summer wane

There's just a week left of summer vacation before school starts.  We have been mellowing, winding down from our go-go-go summer we've had.  This weekend we didn't do anything off our Summer List, and instead spent time at home together.  Fittingly, the kids blew bubbles this afternoon and it seemed like the perfect send off to summer vacation as the bubbles floated away on the breeze.

Zumba's not just an exercise class

It appears as though our newest addition is here to stay.  The kids still say, "Mom the cat came back!" whenever Zumba wanders into the yard, but it's with a little less surprise with each passing day.  I can't quite get them to comprehend that this is what cats do - wander and sleep and not always at home.  She is faithful, though, and spends the better part of each day lounging on the deck or following the kids around the yard.  She is a sweet, affectionate cat who seems only to want food and love in return.  Jacob told me, "Mom, Jesus must have sent us Zumba, because you said we couldn't have a cat and she came anyway!"  

Leah is possibly more enamored with "My Friend Cat"  than anyone else.  She is content to just sit on the deck with her, wanders around the yard looking for her nearly every morning, and most recently, decided that Zumba needed story time just like she does:

around here lately

Somebody turned 6 this month....

and as requested received an almost entirely Avenger's themed birthday, complete with bed set.  

As soon as I put it on his bed he said, "Mom I'm tired, I think I'm gonna go lay down".  It was 5:30.

*****

The kids have eaten about 15,000 otter pops this summer. 

Austin became a Beaver Believer

Sister Sassy Pants went to her first non-family birthday party

We were adopted by a cat who we've named Zumba, after passing up Sandy, Tabby, Loki, Thor and My Friend Cat as possible monikers.

I'm still taking pictures

and someone lost another tooth

this one is still a precious she-devil

and this one is still a ham

Berry Pickin'

Summer flies by fast enough as it is, and when you don't get the summer off with your kids, it goes by even faster.  With work Monday-Friday and church on Sundays, if you really break it down I have a grand total of about 14 full days to really do things with the kids and make some memories.  I realized a few weeks ago that if we were going to accomplish everything we want to this summer, I needed to start making some concrete plans and get activities on the calendar that couldn't just be done spur of the moment or after work. 

One of my best friends is Jennifer, someone I first met when we moved to Salem 5 years ago, and she has been a dear friend ever since.  She is very much like me, a full time working mom who is still hell bent on creating a well spring of great memories for her kids.  She is creative and energetic, is trying to raise her kids "old school" like we are, and is always down for an adventure.  She also loves Marionberries nearly as much as I do, and when I put berry picking on the calendar I knew there was no one better to ask along.  I also knew she would be game for loading up a mini-van with 5 kids under the age of 9, giving them buckets, and letting them have at a berry bush.   

This was our result:

 Believe it or not, there is another completely full bowl the size of the white one that didn't make it into the picture.  25 pounds of berries in all!  I couldn't have been more proud of all 5 of our kiddos, who picked like little farm workers without a complaint, and had such a great time.  

They cannot, however, all take a good picture at the same time....  

(Leah's shirt should have been weighed along with the rest of the berries, for all the juice that's on it..... )

The fruit of our efforts...  11 jars of Marionberry freezer jam, canned with the help of my 8 year old.

 Plenty left over for my favorite summer treat, berries over vanilla ice cream!

July

Random fun photos...  

Think my kids and their dad love each other?  Hmmm....

 Waiting for pizza at Pietros, before dinner and a mad game of mini-golf

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Part of my journery of living more intentionally includes doing a better job of including Brian's family in our lives, and documenting it.  We spent a Sunday afternoon with them recently and I made sure that I had my camera.

Grandpa Horses, as we call him, and his only granddaughter.  She's not adored or anything...

 The kids with some new friends they made at Grandma Horses birthday party.

 Dad spent most of the day working on his new baby...

 Aunt Jennie and Jake.  He is pretty sure she only belongs to him.

 Someone actually looked at the camera for a nanosecond.

This is the view from Jen and Joe's back deck.  It's like a little oasis out in the boonies,and I love it there.  

 Beyond the gate in the middle of the picture above, is the creek in the picture below.

The kids love to wade in it, toss sticks for the puppies to fetch, and search for fish.  Leah of course promptly fell in, you-know-what-over-teakettle.