The great summer carnival

HNI had their annual summer picnic and carnival for all their employees and their families. The kids look forward to this all year. I have to say that perfect weather, and great kids, made this one the best yet.

 

 

 

 

The Equestrian

Emily's riding instructor is about to have a baby, so she will be taking some time off from lessons. I brought the camera along for the first time in quite a while, and got some great shots.

 

It is still so hard for me to believe that next week she will be in 7th grade. I remember 7th grade like it was yesterday.

 

I appreciate Emily's quick wit and dry sense of humor so much. The other day Steve was dancing around the house with the music super loud trying desperately to annoy her, and she said to me, "MOM! Do something, make him stop!" I said, "He is an adult Em, I can't MAKE him stop." and she came back with, "Well, if he was a dog, you would have put him down by now."

 

So proud of the young woman she is becoming!

 

poor thing

Isaiah spotted this beauty (we think it is a Luna moth) on the underside of the front steps. Our best guess is that Silas (the cat) got a hold of him.

 

 

I felt so bad for the little creature. I wanted so badly to mend it's tattered wings. There was nothing I could do.
It seems like when you know you can't fix things, or make things right, it is all the harder to just stand by and watch the struggle.

When Dad is away...

Steve and Isaiah are in Chicago, at a White Sox game. The baseball team rented a bus, and left around 2pm.
So what is for dinner?
Bananna Splits, in honor of the Olympics, of course.
We came, we watched, we ate.
All is well.

M & M's

Micah: Mom, in your dreams, is anything possible?
Me: Yep, why, what would you do?
Micah: I would make a thousand little me's.

This is serious business.

Full football gear arrived today.
I am not sure who was more into it.

 

He loves her...

Micah's kindergarten teacher came to the house for a visit today.
He was in heaven.

 

He passed all counting, colors, and letter tests given... and asked her ten million questions.
She told him he had the longest eyelashes she had ever seen, and it almost made me cry.
She will get to spend more time looking into those eyes than I will.
Letting go is hard.

Heard this today...

Why walk around in quicksand,
when you can dance on burning coals?

pictureless

that's how i feel.
oh, i have pictures in my mind, just not taking any.
it will be a busy day.
a busy week.
a busy life.
praying i don't let that be what it's about.
busy.
but doing nothing.

A day of golf

Today was the Taco John's Junior Golf Tournament. This was the end of the golf season for the boys...
Isaiah's first year playing golf, and he likes it pretty well.

 

Tackle football begins on Monday. And Tuesday. And Wednesday. And Thursday. Four days a week. Apparently 10 year olds are pros. Oh well, maybe he will actually be tired when he comes home!

 

Where I've been...

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

You know it is near the end of summer when...

You drive 8 miles to a park, that you are not quite sure where it is, with 13 kids, just so you can have some time with other adults.

 

 

She is seriously the funniest and cutest two year old West African - American girl I know.

 

And because it seems like I have been taking lots of pictures of critters lately, here is a little friend who liked Ayla's blanket!

 

A note discovered in the grass at a park...

Oh Darling, darling, stand by me.

 

Oh Boy.

Brody just walked in the room and said,
"Protect your nuts Mom, okay? Protect your nuts."

A super fun day

Isaiah had a friend over today, and of course we had to take him to the pond!
This is the first turtle they caught.

 

 

and turtle number two

 

B, B, and B

Brody,

 

 

Brigg,

 

and Bullfrogs

 

Lego fun

Our wonderful, thoughtful neigbor brought ALL of our kids gifts from his vacation. The legos were a huge hit.

 

 

And I did finally get around to making lunch around 2:00pm.

 

AND the winner is...

Amy G.

Congratulations Amy! This was a ton of fun, and I am sure I will be doing more of these in the future!

Hard to believe

that she will be starting seventh grade in two weeks.

 

Moo.

So, I am a cow.
I have known this for quite some time, but seriously, it bugs me.
I don't want to be fat.
I don't eat. And I know that is my problem, but I still don't take the time to do it. I do exercise. But still, no difference.
But the bottom line for me, I have found, is that I, in my mind, always think people think I am more like a man than a woman.
Seriously.
When I was a young girl, people on more than one occasion, referred to me, as a he. And in my head, it stuck.
It is funny how that can stay with a person.

So, if any of you have any ideas on getting my metabolism back on track, that won't take too much time, let me know.