Happy Dad + Work = A Good Day!!

The other day, I was feeling a little down so I stepped outside, hoping some sunshine might help. The youngest kids were playing in the lawn while the sheep grazed around them. That has to be their favorite job, since the sheep don't need much tending and they get to play to their hearts' content. I wondered if all kids play like my siblings do... Their deep laughter was deafening and yet so familiar; it fills my ears every day. The rooster jumped up on a round bale in the barnyard and cockadoodledood his head off. The cows laid in the warm sun chewing their cud and  thinking deep cow-type thoughts. Most of the horses were following suite in the warm sunshine. I was joined on the grass hill that I was sitting on by the two new lambs who are always running around giving life to the property. New laughter and squeals reached my ears from across the creek. Through the woods, I could barely make out the peeling operation where Dad and the kids were working. (I had lunch dishes waiting on me inside, or I would have joined them in a second.) I would hear a strange voice followed by rounds of giggles, and then another voice would take over and more giggling would follow. Feeling happier, I went inside.

Later, I asked Annie about all the laughter and she simply said, "Dad was in a good mood. It was a good day." She went on to tell me some of the silly things Dad was saying and doing. When she finished, I was surprised to find myself in a good mood. It spreads like wildfire when it comes from the top of the family. :-) A few days later, I came across these pictures that Michael had gone out and taken that day. You can see by all the big smiles that everyone was quite giddy.





Playing a game that dad made up involving logs, racing, wood-chips and balancing.




Flattening one side of the rafter beams.





Carrying back a few logs that got misplaced. I heard they're really hard to carry when laughing... Then, when they found that out, it became painfully hard to hold the giggles in.


They would look at each other and start grinning and before they knew it, it was too late. They would all be in stitches of laughter and the log would be on the ground again...


Passing on the good mood! Have fun at your work today!