Toofers...Or The Lack Thereof

Two in one morning, and about to issue another!
At this rate, Mama the Toof Fairy might have to start looking under couch cushions for loose change.

She shounds sho shtinkin' cute shaying she shells she shells down by the she shore...

Jammin'

Gotta' love strawberry seconds and wild black raspberries right in your own neighborhood!

Free jam?  AWESOME!

Cousins

Last night the oldest 3 grandkids got to sleep overnight at Grandma's; then today the rest of the kiddos and mommies joined them for a fun morning outside.  The weather was gorgeous--sunny, but perfectly comfortable with low humidity. 

I scavenged a piece of chalk and drew a bike course on the driveway.  
Anyone remember the children's book "Bears On Wheels"?  At one point we had 5 "bears" on 12 wheels!  Hurray for no collisions!

Somehow I missed taking a picture of Liam, the youngest, but did get some cute shots of these two hams!
What a blessing to have close cousins--geographically and in age!

Busy Days

It's been a number of busy weeks, not just days.  Our June typically follows that fashion.  The end of the school year bustles to a close, we usually have a few days or a week in which to squeeze home projects that have been waiting in the wings all year, then Pete starts his summer job and we begin to finally settle into a summer routine. 

One of our projects was a modified sandbox for the kids--mainly so Adam would not relocate the mulch we just spread around the flowerbeds.  Instead of sand though, we hauled a load of pebbles.  Some are sizeable, but no matter.  The kids were enjoying it this afternoon and I snapped a few shots.

What is that on Adam's chin, you ask? 

It's his admission of guilt.  Strawberry snitch.  :-)

Another project was painting the walls we had built to divide the basement in half (kids playroom on one side, and Pete's tool/car stuff and household storage on the other).  We didn't want it REALLY finished, just walled to be honest, but it did need a coat or two of paint to look a bit nicer and less like a dark basement.

Natalia wanted to help so why not?!

Two projects crossed off the "Honey Do" list...   :-)

Last Day

We will certainly be missing this lady!

An absolute gem as far as teachers go...and perfectly suited to what Natalia needed this year.  We LOVE Mrs. L!

Academics don't come easy for my girlie.  She is imaginative, LOVES people, and likes to serve and take care of everybody.  But focusing on her individual tasks and concentrating until it's completed is hard...really hard.  We are so thankful for the extra and individual reading support she received at school this year to partner with our efforts here at home.  And Natalia made some real strides in the last 9 months.

What will full-day 1st Grade be like next Fall?  Another strenuous transition, likely.  But we've been thrilled with her school, the parents we've gotten to know this year, and the classmates she's befriended.  Truly an answer to prayer and a tremendous blessing! 

I Have A Weakness...

...for little boy scapula. 

Call me weird, but is there anything cuter?!

Farm Fun

Last evening we were able to spend some time with friends who used to live next door to my parents, and my mom and dad joined us too.  The Nissley's board horses and invited us to come ride...music to my daughter's horse-lovin' ears!

We had lots of fun exploring their farm too.  The kids had a grand time riding the little tractors, scooters, and other wheeled things around in this empty barn.


Though I must say, this picture raises a quantry.  Does her reading material justify her actions?  LOL.

We got our horse rides in, between alternating downpours...we've been having alot of those recently!


Just look at those clouds rollin' in!  Batten down the hatches, er brooder lid, mate!