, my son decided we should take a few dogs on a walk.  

He said the dogs told him they wanted to go swimming 

Guess he was right 

Everyone had a good time 

It was a good day for a swim.  The geese thought so too!

On the way home, my son turned to me and said, "I am so glad we spent the day together"

All I could think was

"me too... me too"

Happiness is All Around

One of the best things about living here at Yesteryear Acres is that happiness is all around.  Every day.  No matter what.  We always find something that makes our hearts smile.  Some days can be harder and you have to concentrate and really think....what is good about today... but without a doubt - there is always something.  Life is full of happiness and we are lucky to be surrounded by it.

Sometimes happiness can be found taking a nap with a sweet doodle doggie

Blossom says, "Come join me!  There is room for you!"

Or happiness is seeing a sweet face just waiting for you to give her a good back scratch

Or getting a big horsie hug

You can't help but smile when you are riding your horse and see.......

Your son waiting for you to catch up

Puppies make us smile EVERY day. I think this guy is saying,

"And in the morning...I'm making waffles!"

Happiness is having a friend to always wait for you

If you stop to smell the "roses" ....

you will see that Happiness is All Around!

Well that's a first!

Today's very warm weather got me motivated to switch out my closet to my summer clothes.  We don't have very big closets here at Yesteryear Acres so I can only fit either Autumn/Winter or Spring/Summer clothes at one time. I know that just LAST week I said it was SO cold and just LAST week we had to turn on the furnace but hey - it is almost JUNE so I am hereby declaring that winter weather is DONE. FINISHED. NO MORE! I feel confident that my sweater wearing days are behind me until winter rolls around once again.  I need t-shirts!  I need shorts!   I need sandals!  No more mittens! I packed all my winter things away and then got out my summer gear.  As always, I try everything on before I put my clothes on the shelves.  Usually my clothes mysteriously SHRINK during the winter.  Every start of the summer season I am bathed in depression as NONE of my summer clothes fit. They secretly hold meetings where they all shrink at least 2 sizes! Well I got a huge shock.....my clothes fit! WHAT?!  YAY!  I had a huge smile on my face when every time I pulled on a pair of shorts....they buttoned!  I guess my commitment to fitness really paid off!  I happily put my summer clothes on my shelves and then...me, myself, and I - put away my winter clothes.  I usually have to have Mr. Yesteryear Acres carry down all my clothes from the attic and then once I make the switch, he has to carry all the clothes back up to the attic. I can't lift that much weight.  Not this time!  This time I did all the work myself!  My clothes fit AND I did all the lifting. Well that's a first!  AND I know for a fact - it won't be the last! Feeling good is AWESOME!