Father's Day

We had the pleasure of delivering a group Father's Day gift to Pop this year, and we enjoyed every minute of it. We all went in on a gift that would be near and dear to his heart - a forever brick at CLH.



Mighty petting a kitten at the zoo.

Mer with K and J at the zoo.

Pop and J fishing in the lower lake.

Mer and Mighty were the only ones to catch a fish. He wasn't quite sure what to think of it.

Our Engineer

K is constantly building and revising things for his own amusement - at school, at home, and in his own mind. Many of his dreams do not come to fruition because we don't have the correct tools to make it happen or because he doesn't have the patience to explain to us what might be needed or required (literally what our role in his latest project might be). He is ever the perfectionist.

This is his latest project. The best part of witnessing it was that when he wasn't immediately successful, he thought about giving up but didn't.


This was the revised plan after a couple of attempts.



He let his friend take the maiden voyage.

A successful 1 man boat. Not good enough...can it hold 2 men?

Yes, but not for long. A few seconds later they were sinking.

Sprinkler Park

Last week we visited the local sprinkler park after swimming lessons. Mighty can hardly stand to sit through swimming lessons without being able to touch the water. I thought of the sprinkler park and knew we had to make a quick visit for his sake. Needless to say, everyone had a great time. My only regret was that I left my suit at home!



I think J had the most fun of anyone. He ran non-stop through the water with a huge smile on his face.


The boys posing with Dad.


These guys were up to no good!

Notice Mighty mid air. I don't think I could get this one again if I tried.

July 4

We hosted the 1st Annual July 4 party at our house this year. I think everyone truly enjoyed themselves. The only thing I would have changed would have been the temperature. The first hour or so was pretty unbearable, but luckily, it did get a little more comfortable as we approached evening.

We rented an 18ft inflatable waterslide for the party. The children loved it! A few of adults might have enjoyed it a little bit, too.

I wish I had more pictures to share. I was too busy running around to take any with my camera. I am hoping some of our friends will share some of theirs.

Hats...

Our youngest son, hereinafter referred to as "Mighty," has been obsessed with hats for quite some time now. He especially loves cowboy hats. In fact, my uncle is a real deal cowboy and Mighty has always called him "Hat." This drives K a little crazy, but the rest of us find it cute and well...fitting. There aren't many occasions when you see Uncle Bill without his hat.


I think Mighty aspires to actually be Hat one day. He certainly fits the bill in his appearance and temperament. :) He has been known to wear his cowboy hat and boots any and all places...even the subdivision swimming pool.


Recently, J and I had been discussing whether or not to put a ceiling fan in Mighty's room. I pointed out that there was definitely a reason he didn't already have one. His room is the coldest in the house. That same night Mighty made an odd plea as we were tucking him into bed. He said that he couldn't go to sleep because it was "too hot" in his room. He cried like he was truly worried about the conditions in his room. We looked at each other puzzled. He could tell we weren't buying it, so he added..."I need a jacket." What he meant to say was that his room was freezing! I explained that he could not wear a jacket to sleep in July. He thought for a moment and said, "Well, a hat might help." We finally gave in on the hat.







The next night this is what we found. I think Hat would be proud of Mighty!

The King of Art

For J's birthday, he received money for art lessons from his grandparents and from us. His birthday is in the spring, and his mom was way too busy with the end of the school year to arrange art lessons before the summer. So...we are proud to report that we are beginning the second month of art lessons, and he is thrilled. After the first hour lesson, he said, "Mom, are they always going to last that long?" I reassured him that they would always be exactly one hour. He said, "Well, it isn't long enough!" This was no surprise to me. He can sit and do art projects for hours on end.

We gave him a coupon on the last day of school that allowed him to be called any superhero name he wanted for an entire day. I thought this would be something he would use right away. As it turns out, he saved it for a special day. He has announced that the day of his art lesson, he would like to be called "King of Art." I might be a little biased, but I think he is a pretty cool kid.

This is his second project in art class. Not too bad...

Golf Camp

K and his best bud attending Golf Camp in June. I know they learned a great deal and really seemed to enjoy the game. Hopefully we can convince their dads to take them out for a real game sometime soon...well maybe just part of one.

Gardening Success

Two years ago, J began a gardening project He loves planning, tending, and sharing his garden with our family and some friends who share the same love of gardening that he does. When we began this endeavor, an experienced gardener sent us forth with some plants, some seeds, and careful advice about how to proceed. She was right on every account (she always has been...we truly value all that she has shared with us over the years). She told us we wouldn't have a successful strawberry crop until the 2nd year. She gave us confidence that we could actually grow fruits and vegetables for our family to enjoy. She was right again!

Last year we had luck with cucumbers, squash, and peppers. This year, we are doing a little better...




M with a carrot from daddy's garden.



K with a "bunch" of carrots.

Spiderman, the magician, made a quick stop in our garden before heading out to save the world.

Who knew digging for potatoes could be so much fun?

A little science lesson about how worms help the garden. After examining this guy, we put him right back into the soil.

The man who made it all possible.

Not too bad for one day. We also have many tomatoes in the works and hopefully some yummy watermelon. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Visiting Mer & Pop

We recently went to visit Mer and Pop at camp. The boys love it as much as we all do. It's hard to get a genuine smile out of K these days unless we catch him off guard. This smile tells it all. The boy loves camp!


A quick art project brought a smile to all of our faces.


All of the "boys" on the golf cart ready for some fun...



This is the life (for parents and children alike). I so enjoy watching these two in action when they are having fun together. This was definitely one of those kind of days.

M giggled the whole way down the waterslide each time he did it. Needless to say, he isn't afraid of much.

J, K, and J taking a trip down the slide together.

M enjoying a sugary sweet cereal snack with Pop.