time for my weekly check-in! 

We turned our A.C. on for the first time the other day!  84 degrees in the upstairs was beyond what I was willing to handle!  Feels so good just to have the humidity out. 

Our Smoker gathering last weekend went so fast, it went really well and we couldn't have asked for better weather.  A highlight was the candy man, dropping candy for the kids, and then landing.  he doesn't do that often because cars are usually parked on the runway.  

Scooping up the candy

Adam has lots of energy, and not always the good kind.  I got desperate last Friday and called the Rec center to see if they have any sports camps for my little man.  They just so happened to have basketball camp starting Monday.  He was really excited about it.  I signed him up and he had a good time.  It's just 2 hours a morning for one week, which is perfect  (and there has been more peace amongst the brothers too, w/ this separation). 

MT cousins are in town, we saved our first heat wave for their visit :)  We had pool time the other day w/ them.  Lots of throwing water around.  Always a good time with these guys. 

And speaking of pool, the boys started swim lessons this week.  The lady giving them lessons is great, and is doing a much better job at teaching then I could!  The twins don't like putting their head under but they are cooperating.   Adam is "diving" in, while holding his nose!  I had to pull him out the water yesterday after swimming for 3 straight hours. 

Clay didn't have any fun at grandma and grandpa's this week...ha

hello

I haven't been on here lately, we've been enjoying summer vacation very much.  I try to keep weekdays and weeknights free to just enjoy ourselves outside and let the boys go crazy w/ their energy and imaginations.  but our weekends have been full, of going here and there and having people over.   last weekend was the annual fly-in (i'll show you pics of that sometime mom, don't feel like uploading them onto here) this weekend we're having my extended family here for an overnight campout.  looking forward to that.  the weather is perfect.
this morning the boys and I sold some lemonade and extra produce from the garden.  we have abundance!  one man stopped and bought some cabbage then asked if we'll be out here every day!

Our mailman humors us every time.

Clay helped out this year.  Screaming to the cars..."DO YOU WANT SOME LEMONADE??!!"

that wore me out so I took a nap on the hammock and woke 25 minutes later to Clay looking like this!  we have wild raspberry bushes along the property line, they are ready to eat now :)

Don't even want to know how many he ate!  I just love this time of year.  First day of summer starts tomorrow.  SLOW down, summertime. 

weekend change...

we were scheduled to do our annual camping weekend with our church this past weekend, but it got cancelled due to rain!  and while there was a day of initial disappointments, we decided to make the best of it and enjoy doing other things..

we invited the 'campers' over to our house Saturday evening instead.  and we had a campfire, train rides for kids, food, and fellowship.  the kids played great and the adults fellowshipped, which is what we like best about our camping weekend, so it worked out. 

These 3 raced down the hilly driveway for awhile, I tried not to watch...

we like to complete our gatherings with one of these things!

Chinese lantern

if you see one in the sky, it's not a U.F.O.!

sunday after church we took the boys fishing.  we've never officially gone fishing.  (I don't count that time I tried taking them to lake grubb, when I had to ask a stranger how to use a fishing pole).   our friends pond was stocked, they each caught at least one fish.  much more exciting then our lake grubb experience!

 

(I think the weekend was more fun and relaxing then if our original camping plans had worked out!)

today is the boys last day of school.  I was determined to not send them to school the last couple days, because of some silly 'snow days' that got tacked on to the end of the year.  but they wanted to go, which is great.  I am planning to have a little more intentional times this summer, instead of a summer of free-for-all.  (that gets a little hairy with 4 boys)  we'll be doing some school stuff a couple mornings a week.  some down time in the afternoons, reading through Genesis together after breakfast, etc.  This is all to keep me sane more then anything else.  we'll see if it works :) 

mountains

some highlights from our mountains weekend.  we had a great time together.   many memories made.  we hadn't been there for a couple years, so it was good to be back, and have gorgeous weather and spend time with some family.   

Potter county is "God's Country":

Cabin is off in the distance....

bike rides....

silly kids....

the creek.....

 

 

 

 

Making grandma nervous...

 

 

campfire..

picking wild flowers (or weeds probably):

being entertained by these two:

eating out.....

and even some down time....

 

Very thankful for this place.  can't wait to do it again!