My children playing with dogs

Perhaps to you these photos seem dull or pointless. But to me they are an explosion of parental success. These are my children!!! Playing with dogs!!!!  You have no idea how many hundred thousand hours of effort have gone into these photos. 

Horseback riding in MT

First the kids had to prepare "Shorty" the mustang for riding. He needed a good brushing.  

After getting the blanket on, our friend Maxine asked who wanted to go first! Nobody of course. Stanfill childen have a strict "no volunteering" policy. Then Jed said "Well I guess it is going to have to be me..."  Way to take one for the team, big guy. I could tell that secretly he was really excited to get up on that little horse. After he got the hang of it, Zoe hopped on behind him and they took a walk around the field. Jed loves being the big strong brother. 

Later Zoe hopped off and joined the cheerleaders. 

Jed rode again and again. Gramps did a lot of walking around that field. 

Jed absolutely loved it. (Note the awesome matching hats.)

Finally Jed helped take off shorty's gear and brush him down. 

Out on the dirt pile

Granny and Poppa's dirt pile is a long standing summer tradition. Zane is in on the action this year, even though he can't get off the pile himself and will stand shrieking atthetop for someone to come hold his filthy, sweaty little boy paw so he can get down and do some more running. Even though we are in the middle of a heat wave, that hasn't stopped the kids at all. 

Nearby, Jed has built a new fort against the woodpile. Building the fort is another annual Granny and Poppa event. 

This year, Jed is particularly pleased with the furniture and wood flooring that he has installed.

Meanwhile, Zoe is cooking up a storm on the dirt pile. "Who wants dirt for breakfast?!"

Zane and I are hiding out in the fort, keeping cool in the shade while the others play on the pile. Hot fun in Montana.

(Let's be honest, hot fun in a Montana heatwave is still cooler than regular summer fun in Indiana. But we shall seewhen it  gets up to 104 this afternoon!)