Spring Flowers

Spring is definitely here and with the beautiful weather we worked outside Saturday & Sunday afternoon. Jason actually let me on the riding lawn mower to help mow the yard and we finally burned the last of the neighborhood's leaves that seemed to have collected in our yard!

While doing some work in the backyard Jason found a rag hanging in one of our trees. He decided that he would get the rag out of the tree, but there was no way he was going to be able to reach it. Well...we had just finished raking leaves, he had the rake and I guess came up with the brilliant idea that he could knock it down using the rake. It was still too high to just hold the rake up and get it so he had to throw the rake up into the branches of the tree. After several tries and no luck Jason managed to ruin our rake as it broke in two.

He then thought it might work better with just the handle and continued throwing the handle into the tree. A few tries later and he lofted the handle up into the tree and landed it in the branches right above the rag. Of course he still had the rake part left and was going to use it to get the handle down, but after a few tries of throwing it into the tree he got is stuck as well! Off to the house to get the basketball.

I am happy to say that he was not able to get the basketball stuck in the tree and retrieved both the handle and the rake. However, the rag is still stuck in our tree, there are several sticks and small branches from the tree in our yard and I had to buy a new rake tonight!

The whole time this was going on our neighbors were outside on their deck just watching and laughing I am sure. Jessi told me some people just weren't meant to live in town- I think that is most definitely us!

With the lovely weather we have flowers popping up everywhere and our trees are really blooming. Here are a few of our flowers and a tree at the end. They aren't great pictures, but I am hoping my mom or Jessi or anyone else for that matter can tell me what kind of flowers, bush or trees are in the pictures below. I love that we are lucky enough to have flowers blooming around the house. I can't take credit for them or even tell you what they are, but I would like to know!

EaRtHqUaKe!!!

Jason & I can now say we have survived an earthquake! Friday morning about 4:45 I was shook awake and at the time had no idea what was going on. Jason sat up in bed and when I asked him what it was he told me, "I think it was just some thunder." I knew it was supposed to storm that night, but there was no way it was thunder. I told him I thought it was an earthquake and he said I was crazy. I finally convinced him to go look out the back door- we didn't see anything unusual going on so we headed back inside and Jason said, "It was probably just the house settling, go back to sleep." Later that night I found out that Jason woke up at the very end of the quake and didn't know that the whole house had been shaking. I guess he is a heavier sleeper than me! While I was getting ready for work later that morning Jason called home and told me that it really was an earthquake so I turned on the news and found out that we were survivors! Not that there was any damage or injuries- I saw on one website where a guy from California now living in the area said- that wasn't an earthquake, it was just a little shake. We felt an aftershock at work Friday morning about 10:20, but haven't felt any of the other ones that have been reported.

Mom's Birthday

Sunday afternoon we surprised mom with a birthday party. Jessi & I were in a bit of trouble because we wouldn't let mom go grocery shopping while we were in Columbia Saturday. We didn't know how else to keep her from cooking on Sunday. Well, we should have known that we couldn't keep her from cooking since we would all be at her house on Sunday. When Jason & I got to mom & dad's Saturday night after 9:30 she was making potato salad and when I got up the next morning before church she was finishing up a cherry and apple pie. Little did she know Kyle had gotten an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen for her birthday present. Mom was cutting the pie when Kyle brought the cake up and finally understood why nobody wanted any of her homemade pie! Since we had the ice cream cake we all got to take half a pie home! Andi enjoying her piece of cake

Mom & Andi getting ready to blow out the candles Mom opening her gifts- the ones we bought while shopping with her the day before TJ just chillin'

Missouri Youth Hunt

This weekend Jason took our niece Chelsey turkey hunting for the first time. She has wanted to go forever and it just has never worked out until this year. They got to see a group of turkeys up close Saturday afternoon, but they weren't able to kill one. While the great white hunters were out looking for turkeys on Saturday afternoon I went shopping with my mom, Jessi, Andi, & TJ! We went to Columbia for the day and I was able to find a few things I wanted and Jessi & I were able to buy mom's birthday presents while she was with us without her even knowing. She even had a coupon for me to use at New York & Co for the shirts I got her! We had a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to catch up with them during the day. Jason got to hang out with his mom & dad at their house Saturday after he & Chelsey finished hunting so we both got to spend some extra time with our families this weekend. I think Jason was worn out because when I made it back to Ed & Lola's Saturday night he & Chelsey were both asleep in the living room!Uncle Jason & Chelsey after their hunt Jason had Chelsey pose out in the woods with her gun and the decoys

Rhett Hunter

We headed back to Missouri on Friday night so we would have a few more hours over the weekend to visit with everyone. We had a busy weekend planned with our first stop scheduled to see our new nephew Rhett Hunter Pollard born on Monday April 7th. Of course we had to stop at Bass Pro on our way back to Missouri Friday night to get him some hunting clothes. Jason also just happened to find a new turkey hunting dvd, Longbeard Madness, while we were there that he just had to have and I convinced him to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings since we were already nearby. We finally made it back to Missouri and got to Jason's mom & dad's in time to visit with them before going to bed. After they went to bed Jason decided he needed to watch his new dvd so we didn't get to bed until 2am. Saturday morning we headed to Macon to see the newest addition to the Pollard Family. We had a nice visit with Justin & Megan and were entertained by Allison. Rhett is a beautiful little baby as you can all see and was an angel the whole time we were there.

Rhett Hunter Pollard

Rhett with his proud big sister & mom

me holding RhettUncle Jason & Rhett Allison reading Jason a story- Justin prompted her on a few pages, but she recited most of the book all by herself.

First Illinois Bird

This week Monday started Illinois' first, of five, turkey season which is the week Jason got drawn for. As his luck or skill (depending on who you ask :-) ) would have it he got a bird Wednesday morning. He has quite a story to go with his bird, but if you want to hear it you will have to ask him- I'm sure I couldn't do it justice, especially over the internet! However, I was told to put some details in the blog along with these pictures. The turkey weighed 23 lbs and was double bearded which added to the excitement as it was his first double bearded bird and his first Illinois bird!

Jason's turkey wasn't the highlight of the week though. Jason's brother Justin & his wife Megan had their baby Monday evening. They had a little boy. His name is Rhett Hunter and everyone is doing well.

We have had a lot of rain so far this spring and our yard has just been a mess, but this week it finally started to dry out. Jason was able to get back out soil sampling and get out of the office. Then last night the rain started back up and it was back to the office for Jason and our yard is now flooded again. The good news is Jason does not have to work this weekend and we are going to be able to go back to Missouri. Jason & I are excited that we will be able to see Rhett and I'm sure I will have pictures to post next week of the cute little guy!

Here are the turkey pictures