One of the ways Mama shows her love is by making all of her specialty kitchen treats, cinnamon rolls being one of them.  Of course, Scout and Blaise wanted to help...

Sweet, sweet hands...

Of course, there's always plenty of finger-licking going on...

Ethan came in to supervise the cutting...and sneak his own little piece of cinnamon-sugary dough!

And Mark had to put in his two-cents, insisting that Mama double up on the gooey goodness in the pan!  

Mama's BFF Barbara stopped by to see the Texas gang in the kitchen chaos...

Kassie immediately bonded with Scout, and Scout enjoyed mothering her.

Ethan is working on a project for scouts, and one of the requirements is to do a 5-mile hike in unknown territory using a compass.  Mark mapped out his course through the wilds of central Indiana...and apparently modern-day scouts use the compass on their cell phones!

Final instructions from Dad Mark before Ethan set out...

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang enjoyed porch swing time together!

We ordered hamburgers and tenderloins and french fries for everyone...that's a lotta food for a lotta hungry mouths!

One of Mark's projects was to chop down the dead tree and clean up the area...

...and that's what he did.

With lots of helpers!

Kelsey is not be be left behind the big kids...

...while Kassie-girl is happy to play in the grass and dirt.

Two wild women here....

When Ethan got on the tractor, we scurried the kids to the safety of the porch...

Scout is a maniac bracelet-maker!

Adorable, busy, 5-year-old fingers....

Scout made Emily a bracelet...

...and Barb a toe ring.  Both at a discount price!  

Blaise and Momma Alli...

Their visit was just the tonic we all needed....

...the perfect diversion.