Preview of FUN!

It isn't everyday you get to pose atop a big black bear, is it?

More details soon to follow....right now I'm going to fix some tea for Bill, who is feeling just awful with chills, coughing and aches, and for myself, who is simply happy that it's actually cool enough tonight to enjoy a cup of hot tea.  Happy Friday night!

Breakfast with Daddy

Since Bill rolls on outta here by about 4:45 am each morning, having him home for breakfast is a BIG DEAL.  Yesterday he had a late meeting, so we stole him for the morning!

We love having Daddy home for breakfast!

Hello boys...and Mater blankie!

Notice anything different about Caleb?
We let him get a tat. Don't worry, though, it's a cross. Right over his heart. So it's all good.

Aww...and doesn't Jonah look SO stinkin' cute with the new buzz cut?  Love it!  He says he's much cooler now!  :)

Others weren't quite so enthused about the early morning...

Isn't that the picture of morning happiness and cheer?  Yup.  Mornin' sweetie, don't drop your breakfast!

It's actually quite uncharacteristic for any of our boys to, well, sleep beyond 6 am, but this preteen must need his beauty rest, as Bill had to jab at him a few times to get him up (I made Bill do it- he wanted to let the poor kid sleep, but I just knew he wouldn't want to miss out.) Doesn't he look super excited?!?

Food makes it all better.  :)
Meanwhile, Jonah is happily jibber-jabbering away in the background, now after seconds (or thirds) for breakfast!

Where was Isabelle you wonder?

Hee Hee

Okay, so she was actually in her own bed, but I realized I never posted these adorable pics of her sleeping on my floor- those nights when it's too hot to breathe in our rooms, we turn on the ac and she sleeps in our room.  This is also why she's on the floor and not in the bed- ouch!  She's spirited even in her sleep, don't you think???

I thought it might be nice for the boys to have some alone time with Bill, so I left the princess snoozing away. 
She forgives me.

Yesterday we enjoyed another day at the lake, and today we are headed north to catch up with some bears, enjoy a train ride, and PLAY!  But now I've got to go charge up my camera battery!

A Boy and His Best Friend

My, how time does fly...

I was just starting breakfast yesterday when this caped image flew past me, as it does most every morning ~

Here he is perched atop the cat scratching post, studying the birds flying to our feeders,

all with his beloved Mater blankie wrapped securely around him (disregard the poor dead grass in our poor dead backyard- heat waves plus no rain = not pretty!)

I looked down at his now size-3 feet but still remember cradling those soft, tiny, pudgy baby feet in the palm of my hand; I tried to scoop him up in my arms (I can't anymore) but I remember how his sweet little body felt as I held him and rocked him and stared into his beautiful little ocean-blue eyes.

I know he is growing up, but he is my littlest little boy, and it's so hard sometimes to see the many changes that take place.  And I'm glad Mater blankie isn't just a distant memory....

...because that seems to keep him my little boy for a while longer.

Snapshots

I don't want to forget the many fun things we've been doing this summer, so I'm doing a picture parade for posterity's sake.  Needless to say, this will certainly be a picture overload- proceed at your own risk!

Our happenings in the past week or so...

I discovered this while these guys were helping Daddy...

(I love the hand-on-hips- posture, ha!)

Bono, ahem, Jonah checking on the new kitty

**we've been feeding a stray (?), who has been named Scout (and is continually referred to accidentally as Scott), and the boys had brought him some water- I would never have promised them that if he continued to stop in, that we would adopt him as our kitty.  No, I wouldn't have done THAT!**

Pardon the skivvies, that's just the way it is around these parts, hee hee

They were contemplating something here!

Meet Scout, or Scott

He could be Sneakers's twin!

Look closely...she's singing!  Loudly!

And she's become obsessed with wrapping a blankie around her like I do a towel, ha ha!

Something about drawing just inspires her to belt out the tunes!

She's been drawing dolphins lately, and they are none too shabby!

Visiting Dad at work (Raytheon)- so sad Jonah missed this, but he was having a fun adventure with Mimi and Grampy!

Each time we go, the kiddos get junior ID badges made- guess who's grown quite attached to hers?

Hmm, this must be casual day- usually Bill's in khakis and a button down, very handsome I might add.

My children also got to witness their Mama get a bit snippy with someone who was obviously high on power...or at least thinks they are- don't you love those kinds of people?  Long story, but needless to say, I was not rude, but I certainly wasn't going to be spoken to like a three-year-old, no offense Bella Girl.

Cowboy/Soldier fun, anyone?

Aww, look at the way she leans in to big brother  (Jonah) helping her

Ethan returned from a sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa with a balloon animal making kit- he made cutie a flower crown

I've definitely noticed that my chances of snapping all four together is at an all-time low- they are so busy with their own things, which is great...but, you know...  They're not together.  Sigh.

And of course I didn't take this shot until after their busy little mouths were chewing, which is basically the ONLY time I can keep them still and in one place long enough to take said shot!  Your Mommy loves you guys!!!

Yum, just eat.her.up!

We spent all day at the lake- here are some cute pics of the fun

Jonah came in all "wiped out" from the "laps" he'd been swimming in and out

Lord have mercy!  He needed to get his hair "just right" when he saw me with the camera!

Hands off, middle school girls- he is 100% MINE!

Ribbit

Ready, Set, GOOOOOO!!!

Princess Fishie (Ariel) Dive

Some other random cute pics of the Princess Fishie

this girl never slows down- she fits right in!!

Jonah and his finds- a pretty rock

The next few pics are so funny- I didn't even notice Isabelle in the background until I was uploading- oh, don't judge me, it would've only taken a few seconds for me to put my camera back before jumping in to rescue my little girl.  Kidding.  Kinda.

So there you have it!  We were supposed to head over to the ocean on Saturday, but I think we all had had a bit too much sun and surf for one week already.  These high temps and humidity are starting to wear us out!  Yesterday, we decided to stay home from church as well, which of course I don't like, but a few of us just aren't feeling very well.  It finally looks like it might rain today, which would be wonderful!  We need it so badly!  Ironically, I saw clips of the flooding going on in other parts of the world and country- heartbreaking to say the least.

Well, 3 out of 4 are up and getting louder...time to get breakfast started.  Then there is the issue of the fridge being, oh, I don't know, virtually EMPTY, yikes!  My schedules run slightly amuck in the brief summer months- must be the sticky heat!  Oh, and the FUN!  :)