June = Summer = Adjusting

June 6 was the last day of school.

Everyone was excited. Even me! 

Sometimes when I'm reading my Bible, Van decides to "read" his too.

Eden received some pencils (among many other art supplies) from her Great Grandpa Jim. She decided to try them out right away and put his tips to use as well.

We went creek stomping the week school was out. PERFECT weather.

And we built a dam! So my friend and I were really into it, and finally the kids caught on to our awesomeness. She took this with her itouch.

Look who I caught helping his little bro put on his shoes. These moments are the best.

Father's Day. After lunch, naps, an outing on his own to peruse Home Depot, steak, potatoes, & asparagus dinner, we went for a walk. Well, the kids rode, we walked.

Beautiful golden evening.

Watching the older kids race down the hill.

This guy. He probably won't even see this and if he did he would probably be perturbed that his picture is on here. However, let's talk about him for a sec. He works harder than most anyone I know, he loves me, his kids and desires to obey God even if that means adopting more kids (heaven help me).  The kids adore him and he's definitely the favorite when it comes down to it. I'm okay with that. Number One Dad indeed.

Van agrees that daddy is worth jumping up and down about.

Adjusting. Over the past couple years I've noticed that after a few weeks of bickering the kids chill out and become bff's for the rest of the summer. It has not totally kicked in yet. It feels like there is so much going on right now that they are bouncing off the walls and I don't have time to deal with it.  But that's my job. Not even just dealing with it, but shaping these little ones in to loving beings instead of selfish beasts. So in the middle of my taskiness I had a good mom moment and we made a fort. See how happy they look? That lasted 10 seconds after this picture. I kid you not. Luckily it was nearly lunch time. So I fed the littler ones and  put them to bed. Then the older two ate and started acting like civil humans again. Maybe they were just hungry. I had them have some reading time with a timer on and I went upstairs to do some other work.   After a while Jesse comes up to ask me how to start the washing machine. Turns out they had swept and mopped the floor, put laundry in the dryer and folded the rest. I nearly cried with joy that they thought of this on their own. He said they were bored and so they thought they'd help out. YES!  And then the rest of the day was perfect. Not true. There was more bickering and screaming and crying and the like. But today I learned a lesson. Normally I group a day into either good or bad. Either everything was great or it wasn't.  But that's just not reality. Everyday has good and bad and it's not always even. But what am I going to choose to remember most? The bad was there, learn and move on to tomorrow where everything is new. The good....yes. What I will choose to remember most about today is that my kids decided to help their mom out, without being asked and do a good job of it. And then they asked for a treat. :)

 

May

They love each other.

Somebody refused to give me a normal smile...I'll let you guess who.

Washing the car on a HOT day.

Water balloons = 10 mom points. No throwing them at mom = -5 mom points. Still in the black.

We know what the camera is for now.

Snack time.

Later I found out that there was water in this boat. Wet pants was the big clue.

Swingin'

I don't usually drive, but when I do it's in the nude.

Flasher.

Another example of safety first on the farm. 

Uncle Dwayne got a turkey, and the girls found kittens.

We were picking berries...can you tell what kind?

This one was not feeling his best that day.

Niece Ella was a HUGE help with the boys while I picked.

Strawberry Fields

We stopped at the park where Eden and the whole 2nd grade was having a field trip. This is her current school BFF.

Lunch with sister.

Tuckered out.

Strawberries make you feel better.

Summer calls for it.

As much as I love his beautiful, long locks it is hot here! It is hot and humid and the poor boy only has an oscillating fan in his room that sometimes his big brother stops on himself. It was time to have a cooler do for the summer. He looks like a different kid.

My Birthday!

Celebrating began Saturday night with some of my favorite ladies at one of my favorite restaurants. I LOVE it when I can try something new, and yet sometimes I chicken out (what if it's not good then I've wasted my $?).  However that night I was adventurous and it was heavenly. Really, it was called the Heavenly Roll (sushi roll).

On Sunday we grabbed some Sonic with the kids and they put a candle in my milkshake. The kids also made and hung up a Happy Birthday sign (need to take a pic before we take it down) all on their own.  That night Dennis' mom generously took the kids home with her to stay overnight so Den and I could go out to dinner with some friends. This is my sweet friend Val. Her oldest son Wes is one of Jesse's best pals.

On Monday I got the gift I asked for. A whole day on my own to do whatever I wanted could  squeeze into a day and afford that didn't involve a six hour round trip (also know as the beach).  I slept in, had some breakfast and then.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Went and had my first pedi in 2 yrs
2. Starbucks with my birthday gift card
3. Found a place to go for a hike (this was the beginning. It eventually went downhill very steeply, and that meant I had to come back up...I nearly died....out of shape!)
4. Saw a spring
5. Loved the wooded path
6. Kept going
7. Made it to the tracks
8. Made it to the river
9. Hoped to settle here for some time with my Bible and journal but...
10. People had left their snack there as a hint they were climbing up the waterfall
11. Saw a tunnel
12. Went into the tunnel
13. I see I have 2 14's....I'm not fixing....so 14 on the right: Hiking is for people from all walks of life (as I was taking this the buggy owners showed up and if you live around here you know that taking a pic of the amish makes you look like an ignorant tourist. oops.)
14. From the top...I hike all the way down to the river and back up! I do enjoy this and I can't remember the last time I did.

Since I couldn't find the perfect reflective spot on the hike I went to Panera for an ice tea, a free cookie and some free wifi with my kindle fire.  Was able to reflect over the year, thank the Lord for all that he has done, recognize the hard things, look forward to the future.  This was probably the most refreshing part of my day. I started the day really missing den and the kids. Probably because I knew I was going to have a fun only day and I wanted to share it with them!  It took a while, but I eventually was able to embrace this time and savor the moments of peace. My goal was to relax and be able to listen to Jesus and He was faithful meet those needs.

 Thank you all for your birthday greetings and for the part you play in my life!

Bubbles

Beck is 2!

We started Wednesday with a birthday breakfast so we could include Grandma and Great Grandpa Jim in the festivities. Bacon and eggs and Cinnamon roll cake. (whoa...so good)

Then there was the day spent with sister (who was home w/ a bad case of poison ivy on her eye!) who wrapped up a book we already had as a present.  Also there was some swinging.

Mom Mom and Pop Pop came for an easy dinner of pizza and salad (we had care group at 7!) and there might have been a grumpy birthday boy at dinner. Then we broke out the Chocolate Chip cupcakes. He gently blew out his candles and got a little bummed out when his cupcake flipped and got frosting all over his arm. But as you can see above and below...he got over it.

1. Bubbles? 2. More bubbles! No I don't want your money, open my bubbles! 3.  I said open my bub...wait...is that a singing card? A singing dog card? YES!  4.  This Elmo guitar is top notch.  5. Tuning  6.  I play however I want, don't tell me to turn it around.  7. I'm giving guitar lessons now since I'm a natural.

Beck's favorite things at 2

• Eating
• His Binket (blanket)
• Books - There's a Bear in God's Woods, There's a Cat in God's Tree, First Words (or anything w/ flaps to open, Touch and Feel Puppy Book
• Singing (or being sung too) - Jonah, Jesus Loves Me, David, Pharoah, He Lives, and Beck's song
• Going outside! 
• Playing w/ siblings
• The tunnel
• Wearing shoes
• Bubbles
• banging the drum
• throwing things

Beck is...

• Saying words, and repeats words we ask (and animal sounds too!)
• Starting to count
• Shaking his finger at us when he's mad
• Waiting on the 2 year molars to come through
• Can go down slides by himself (often on his belly)
• Will sit on our low swings by himself
• Holds hands for prayer and says amen

You are a joy in our lives!

Mom's and stuff

Voluntary snuggles caught on film.

Landing from a leap

Good friends

Pretending they found dinosaur bones (they were bovine)

Mother's Day reminder of why we don't do many group shots.

Checking out the neighbors equipment.

Grandpa Jim

My mom brought mini kites.

The neighbors got a pig.

Sketch tips from Grandpa Jim

Browsing Costco coupons with Grandma.

Inspecting the doors

Stairs to Eden's room.

Almost caught a moth.

Mom, Beck, Grandpa