After the rain, time for fun and travel.

We took K9 to the Annual Baker Creek Festival. After eating the healthy, yummy, chocolate coconut ice cream, his favorite thing to do was hug a tree, and it didn't cost any money.

Favorite thing? It was the tree...until he saw The Tractor! He absolutely loves tractors!

This is "Fluffy", our only indoor dog. She, like the other four dogs on our farm, is a pure bred pedigreed canine who cost someone else a lot of money. Like the other dogs, Fluffy was given to us. She is a Japanese Sptiz and very loving. She likes nothing better than sitting in your lap and being petted. So, inaddition to raising cattle and sheep, we raise children and rescue dogs.

We took a little trip to Portland, Oregon. Boarded the plane. It broke, so we de-planed back into terminal. Waited 45 minutes and boarded the plane a second time. Started to back up, but stopped. Whatever broke before, was not really fixed, so we de-planed again into the terminal. This time we waited hours! Six hours after we first boarded our plane, we marched back onto it for the 3rd time, and 3rd time lucky, we actually took off! K9, at 2 1/2, did not want to sit still or wear his seat belt all three times! Oh my, it was exciting. And he missed his afternoon nap and did not fall asleep until the final 45 minutes of the 4 hour flight. To add insult to injury, one of our suit cases somehow ended up in Seattle instead of Portland, so we had to wait for it to arrive at Portland. When I got it, it was wet. We did not get to bed until about 2 A.M. Missouri time. Alaska Airlines was kind enough to give us several discounts on future flights and miles on our frequent flier account. We survived, with bennies. 

Our priority the next day was hair cuts for me and K9. I found an awesome barber shop operated by Vietnamese barbers. Our daughter, K1, took us to this specialty kid's barber for his trim. He was definitely happy with the chairs. 

He settled on the police car. It, like the firetruck, had flashing lights and lots of buttons, knobs, and a moving steering wheel, not to mention an animated movie playing on a screen in front of him.

Why visit Portland, OR, in the month of May? To attend our granddaughter Sadie's baptism on Saturday, and to celebrate Mother's Day with K1's family. Here is Sadie holding her dog, Lucky. 

This is the real Lydia, not the flat paper Lydia who visited the farm last month. 

After Church on Sunday, we were able to see and talk with our son K7 via Skype for the first time since Christmas. He has spent the last 17 months as a Missionary teaching the Gospel to the people in Ghana, West Africa.  

Here he is actually helping a young man with his school homework...

He loves the people of Ghana, and wants to work even harder the remaining 5 months he has left on his Mission. He is supposed to return home in early November.

The weather in Portland has been mostly cloudy and rainy, with occasional sunshine.

If you look to the upper right of the green road sign in the middle of this pic, you will see Mt Hood rising into the clouds.

Standing in front of the doors of the Portland Temple. Our grandson Trevor is with us.

Two and half year old K9 is almost as big as his four year old nephew Trevor. 

It is a beautiful Temple... 

...and it is set in a beautiful green forrest. Why Temples? A Temple is the only place on earth in which we can be sealed to our spouse, children, and extended family for all time and eternity - a celestial family.

Family is extremely important to us. With the recent passing of Grandma and Grandpa, we have created a family cemetery on the farm. We are waiting for K7's return from his Mission this Fall, so he can help bury his grand parent's ashes. Families are Forever.