Thesummerthatflewby

This summer just may go down in history as being our most jam-packed one yet, but wait, I say that every summer don't I?

Memorial Day weekend found us back on our campsite, working on fixing up the cabin and clearing some brush. We invited Leon's family over for a 'trash can supper' the last evening.

 This is how Brooke eats breakfast in the rain.

 It poured rain one afternoon, so the children got to hang out in the cabin and read.

  Corn hole!

And then we had VBS at church, which Leon and I helped plan.

Our family vacation came right on the tail of VBS, then I was home for 4 days before I left for a Stutzman Ladies weekend at a cabin in TN celebrating the big sister's 40th. What a grand time we had!

This was the good group picture.

 This was the funny group picture. See, dear Heidi handles the camera and all, but on her mad dash to join us before the camera flashed, she wiped out on the just-rained-on deck and this is what happened.

 Heidi was the crafty brain behind these lovely wooden signs and Jen and Elaine helped her. What fun to choose our own and personalize them with our own color scheme.

The birthday girl herself, painting her sign.

 Megan baking muffins in the kitchen. This is what she thinks of cooking for her sisters in law. (The lighting is terrible in this picture, but I'm not up to editing pictures right now.)

 My sweet mother-in-law, getting a much deserved foot soak.

The famous game of Blok-us.

 We ate good food, spent a day on the lake on a pontoon, ate at Olive Garden, played games, watched a movie, read, hunted for bears, ;) enjoyed the lovely remote area, laughed at the chicken crossing the road, soaked our feet, and shared encouraging words with each other. It was a treasure of a weekend!

I sent my oldest son to camp the very day after I returned from TN. How can we possibly have a child old enough to go off to camp for 5 days?! We missed Logan so much but he had a fantastic time. While he was gone, I totally re-painted the boy's room as a surprise for him. Jamison helped me with the floor.

Immediately after he returned, Leon's sister and her family arrived and stayed with us for the next 9 days. What fun we had! The children enjoyed their cousins so much! We adults enjoyed some wonderful conversations as well! And I didn't take one picture!

Other summer fun.....

snapping beans, which the children do not enjoy but their Mom is very grateful for their help, and since they eat a lot of food, the Mom thinks it is only right and fair that they help out!

playing Narnia......

Trying out new work shoes and having your Mom laugh at your style...or lack of style...

 taking pictures of the kittens and having Mom delete most of them...

mowing yard, weeding the garden, swimming, riding 4 wheeler, building extravagant creations in the sandbox, playing in the old barn......

Last Saturday, Leon and Annika went to pick up a pony for the children. It is Annika's dream come true. She has been taking very good care of Cherokee ever since she joined our family, even going so far as to scoop up every little pile of manure she drops in the yard.  I hope Cherokee knows how loved she is.

In the middle of all the fun, Jamison celebrated his 11th birthday. Being the big boy that he is, he didn't even fuss that it went mostly un-noticed. :)We are still planning a celebration.

Two and a half weeks until school starts! The children groan and complain but I think we are all ready for a school schedule again.

 The children pulled out the tent again and are enjoying sleeping in the yard. Somehow sleeping outside never gets old.

And that's a quick run down of our summer, thus far.