The Faces of Summer

My life has been crazy busy since I last wrote. Adding 2 more to this zoo crew has not only increased the fun and chaos, but the amount of groceries, cooking, laundry and noise level as well.

When I am not working, or tending to the zoo and it’s crew, I have been spending all my time with these people that I am crazy about…

 

 

There hasn’t been much time for writing or visiting you or being on the computer. As much as I miss it, I am loving every second I spend with my favorite people.

We’ve driven go carts and played mini golf..

   Some went to a Minnesota Twins game. Not me. Needless to say, I was jealous.

 Lucky ducks!

Of course with living in the land of 10,000 lakes there has been some fishing…

 

 

A high light,has been hanging out with some of our favorite cousins.

 

 

 

We watched caterpillars come out of their cocoons…

…as butterflies!

We held the butterflies…

 

….and said goodbye as they flew away.

 

Tubing and water fun…

 

  

Most of the time, these little faces are dirty with the remains of ice cream, pop cycles, berries or whatever it is that they have eaten. Nonetheless, their smiles wrap themselves around my heart.

 

 

…..and boating

 

….and building sand castles…

Thankfully

we have an

auntie that

is so talented

for such things!

Someone from Florida talked me into cutting a Mohawk for little man…

And he loves it! I was going to cut it the next day but he insists on keeping it so I haven’t  had the heart to cut it yet.

 

We went strawberry picking 3 times.

       Their mouths were red from eating and  fingers red from picking…

We made yummy treats like strawberry rhubarb crisp…

 

…and strawberry rhubarb pie…

… and strawberry jam…and now we have lots of strawberry's in our freezer for future treats….hopefully for some strawberry rhubarb slush this coming weekend.

We mastered the art of making homemade pizza’s on the grill…

After I cook one side of the dough, they each put on their own toppings. They love making their own pizza’s… 

….but love eating it even more!

If you have never tried pizza that is made on the grill, you must! It not only tastes better, it keeps all the mess and heat outside! We recently made buffalo hot wing pizza and it was fantastic.

We brought the zoo crew to the zoo…

We tried to get them to stay there but they insisted on coming back home with us.

Playing dress up and having photo shoots by this wonderful 11 year old girl…

 

     

  

 

 

 

Eating lots of ice-cream, pop cycles and freezes'…

And of course playing with the water hose…

 

Making funny faces…

And picnics…

Lots of camp fires and roasting marshmallows…

It wouldn’t be summer without parades… 

…and all the candy we get at them!

We’ve already seen a couple and will see another this coming weekend.

Watching fire works…

 

 

It’s lots of fun eating popcorn & parade candy while waiting for the fireworks to start!

 

A family poker pub crawl for the adult kids in the family…

 

…with my crazy fun family…

My most favorite moments have been of not doing much of anything but hanging out and just being together.

This summer I have been convicted about the importance of living in the here & now…of embracing those I love and not letting unimportant things steal time away from us.

Life is too short to stand by and watch it happening. Life is too short to not participate in it.

I wish there were pictures of all the cuddling we have done…and of all the hugs & kisses that fill up my days.

I constantly take pictures in my head for the days they are gone from here.

I wish you could hear the laughter and giggles…their little voices…the little conversations that I over hear that are priceless.

I embrace all of it because I know all too soon it will grow quiet here and I will yearn for their voices to fill up my home once again.

Never in a thousand years did I think I would be here surrounded by such love.

I did not ask for all of this but somehow it found me.

It really is true…I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I am, right where I’m suppose to be.

Right here in the middle of all this crazy chaos being called Mom, mommy and grandma.

Even though I am still not feeling good, and I am in pain, life is good.

I wish there was a way to bottle up all this goodness.

I wish for all people to have such an abundance of love in their lives.

These are my summer time faces.

          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They toss & turn my heart.

I hope your summer is filled up with such smiles!

I know many of you are having great summers too…I have been stopping by and reading occasionally but haven’t had time to comment. I do think of each of you and look forward to stopping by your place soon!

Love & hugs, Lori

 

Life through the eyes of 3 year olds

This is what happens when two 3 year olds get a hold of a camera in the privacy of a van. Now mind you, that the 5 year old does not participate in their shenanigans, although he does get his picture taken and finds it quite humorous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any guesses as to what this is a picture of?

This isn’t even half of the pictures. :)

Can you imagine the conversation that took place during all of this?

I would have loved to be a little mouse in the corner?

When I came upon the scene of their crime, little man was first to tell me that he hadn’t had any part in their shenanigans. Of course he didn’t. He doesn’t like getting into trouble but he sure is entertained by their trouble making, which keeps him from telling on them.

The two 3 year olds informed me that they were having a photo shoot. Of course they were. The 2 little trouble makers are good at either finding trouble or making it themselves.

First of all they were suppose to be eating their freeze pops on the steps NOT in the van. Second of all, they were not suppose to be playing in the van. Lastly, they were not suppose to be playing with the camera.

When my daughter showed me the photo’s they had taken we couldn’t help but laugh.

As you can see, the 3 years olds have fun in their trouble making and the 5 year old is along for the entertainment. And us mom’s? We have to laugh or we would be crying all the time.

Such is life, seen through the eye’s of 3 year olds.

 

Unexpected Blessings

I was already in bed tonight cuddling with my girls but then I couldn’t sleep because all I could think about was the unexpected blessings of today.

Today, we went to a Fathers Day picnic at my brothers  home in the country.

Along with my parents, most of my siblings and their spouses and some of our children and their children were there.

It was an especially good day.

Not  because it was a warm sunny day after all the dark gloomy rainy days we’ve had.

Not because it was Fathers Day. 

Not because we got our little’s back from their week of vacation.

Not  because of all the delicious food.

It was extra special because something was different. There was more peace present today then there has been in a long  time.

I’m not sure what has caused this.  I know I’m not the only one that felt it.

I suspect it is grace and the melting away of bitterness, anger and hurt.

My family of origin have been through many trials and tribulations. If you had known us way back, you would know we have all come a long ways.

I was never my daddy’s little girl. I mostly tried to stay out of his way.

Things haven’t always been easy with my dad for any of us kids. Love and forgiveness with him has been a journey that has seen it’s high’s and it’s low’s.

That journey took a path down a low road in the past couple of years and it made getting together tense and difficult.

The cry of my heart has been for peace to come to my family. I have prayed for grace to win over the bitterness, anger and hurt feelings.

I see grace as the thread that will keep our family together and will keep history from repeating itself.

As I watched my nieces and their husbands with their little ones and my daughter with her son, I seen the chains that have been broken because of grace and my heart rejoiced.

I watched my sisters and their husbands and my brother and his wife and I couldn’t help but smile at all they have come to be.

I watched my husband and rejoiced that I have a husband that fits in so well and  how he loves my family.

When I watched my mom, who glowed in the glory of her loved ones surrounding her, I seen how happy she was in the peacefulness that surrounded our gathering. My mother heart rejoiced for her because it understands.

I watched my dad and somehow I knew that even though he will most likely never say it, that he knows that having all of us there surrounding him is a blessing.

As I listened to all the noise, chatter and laughter it was music to my ears.

Yes, love shined down on us this day.

The things is, I don’t always get home for things like this, but something told me I needed to go see my dad for Fathers Day today. I am sure glad I did.

I am thankful I didn’t miss out on the gift of this day. 

Now that it is just after midnight I suppose I should try to sleep. :)

Until next time, love and hugs, Lori