A House Full of Giggles and Summer Visitors

Renn had a brief overnight wake-up call around 1, but a few gentle bum pats had her drifting back off to sleep in no time. Sometime after 4, I heard the quiet padding of little feet coming up the stairs. She climbed into bed beside us and was quickly back in dreamland. Around 5, I heard S's timer go off to water a couple of the small evergreen trees before the day heated up.

By 8:15, Renn was awake and ready for action. Before either of us even left the bed, we spent twenty minutes playing Eye Spy. It was a pretty sweet way to start the morning before she officially declared it time to get up and play.

While S entertained Renn on the bed, I managed to finish Friday's blog post. Once that was published, I made a quick trip outside to toss morning hay to the ponies. S was already dressed and soon headed off to church in the Fireball, leaving Renn and me to continue what had become a full-fledged Pig Family play weekend.

toothpick assisted blueberry eating breakfast :)

I put a pot of soup on for lunch. S was back home around 11:30—with Ada and Aislyn riding shotgun. Renn was absolutely thrilled. The girls barely made it through the door before disappearing downstairs to play.

Grady and Amber stopped by to pick up the rake, giving us a chance for a short visit before the day carried on. Outside, I cleaned up manure and tossed more hay into the round pen. The grass is completely chewed off and powder, so the littles are relying heavily on supplemental hay.

Meanwhile, S hauled a full wagon load out to the pit, and I turned Roo out with the herd. The annual bike race that passes by our place every year was underway again, and between cyclist activity, and movement on the road, the horses had been on high alert most of the morning.

Once the soup was ready, everyone gathered for lunch. Renn chose noodles and managed exactly two bites of sausage before deciding competition was far more important than eating. She was far too busy trying to out-drink the girls with her lemonade and declare herself the winner of whatever contest existed in her imagination.

As soon as lunch was over, the girls vanished once again into their world of games and adventures.

B arrived with her lunch but barely touched it before heading out to tackle horse chores. She suggested moving the littles into the east paddock, so Aislyn, Harley, and I joined the effort. Unfortunately, moving reluctant to be caught ponies proved more challenging than expected. After a fair bit of effort, we collectively decided that everyone would be happier if we abandoned the mission, tossed more hay, and called it good for the day.

 

Aislyn happily returned indoors to play, B finished cleaning Roo's pen, and I turned my attention to watering pots and keeping everything alive through another stretch of hot weather.

S spent much of the afternoon researching shelter options for the barn paddock while keeping one eye on the big FIFA match. I set the robot vacuum loose before gathering the girls for a much-appreciated snack of watermelon and ice lollies.

Arts and crafts were another hit!

atist Renncasso

Nathan arrived around 5 after pulling out of his golf tournament due to sore wrists. Not long after, Amanda and Archie joined the gathering, and suddenly the house was buzzing with activity. Kids darted from room to room, conversations overlapped, and laughter echoed from every corner.

S got busy preparing a big potato pack while burgers, hot dogs, and buns rounded out supper. AJ kindly brought the buns, making the meal even easier to pull together.

The evening felt like a beehive of energy—children laughing, adults visiting, stories being shared, and everyone enjoying a relaxed summer gathering. Although the temperature only reached 25 degrees today, it somehow felt warmer, and once again I found myself incredibly grateful for air conditioning.

After 8, Aislyn and I helped Nathan get Renn settled into her car seat so they could make the trip back to the city, where Kaylin was eagerly awaiting her little princess. Renn was less enthusiastic about leaving the fun behind, but thankfully an iPad and a collection of snacks helped smooth the transition.

Amanda and the kids headed home around 9, and suddenly the ranch felt quiet again.

I headed out to check the ponies' water and toss a little more hay before settling in for the evening. Back inside, S and I finally finished the Heal documentary that had defeated us multiple nights in a row. Feeling ambitious, we started another series, but it wasn't long before S was sound asleep.

I watched a little more Elle before calling it a night myself.

As busy as the weekend was, I couldn't help but smile at how full the house had been these past few days. There were toys scattered everywhere, endless rounds of imaginative play, little feet running through the halls, and enough giggles to fill every room. The chores still got done, the horses still got fed, and the garden still needed watering, but for a few days those things took a back seat to family. And honestly, those are the days that seem to pass the fastest and stay with me the longest. ❤️