Presents for me

Flowers for me...





Courtney took control of the camera to get a picture of me (for a Nails self portrait contest - you need to send in a photo of yourself and a tip with the picture hand painted on it) but this is the only one that turned out and I don't think that's what they had in mind. Still, I'm happy with it (mostly because I'm blurry) and I'm impressed with her creativity. I wonder where she gets her style from?

So much to post

So little time.

I spent my evening editing the pics from Kathy and Brads wedding, and from Joy's shower, and from our walk at the pathways yesterday, and now it's too late to blog.

Well, how bout just one?
I didn't even get a chance to edit this one yet, but I like it as is.

What happens when you let a six year old make toast

It's sugar, in case you were wondering.
When I shook it off into the sink, he hung his head and said "Oh... what a waste."

4th of July

Cooling off with a little drink.


Some fun in the dirt pile.


Lyvi must have thought they were doing something wrong because she was yellling at them. Only, nobody could understand what she was saying. Maybe she thought they were getting just too dirty.
Gotta love this face.





"Can you go for a bike ride with us?"

Well, of course! Courtney, Nina, Aliyah, and I took off down the road,
OK, THEY took off down the road, I tried my hardest to keep up but...






Nina didn't really fall, she was just pretending.


Jacob scaring Kathy with a rubber snake. Ooh, she looks scaaared!


Jim and Gianna



Nina and Caleb, hanging onto her hair, of course.






We played badmitton, kickball, boche, and even had a juggling show!
Tony has always told me that he and Chris could juggle. Makes me wonder if it's a talent that just runs in the family or if they had plans to run away and join the circus as kids.
I've never accually seen Tony juggle. I'm just supposed to beleive he can.
But I was able to talk Chris into it today.


Tony joined in to prove his ability.

(He threw them up into the air and let them drop)
Hmmm.



The squirt guns were a big hit.




Dont shoot the baby!








Grace got squirted in the back of the head with water and she turned around and yelled at Kassandra.
"It wasn't me!"

"It was Daddy!"






"Here, Lyvi, eat some ice that I was just sucking on. Open your mouth, like this."



There's been a swing hanging from this branch on our tree for as long as I've been in this family. Today it came down! Becka was in it, she didn't get hurt, really, but it sure scared us all.
Grace still wanted to swing in it, though.


Ooh, It can rock, too. Oh, no, it can't.


"Don't take my picture!"



Lyvi "catching" Grace.
"You do 'gain?"
"Yeah."

Rain... again

It's a struggle to keep Grace inside, especially when the boys go running out to play in the mud puddles. I was holding Joshua when I heard the door slam. "One of you girls go out with Grace." (The boys are not responsible enough to keep an eye on her.)
"I did it last time."
"I just took a shower."
"It's still raining."
"I'll give you a dollar if you go."

So they flipped a coin.

"No, heads mean you go."
"Na ha, I picked heads so that means I pick who goes."

Oh, whatever, I got up in a huff, irritated at their unhelpfulness (is that a word?) and Joshua and I went out to wander around the muddy yard with Grace. But I'm so glad I did. Rain doesn't exactly make me happy, so it does my heart good to see my kids get so much joy out of something so messy.

And... I got some good pictures!





So whats an afternoon of playing in the rain without getting into a mud fight?


"Jooooe!"

"Now what do I do with him?"

"I was just lookin, I promise."



Check out these eyelashes!