Hello!

Couldn't resist posting this video from yesterday.  I am aware of the problem with all my previous blog posts and the pictures!  I re-configured my picassa account to save space and lost all my linked pictures!  Just trying to find the time to fix it!

Weekend recap

What a fun weekend we had!  I think we are all a little tired as we all slept until 7:30. 

Friday: Our good friends, the Friskes, came for dinner since they will be moving to DC on Tuesday.  We are so sad, but excited for their new adventure.  Our oldest kids, Jack and Alex, are such good playmates.  Friday was filled with homemade pizza, chocolate fondue, good wine, and lots of running, playing and laughing.  Here are a few pictures of the kids.  Caroline was fascinated with baby Nathan who is 2 months old.  She would get so excited next to him and both of them were making their noises and talking to each other.  So cute!

These two boys are such good friends!

After a fun evening with friends, Saturday proved to be a blast too!  We started the day early by picking blackberries at a local u-pick farm.  This picking round it was just Jack and me and our neighbors.  I forgot to get any pictures!  These were the biggest blackberries I have ever seen.  Jack got more and more excited as we picked.  "Mom, this blackberry is bigger than my hand!"  Got to love the enthusiasm.  After a morning of picking and a trip to walmart to pick up our canning supplies, we came home for some yardsaling.  I finally got the kids a chalkboard/dry erase easel I have been looking for...yay!  I love to yard sale and I think Jack is getting into it too.

The kids had to get a nap to get ready for a visit with Grandpa.  My dad came up to visit and rode his motorcycle up here!  That evening, Grandpa, Tommy and Jack headed to the monster truck show.  Jack had been so excited all week.  Caroline and I stayed here and made blackberry jam and syrup with the fresh berries.  When they got home late, Jack woke me up to tell me all about the show.  He loves to talk!

Jack came home with a pirate flag see above.

Jack kept saying "mom, the monster trucks looked like this!"

Blackberry jam...yum!  I've been busy with jam this summer making blackberry, blueberry, and cherry so far.

 Sunday was spent visiting with my Dad before he rode back to TN.  We had a great visit and the kids loved the motorcycle!

Sunday evening we spent at the neighbors for a birthday party and then Jack and I worked in the garden until 9pm.  I love summer evenings getting to be outside like that.  I'll have to take some new pictures of the garden.  We've had a few things out of there like bell peppers, tomatoes, squash and zucchini.  Everything else it on the verge of being ripe.  I'm so excited about veggie dinners here soon. 

Zoo and other Randomness

We love the zoo! So after our weekend trip to visit with Tommy's family, the kids and I were dying to get back to the zoo. Caroline really seemed to enjoy it this time too. I tell you, her favorite part had to be the manatee house which is basically like a small aquarium. So, if any of you family members are looking for ideas for Christmas, help with an aquarium membership would be great. I know we would use that one just as much (or maybe even more!) than our zoo membership. So, here are some pictures from yesterday's visit. It was VERY hot!.

Caroline saying, "Look at the elephant!"

I always try to get one of them together. 

Best attempt at getting them both on the alligator.

Now, on for the randomness.  Here are a few other pictures from here lately.

Caroline LOVES Jack's bass pro shop hat. (Or as Jack calls it, his trout, trout, trout hat.  Thanks again for the bok Elaine and Pat!)  I wonder if they have one in pink.

Jack's art is really taking shape.  Here's his dragonfly.

Grammy had a layover in Cincinnati before going to see Elaine and new baby Sarah Beth.  We got to visit at the airport.  Jack was thrilled!!

Caroline loves some sun glasses!

Yes, I let him do this.

Some of you might be very shocked to see this video, but hey, it was the 4th of July. Here's Jack, so grown up!

Swim Lessons

Jack has been taking swim lessons for the last 2 weeks. Sadly, tomorrow is his last day. Today I decided to bring the camera and take a video of him going off the diving board. This is the highlight of the lesson and the way they end every class. Each day, Tommy asks Jack about class. He always asks him, "Did you jump off the diving board?". And Jack always says, "No, they dropped me." I get so tickled about him being "dropped," but he is so proud! When he gets out of the pool, before getting wrapped in his towel, he insists on giving Caroline a high five! What a sweet little boy!

This is what happens...

when you tell Caroline, "smile!".

 when Jack picks out his own swim trunks.  Yes, these are the Spiderman speedo-shorts he's been sporting all during swim lessons.  They are SUPER cute though!  More pictures of swim lessons to come.  They end on Friday.

Blueberry Pickin

Early this morning we met up with some friends to do some blueberry picking. I have been wanting to do this for a very good while now and was SO excited to get to go this morning. We woke the kids up before 6 and were in the car with breakfasts in cups to meet up with the group. Once at the blueberry patch (is that what it is called), we got all the kid gear ready and loaded up with our buckets. I knew Jack would get into it, but would Caroline? Tommy was great with her and let her fill her cup up with (mostly) blue blueberries. That was a bit tricky getting all the kids to focus on the very blue ones...no tart ones! We ended up with 3 full buckets (17 pounds!) of blueberries. I am excited to make some jam and syrup to can early this week. I'm also looking for some muffin and other recipes to try. I think our deep freeze is going to be full of blueberries for a good bit! Now, when are the blackberries ready to pick? Anyways, a few pictures from our day..

 Jack checking it out.  Make sure they are blue!

 Caroline getting in on the action.  She actually did a really good job!

 Excited to move to a new section.

 All the kids helping.

All finished for the day!