More updates from this past week! It sure was a busy one that's for sure, but it was a lot of fun!

A couple of years ago we ended up in Comanche with B's family for the 4th of July weekend. Well we were delighted and hooked on the exceptional display and loved spending the time with family.

We didn't make it down there last year, but decided this year we would go - it worked out well! The guys were able to get the shed taken down at Uncle Doug's house and we were able to spend time with Mimi Net and cousins as well. Plus we got to see the great fireworks show! Due to the drought in Texas this year most of the shows around Texas were canceled. The one is Comanche was PACKED, but we got a good seat and enjoyed a great display!

The fireworks were great. I wished I had my long lens with me. It was awesome to watch the boys sitting with their cousins in awe at the fireworks. We enjoyed watching the kids play a game of tag before the sky got dark enough for the fireworks. Brings back childhood memories for me. I love hanging out with family.

Here is my latest canning fiasco! LOL - Bread and Butter Pickles. I snagged cukes on sale 8 for $1 - can't beat that. And we got a precious few from our own garden. Darn heat is just killing everything.

Here's my cukes all cut up and soaking in the salt for two hours.

Here's my pickles cooking in the brine for 5 minutes. I figured out when I went to make the brine that I was almost out of vinegar. Grr...wish I had noticed that earlier as I was at Wal-Mart to get lids and rings. Pooh - oh well, more pickle making another day.

Since I ran out of vinegar I only made one batch and ended up with a quart and a pint. I am quite proud of my first batch of b&b pickles. I do hope they are good!

Here is my first batch of freezer jam. I made red plum freezer jam. Boy is it yummy. It turned out a little more tart than what I get at the store, but I have to admit I like it that way. It was so yummy. We at it on toast the next morning and in PB&J sandwiches! I ended up with six 1/2 pints in all.

While we were down in Comanche I did quite a bit of cemetery hunting...as hot as it was I did enjoy myself. While out visiting Mimi Net I was looking online and found a small rural cemetery about four miles down from her house. Imagine that!!! Mercer's Gap is a precious little rural area with a tiny Baptist Church and a cemetery. There was a geocache there so Daddy, Red and I took off that afternoon to go check it out. I waymarked several woodsmen of the world markers and a homemade headstone as well as the cemetery itself. Daddy snagged the cache while I was exploring the cemetery.

This precious little outdoor church stable structure sits right next to the little white church house. It was so cool to see. It doesn't look like it gets much use - but I am sure the Summer temps have something to do with that.

I surveyed the Sardis Cemetery and uploaded quite a few pics for find-a-grave. It is another rural cemetery that has quite a bit of history in it. It's still in use today and very well kept. But watch out for the stickers - they will eat you up! There is a cache here as well so i grabbed it while I roamed around!

This particular grave caught my attention...lots of love here...

While at the hotel we spent quite a bit of time in the swimming pool. Bug's favorite place. Cousin Davin came over to swim and the boys had a ball playing in the water. Red not so much, but he did get on the steps (on his own accord!) and play around in the water a bit.

Red decided to become the photographer for a bit and took a few pics while we were "lounging" by the pool . I thought he did a pretty good job on this one!

And here is mom, reading her book! ;)

I have to fit this one in! LOL

Daddy decided that with the grass so dry that he needed to cut the yard before we left out for the weekend. Less chance of catching on fire I guess. Well since it was soooo dry and just walking across the ground causes a Texas dust storm he decided goggles were necessary eye protection, with his sombrero and googles in place he was ready to tackle the yard. LOL

And a dust storm it did create! I didn't dare head out there with my camera - but it was quite a sight!

Over the July 4th weekend we traveled to Comanche to visit with B's family and tear down the old shed in Uncle Doug's back yard. He wants to clear out the yard so he can have a bigger space and put up a fence. So off we went for some demolition, family time and fireworks! It was hot, hot, hot, but we had fun and the boys got the shed down - which was their goal. This post covers the demolition of the shed. Boys and their love of tearing things up! Let me tell you - it was hot, tiring, sweaty, dangerous, messy, dusty and they LOVED it! LOL

The demolition has begun! Brian and Uncle Phillip up there tearing it up!

This building made of solid cedar was built back in 1907. The boys recalled painting it several times in the years they lived in this house. They also predicted that their Daddy was rolling over in his grave that they were tearing down his shed. I predict they are probably right.

This is proving to be one sturdy building...Papa J. would be very proud!

Well there is more daylight inside than this building has seen a the last century!

The roof is coming apart!

Tearing it up!

They succeed in pulling off one board with Mark's truck. LOL - not the results they were thinking they'd get...but boy destruction drama all the same. LOL

Uncle Phillip started working on the corner - trying to pry the roof rafters from the corner post to weaken the side of the shed.

The boys hooked up to the side wall thinking they would just simply pull it down. LOL - it wasn't quite that easy.

The tug of war with the side wall brought down the roof...you should have seen their faces! LOL

You should have seen their faces....priceless!

They couldn't resist one more tug - Mark got them started by hooking up the rope to the side wall.

It's DOWN!!!

Well after another tug of war with the wall, they got it down at last. It was funny how the small tree outside the wall gave it so much leverage to stay up.

Well here are the guys surveying their handiwork. Funny how men love to tear things up and then set back and look at what they tore up! LOL

At the end of a hard days work you can find Uncle Doug taking a rest in his favorite spot! hehehe! Say hello to your new facebook profile pic! LOL

Well here is the final product of all that hard work. The guys got it all torn down. There is a little tree trimming to do and a some junk to clean-up, but overall the back yard is much much bigger! :) I can't wait to see what plans Uncle Doug has in mind for his new space!