Just taking a moment...

to pop in and say hello. I just took a sip of my coffee and forgot I actually ordered a Chai Tea. Mmmm...what a nice surprise.

In the small town where we are the only Internet access is at the local library so off to town go to spend a bit catching up with the world.

Matthew was able to join a cousin in swim lessons this morning and loved it. His confidence in the water is really soaring which boosts my confidence of letting him go it alone. Ella Jane for now is content to sit on the steps but loves to be in the water just the same.

At the moment, we are spending our days in the country and I take my morning runs next to the wheat fields. It really is quite beautiful. And quiet!

The kids have gotten lots of time with cousins and for that we are grateful. And we are especially appreciative of older cousins who help to entertain! Thanks Kindra and Jared.

I think my 10 minutes are about up. Gotta run!

These days...

have been filled with many things. Mostly getting ready to go to grandma's house.

But first I have to share a quote from Ella Jane.

Let it be known I'm not famous for following through on projects, so when we were all huddled on Ella Jane's bed for story time (as we manage to do from time to time) I very impressively shared with Jim (mid-story) that I had washed Ella Jane's sheets and put them back on, all in the same day.

Ella Jane without missing a beat said, "Ann!, who's Ann!?" It took me a minute to catch it but when I did, I realized that she was so astute to hear what she did. And then I laughed. And Jim laughed. And I think she was left wondering, "what's so funny?" I resumed the story.

So these last few days have been spent making lists of things we need to do before we head to grandma's house. One of which is cleaning and lately, we've been harping at the kids to pick up after themselves, keep their rooms picked up etc. Everything is "tooooo haaaarrrrdddd....."

The older ones have also been talking a lot about when they become mom's and dad's and as a result of that I've caught Ella Jane saying things like "when I become a mom (in a sweet voice mind you) I'm not going to clean my room, and when I become a mom I'm going to tell Matthew that he has to clean his room." And my favorite from tonight, "I wish I was a mom right now so that I wouldn't have to pick things up." Oh dear one. If only you knew.

At the end of the day those moments in a way erase most of the harder moments. Like when Ella Jane and Matthew are fighting over the color blue for crying out loud. Or when one of them is bossy and the other is sassy or when both of them are bossy and sassy. Sigh...


On a much more cheerful note, Jim has taught Sara to go down the stairs. She's a pro at going up and can often be found upstairs in one of the big kids' rooms but will holler like there is no tomorrow (at the top of the stairs) when she's ready to come down. With this new found skill comes the desire to perfect it. So, up and down we go and squeal in delight at her success.

Matthew just came out of bed to tell me he finished the Magic Tree House book we had been reading together. It's so fun to see him in this stage of learning; reading on his own and really loving it. I think he loves the freedom that reading gives him. He's no longer in the dark and Jim and I can no longer spell across the dining room table!

Below are pictures from a week or two ago. We were out playing after dinner and Matthew and Ella Jane decided to take up dancing. They really can be each other's best friends and it's fun to see glimpses of that amidst all the squabbling.

So, while the last few days have been a bit harried I'm looking forward to the next few days amidst our preparations for heading west.

***And we did enjoy that cherry pie. Thanks again Donna for all of the cherries!

Life is...

just a bowl full of cherries! On Wednesday the kids and I had the pleasure of taking a small trip to see old friends. Lucky for us they had cherry trees and they let us take full advantage.

Today's agenda includes making bread, watching fireworks and devouring homemade cherry pie.

Peace...

It's what I feel on this Sunday afternoon with all three children sleeping. They very rarely all nap at the same time. Heck only one still naps on a regular basis so to have all of them down for the count is a real treat today.

We have finally found the groove of summer. Inside play when it's super hot, scooters and popsicles, and maybe the kiddie pool and then head to the park after dinner for one last bit of fresh air. Head home for showers and stories and call it a day. A very good day. It's such a good feeling to know that they are worn out from playing hard.

When the going gets hot...

the hot go swimming! And we've done just that at our local pool and in our kiddie pool at home. When it's this humid and we're outside, we're definitely somewhere where there's water. It's the only way to get through the day.

Off to the races...

We spent Saturday evening at the local hot air balloon races! I know our kids had never seen a hot air balloon in real life and I know it's been years since I even last saw one. So when we actually got close enough to spot them...well there was a lot of excitement in our car. There was so much anticipation and I loved that the kids got to see the balloons all up close as they were being inflated. We stayed for a few hours, let the kids jump in the bounce house and get a balloon animal. Thank you to the kind gentleman who gave us his leftover tickets!

Lest you think...

we always look like this...

The truth is...

today...

we're looking more like this....

Today is day #3 of VBS and we're showing every bit of it over here. The kids are tired from their busy mornings and Sara is still fighting her nasty ear infection. Thank goodness for warm weather, sprinklers and popsicles! Where would I be without you?

Oh my heavens...

I'm in love with these photos and the moment they captured. Met up with some friends today at the park to play. So we played, and played and played.

I think Sara's hands are evident of the fun she had exploring...and then eating!

I just love summer.