Vacation in Alabama

Here we are making snow cones with Zeke's new maker.

Gwen got a singing bird and gum with birthday money.

Ben painted the living room and also put in new flooring.

 We spent a week in Alabama. Here are my niece and nephew, Clay and Chloe and my kids. They aren't little kids anymore. I enjoyed talking with them.

Picking blueberries was fun. And hot.

 We always have to go to the bug museum.

I can't get enough of this toothless grin!

Skating rink.

Splash pad.

Breakfast nutella mustache.

Summer Sweet Summer

Today we celebrated Gwen's 7th birthday. 7! Here are some friends. 

 We recently lost our minds and got a trampoline. Here's Paw Paw giving it a try.

 Her birthday this year was butterfly themed. We made butterfly food and put it outside, but no butterflies could make the party....except this butterfly pinata.

 We've made a renewed effort in chores. Here is a little boy with great bathroom cleaning skills. He is going to really bless his wife one day with these skills.

We also have lost our minds and are repainting the den. We took the plunge and painted the brick fireplace.

Gwen got a thing you suck bugs into and inspect them. She loves it.

3 generations of homes for hackers fans.

Ben is brilliant. He designed for the pinata to hang over the trampoline. It was fun watching kids jump and swing. (One at a time)

 Reading sweet cards from friends. She can read!

Toothless neighbors and Zeke.

She was so very excited to pull her front teeth herself. I personally can't get enough of her toothless grin.

 We saw a baby bird learning to fly. Cute! I am enjoying the kids and gardening and swimming lessons and all that summer holds.

Poem

I found this poem in a collection of songs on a CD we rented from the library.  It makes me smile.

Bed in Summer

By Robert Louis Stevenson

In winter I get up at night

And dress by yellow candle-light.

In summer, quite the other way,

I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see

The birds still hopping on the tree,

Or hear the grown-up people's feet

Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,

When all the sky is clear and blue,

And I should like so much to play,

To have to go to bed by day?