oh Meena!

Hi friends,

6 Oaks is coming along nicely. The house is finally finished, the pool is full, the sidewalks are in and isn't everything glorious! On top of all the wonderful things we have been blessed with we have a very special announcement.......MANDY IS HAVING TWINS! Ken and Mandy have been through alot to get to this point and now wow! TWINS......2 BABIES!!!!! I get goosebumps just thinking about it. Now we have to wait to see just who we have in there! Will keep everyone posted.

We have had a great warm summer here in the hill country. After a full day of working outside there is nothing as refreshing as a dip in the pool. We have been able to get our grass established this year thanks to alot of hours running the sprinklers. Just this week, the deer that come to the feeder every afternoon, began to eat my impatients. They have yet to touch one periwinkle. I do believe impatients are the only flower they won't eat.

We have had a great time watching our finches feast on the feeder outside the kitchen windows. At times there have been 20 little birds fighting for just a few seconds of hang time! I just can't figure out how they got the information that we even put it out there. All of a sudden here they came and they keep coming. The neighbors thought they had migrated for the summer. Little did they know the birds are all on our feeder!

If you have not heard I was an extra in a movie they were shooting here in Fred'brg. The man in this picture is the author of the book "Seven Days in Utopia" Life's Sacred Journey. His name is David Cook. It is quite a remarkable read and only 159 pages. This book has changed many many lives with all the wonderful lessons within. I encourage everyone to give it a read.

The only person anyone will know is Robert DuVal. He ate lunch with the extras each afternoon and seemed just so very "one of the group".

Some day I want to drive down to Utopia and experience the town for myself. When we were shooting we had to report for duty at 6-7 a.m. and worked continually for the next 12-14 hours! It is unbelievable how many times it takes to shoot just a short little scene. We redid things over and over and over again. The director would say " that was PERFECT! Now let's do it again!!" We got to where we were saying that even before he did. All and all I would do it again in a minute just for the experience. The crew was at all times so professional, polite and respectful. They made sure we were hydrated at all times. It was really hot standing in the fairway for hours. ( Note: I am watching "Bridges of Madison County". Great ChickFlick sniffel sniffel)

The only painful thing that has happened recently is the loss of my brother Gary. He is the brother right behind me. He will always be 55 years young. He suffered a massive heart attack at his jobsite. The workers tried really hard to revive him but he was gone by the time they got there. They did transport him to the emergency room and they did what they thought they had to do to revive him. They kept him on life support for 48 hrs. then by the grace of God they let him go. Gary is and will always be my "GENTLE GIANT". He was 6'4" and everything about this guy was beautiful. He was gifted with song, able to write music and gave God all the glory.........I WILL MISS HIM FOREVER. Rest in peace........job well done.....see you on the other side. I love you.

Be sure to tell whomever is in your life that they matter and you love them.

Come see us.....your room is ready!

Proprietor

Vicki and Bud

happy spring everyone!

We have decided to add this curvey rock wall to help guide run off water from getting into the carport.

This is a shot of the cistern that is in place to work with our rainwater catchment system.

The interior lights are being hung by the rooms with care hoping the moving date soon will by here. This is the time when all gets a little crazy. We are trying to complete this and that and keep to our somewhat tentitive schedule. The kitchen schoolhouse lights are origional from the east coast. Love love love them. nothing has been turned on yet......will they work?

The pool is coming along. The stone wall, waterfall and the patio are complete as of today(Mon). Our electrician is working (and disappearing) on the outside lighting and the fans and speakers. We will be cranking up the music and floating away the lazy days of summer.

This is the upstairs flooring. The floors upstairs will be painted white with a wearable paint to make them look like they have been there for many many years. At least that is what I have in my head. Getting the guys to understand what I am thinking is sometimes challenging.

this is a shot of the lighting in the dogtrot. The garage is on the right. Landscaping is turning out to be really fun. The choices are endless.

We have some cute fans on the west porch which will be a treat when we get to the dogdays of summer later. Oh! by the way, the bluebonnets are fabulous so far this season. Our rainfall is double what is was last year. If you get a chance to experience the wildflowers do not hesitate this year. This is one of many things that make our hill country so beautiful. On route 2323 in Llano county they are as wide as the shoulder of the road. People are beginning to pull off the road for family photo time.

Believe it or not I have succeeded in gettint this one posted. I have tried 2 previous posts and got so gosh darn frustrated I just ditched the whole project.

The grass (weeds) are turning greener every day. I have begun to plant my flowers for the new season. I have also tied all the white streamers on the the baby plant beds. Last year I was able to keep my beds from being nibbled to death by the deer by adding these simple t-shirt strips.

It is getting late.....the girls are all curled up in their beds enjoying the cool breeze thru open windows.

I hope all had a very blessed EASTER. It still shocks me to realize,as I do every year, that Jesus would go through all that just for me. THANK YOU....I LOVE YOU.

have a continued beautiful spring come see us

6 OAKS