My beauty

Have I mentioned how much I love this little girl?

Backyard fun

We are enjoying our backyard so much this year. The kids actually play well for a significant period of time so I can get some work done back there. (But if I sit on the swing, they hound me to play with them!) The half-hoed weed patch in the background is now filled with planted raised bed (yea!) Lanelle is old enough now that I trust her around the fire and the hot tub, so we are loving it all...

Cousins

I have great memories of fun with cousins when I was little. I love watching my kids make some of those same memories with their cousins. Lanelle and Ariana going for a walk with Grandpa.

Nolan and Kellen took a few moments to sit and play sidewalk chalk. But, seem to enjoy more of this type of activity...

Ayden and Kellen...

And the 2 new little guys that will some day be running around and shooting each other with water guns - Silas and Caleb.

Lovely

It was a lovely morning so we canoed over to visit friends instead of driving. Lanelle crouches in the canoe in front of me and enjoys every minute. I cannot believe how much the kids like canoeing. They really didn't complain or fuss on the almost hour long trip. Not easy to take pictures of ourselves in a canoe...

Kellen had so much fun playing with Isaiah - catching frogs, leeches... The kids also really enjoyed hanging out with their sheep, goats, miniature horse and donkey. Lanelle always amazes me with how comfortable she is around animals. She loved wandering in the pen, petting all the lambs and baby goats. She really fell in love with a friendly black lamb and wanted to take him home. I really enjoyed getting to visit with a very special family. It's been a beautiful and blessed long weekend and its not over yet. Off for supper with another special family...

A Leaf Transformer

I can pretty much never get Kellen to do a craft with me :( Lanelle had brought in her "treasures" and I was getting her to glue the leaves on a page. As usual, Kellen had no interest until I suggested he should make a leaf transformer. I think if I can somehow put the word "transformer" into requests that I make, I'll have lots of luck getting cooperation from him!

Waiting

The wait was just too long for cousin Arwen to come! I tried explaining that an hour and a half was a VERY long time to wait in chairs at the window, but with no luck! Ian and kellen made a trip to go get her instead of waiting for her to get dropped off. It was just going to be too unbearable (for me to listen to the whining and the question: how much longer?)

The other morning Kellen was having impatience problems again. I took him to the wall clock. "See how this hand is pointing straight up? It has to point straight down. 30 minutes and then we'll get our jackets on to go to Kenzie's house." I think I got 30 reports over the time period. "Yes, its moving!" "Yes, its almost there!" "MOM, IT"S GETTING CLOSE!!"

Sometimes in my life, I have found it hard to wait, to be patient. Always thinking of the next stage or wondering how things will turn out. I am so thankful that lately I have not had any of those thoughts or feelings. I'm enjoying the peacefulness and the way it makes it be so easy to be in the moment. I take back any and all of the thoughts I had of "oh, what I'll be able to do when my kids are older." I wish they would stay this age forever.

Recipe: Cucumber Avocado Soup

1/2 avocado
1 cucumber, seeded
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 garlic clove
squeeze of fresh lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Blend together and serve chilled.

I'll be making this chilled soup lots this summer!