Summertime

I knew if I waited long enough, I would have something of interest to share.

  

It has been a long, lazy summer for us.  We didn't join the pool this year, so we haven't been as busy running around like we have been the last 5 years we joined the club.  The girls just were not interested.  Eva and Joy did enjoy walking around the property gathering berries every day for quite some time.

Fortunately, they got to them before all the deer did.

We made a trip to the lake, which we had not been to in quite a while.  We had a great time with friends.

We also did some biking and hiking a few times.

We headed to Illinois to visit family and friends, which is always a good time.

Mike's dad owns a chip factory.  We always eat way too many chips and popcorn.  I gained 5 pounds on that trip.

We went to a neat museum in Chicago called Cantigny.  The man who owned the Chicago Tribune founded it in honor of his time during WWI.  Robert McCormick  was in the Army and helped liberate the city of Cantigny.  It was a very interesting place.

Friends

A while back, I started taking night classes.  I know I'm very busy with my family, but I was interested in working part time.  My previous job skills were pre-historic, so I needed a start fresh.  If I waited until Joy was finished with school, I'd probably be on Medicare and no one would hire me.  So, I'm employed.  Part-time.  At a hospital.  I carry needles around.  And stick a lot of people with them for my 12-hour shift.  And, I get to wear a blingy badge with my name on it.

(I edited the picture as not to promote my place of employment...)

I celebrated a birthday a couple of weeks ago.  This is the only picture of that day.

It's my selfie birthday picture after working all day.  I went home, ate, and went to bed.  What a party animal!

And, in case you are wondering about all those subliminal messages (pictures) I've added throughout this post.....

I'm going to be a Grammy come springtime.  (I know what you were thinking.  But, I'm too old to carry a baby.)

Congratulations to Seth and Tia!

You Know It's Summer When...

...your kids look like this.

Well, at least my kids do.  When my boys were young, we made the yearly trek to see the doctor for poison ivy on their faces.  With Eva and Joy, it is no different.  They are out in the woods having a grand time like the brothers before them.  After all, it is summer!  And what kid doesn't want to build their own hideout?

Behind a tree covered in poison ivy?  No problem.  Just chop it off with you handy dandy machete.  Then it's all gone and no more worries.

Needless to say, Eva and Joy learned their lesson, as well as the phrase, "If it's three, leave it be."

This morning, I walked outside to behold this beautiful masterpiece.  I was amazed at the details these spiders took at constructing their own pagoda-like mansions.

Each little dome, held a single, tiny spider.  As much as I hated to see half of my bush destroyed, I couldn't bring myself to tear down the mansions.

Celebrate!

Today is her day.  Her last single-digit birthday.

She has blossomed so much from those first days in China so many years ago.

Afraid and frail.

But, no more.  She is happy to be loved.

And happy to celebrate.

With her family.

And, I celebrated being mom to Jordan, Seth, Jack, Ivy, Eva, and Joy.  I am so thankful for my children and an amazing husband.

(Flowers, purse, necklace, salt & pepper shakers, fun time)

I hope all you Mothers out there have had a wonderful day!

I Got One and 21

And, I love it.  We grew up with one that used all the time.  

And, as usual, we kids would forget to bring in the clothes off the line.  And if it frosted that night...well, our clothes were just frozen.  Not fun.  

Mike doesn't let me hang his clothes on the line. And, I won't hang out our underwear, just so you know.  I might hang out Jack's though.

Seth turned 21 years old.  We took him out for some good BBQ and had a great time with the family.  I'm so thankful for my big ol' family.

Ahhh...Spring

I'm glad it is spring time here in Virginia.  Our "winter" doesn't really hit us until late January, February, or even March.  And when it does...it is beautiful.  And this year it was a lot.  

There is just something about going down a snow-covered slide...

Usually, we get snow, it warms up to the 40's, and it is gone the next day.  That wasn't the case this year.  It hung around a long time.  Parking lots had piles of snow for a couple of weeks.  Then it snowed again.  And again.

It stayed cold long enough to make tunnels, sled, and burst a water pipe in our house.

Moxie LOVED chasing the girls when they went sledding.  The girls, on the other hand, weren't too thrilled with her interventions.

As much fun as they had, they enjoyed riding their bikes and scooters today... wearing shorts...in 70 degree temperatures.  Good-bye Winter, hello Spring!

Warmth

When I was very young, our family lived in an apartment in the suburbs of a large city.  At age 10, we moved to the very mountainous area of West Virginia.  We had no air conditioning (except my parents' bedroom).  The only heat, came from a large wood-burning stove or fireplaces.  I always loved the smell of the early morning fire mom or dad would start before all of us got out of bed.  Seth and Tia heat their home with just a wood-burning stove.  So, it is no surprise, they come over often to gather up some wood.

Saturday was a beautiful day for it.

We have quite a few trees to spare. 

 Learning how to swing that ax

Guys love their tools.

Mike finally replaced the truck that Seth totaled in 2012 when the drunk driver hit him.

Me and my girls (minus 1 girl).  Why does Ivy look so tall? 

I didn't swing an ax, or load wood.  I just fed the crew.