Summer Photo Dump

We still have a few weeks of summer and I'm holding them tightly. I love summer. Even at the end of summer I still love it. Sure, I like cool nights and sweatshirts, but I'll take a perfectly warm day over the cold hands down, all the time.  However, the rest of our hemisphere is ready for fall and the school buses that we are seeing on the road have declared it so.   It's been a fast summer.  It's been a lovely summer.  These are the photos that have been building up (mostly from my phone).

Lots of walks. Or as Vanden says "Let's go on an venture."

Kitties at sunset by the campfire

Silly times with cousins.

Rescuing toads from campfire ring.

Breakfasts with my early riser.

Imaginations running wild (here he is driving his boat).

The kids were often begging to take pictures with my phone of the cats and most of the photos look like this.

 

Longwood Gardens. So beautiful. This time there was an organist champion playing the pipe organ. This organ as over 10,000 pipes! It was truly breathtaking. I was a bit choked up. Also, we got to see one of the cats. This cat is definitely a highlight of each visit. Always hanging out by the du Pont house.

We have a membership this year and I've been trying to get the kids to understand that we do not have to try to see everything every time we come.  But they insist on seeing the Eye of Water. This is always the last thing we get to and even though they (3 out of 4 anyway) are done they still want to hike to it. As you can see only one of my troopers is really interested in anything at this point.

Rook games with friends. I WON! (possibly my first win ever)

Rides to the river.

"Sleeping" in the woods

Alligator art

Filming. If you didn't see it click here.

Dress up at the library, and someone caught their first fish!

Swinging, sunset and tractor play

Family reunion, celebrating some 60yr old members.

First day of school.  Well, first day of consistent school. We knocked a few days off over the summer.

Either I don't remember or this has been my clutsy-est summer ever.  The list includes but is not limited to falling down the stairs, falling off the front porch, dropping a full glass 1/2 gallon of milk, dropping pizza off the pan (it landed top down of course), etc.

But this guy helps me clean up.

We had a appreciation bbq for our friends that helped out with our house (paid and unpaid). It was a progressive meal. Dinner was at Dave and Gina's with Dave's fabulous chicken and dessert was at our place. I didn't take any pictures of that, but it was an ice cream bar and it was adorable and delicious.  Dennis made an awesome slip and slide and I will let the faces of the kids be the testament to its greatness.

However this cutie was not impressed by me at all. He found me tolerable.

Even though Dennis had to put the sides of the slide away, the kids still pulled out the plastic over the next few days and made the most of it.

When the boys get a little restless at church we head to another room.  Here Van is showing Beck how to make monkey faces.  Notice Van's footwear. We are halfway to church and we hear from the back of the car "Hey! I can't wear my boots to church!"  1. It's hilarious to me that he would notice and care that he put the "wrong" shoes on for the occasion 2. We need to look more closely at our kids before they head out the door. 3. At least he was wearing pants. I call that a win.

There was  a day when they had done their regular work so fast that I said, "go for a walk, find some stuff, glue it and be creative." Homeschooling at its finest.

Today was beautiful. They loved on their cats and had a picnic.

There were also tears and frustration, hitting and yelling, whining and complaining. Keepin' it real folks. And now they're in bed. Tomorrow we'll do it again and be thankful for this gift of life and the living of it.

Nerd Alert!

This past year Dennis' brother Dwayne and his wife Abby came over to watch Downton Abbey on Sunday nights. Sigh....Downton. Anyway, because sister in law is AWESOME she threw a Downton themed party. We dressed up, ate fancy food and had Downton names.  So for those that know that food matters, I give you the Menu:

Variety of Cheese & Crackers

Split Pea Soup with Creme Fraiche

Smoke Salmon with Dill Aioli

Turkey Brie & Apple Sandwiches

Lemony Dill Cream Cheese & and Cucumber Sandwiches

Nutella & Raspberry Sandwiches

Spring Pea & Bacon Salad

Individual Beef Wellingtons

Strawberry Tarts

Dark Chocolate Coated Truffles with Vanilla Filling
Beverages ~ Lemonade, Seltzer with Violet Syrup, White Wine Spritzers, Gin & Tonics 

Beach Day is Always a Good Day

My sister in law and I packed up 5 kids, leaving our littlest ones behind, and headed to the beach for the day on Friday. We were on the road by 6:35am and home before 11pm. We are rock stars. The beach is my happy place. She was kind to put up with my beach day idiosyncrasies and so were the kids. The weather was PERFECT, the kids behaved excellently and I didn't want to leave. The worst part is leaving. Carrying everything back to the car, across the sand, up the hill, waiting in line for the smelly fly ridden shower...blech.  But all the good that beach day is triumphantly trumps the the minuscule bad. I'm ready to go back!

The kids were catching all sorts of creatures like sand crabs and this jellyfish. While searching for a lost mask, my foot hit something hard. I freaked a little then reach down and grabbed it. I live on the edge. It was this huge seashell! In my 36 years of beach love I have never found anything like it before. A treasure indeed!

 

Stepping out

I love summer nights, especially when the weather is perfect.  That being said if I'm honest you will find me inside more than outside.  And the weather has not been perfect. I have to force myself outdoors sometimes and that is exactly what I did last night.

I was worried that our little raised beds were a complete flop, but we have edible things growing!

 

If he looks like he just got caught doing something it's because he was.  He was licking his plate of ice cream and frosting at Jesse's 12th birthday.  I meant to add it to that post.

Sparkly and stuff

I think July is the heart of summer. The weather is officially hot, and the honeymoon phase of no school has passed. I've been attempting to be proactive when it comes to our social life, and filling our days with positive activity to avoid the doldrums that often accompany the humidity. I don't always feel successful, but the good days outweigh the bad so perhaps that is success after all!

These boys, they love each other. The baby kitties are growing.  2nd or maybe 3rd cousins over to create ruckus play.Van has been giving me toys, because I "don't have any." Found a dead bird on the porch. My research leads me to believe it is some time of thrush.  Weekly library trips. Some of us don't come for the books.

The Fourth of July! This holiday has so many great memories for me. When we moved here and I found that I couldn't recreate my exact childhood experiences I stomped my feet and pouted for a few years. I am now recognizing my grown up status and getting over it. Every year has been a different experience and that's okay.  Yesterday included lunch at the parent-in-laws, pool party at Dennis' cousin's and then our own mini firework display in our back yard with the neighbors. I love watching the kids reactions. Beck got right in my face (nose to nose) to say "I like watching the fireworks". Van sat away from everyone else saying things like, "Ya!" and "Look at that!" My girl sat on my lap. Sigh. I did come across popsicles almost exactly like the ones that were passed out for free at the Blythe fireworks when I was growing up (example displayed by the little cutie above). It's the little things.

When Dennis and I had a "dollar store, let's find some fireworks date", the sales lady and I talked him into this sky lantern.  OH MAN!  I was so excited about this! And the pictures make it look like we had a successful launch. However I believe in honesty. Most of the time Dennis was chasing it and redirecting it UP in the air instead of sideways towards  the trees, which is eventually how it crashed. It was quite breezy and that messed everything up.  We should have waited because it did die down later. Lesson learned.

Raystown 2013

Again, we made the trek to the Bittergoose Lodge courtesy of Dennis' parents for our annual getaway.  The guys made sure to squeeze in some time for golf.

Plenty of time at the lake.

Captain Uncle Dwayne gave boat rides and Van was LOVING it. I could not stop taking pictures of his expressions. "I so much love this!" he told me.  He even drove the boat. Woo Hoo! for good uncles.

The girls were brave on the rocket. (There may be a rumor circulating where I promised my niece we wouldn't fall off if she rode with me, and then I fell off.  It's up to you to believe or dismiss rumors)

Mermaid sightings.

I love that they will have these memories!

Plenty of pool time. Van wasn't sure about jumping until he saw his cousin go for it.

Creek stomping and exploring.

Plenty of  time to chill and enjoy the lodge and it's grounds.

Plenty of time together. Another great year! (all cousins pictured except Eden who was floating behind me and Matthew who was having the cabin to himself for a couple hours)

Cartwheels and Kitties

Everyone felt that is was important that their legs were captured in the air.

My girl loves her kitties. J was kind to let me take a picture of him before he grows up and moves out. He also has been asking to take a picture with my nice camera and edit it. I obliged.

Not to be left out, Van wanted his picture taken and then sister interrupted. I tried to get Beck to join in the portraiture but he was busy.

Mrs. Frisby is our sweet mama cat. We love her. And I love how my boys are best buddies. *kitten pic by Eden