Cherries, Chickens and a Birthday

Last week Monday we did another of our favorite summer traditions - a Hot Dog Pool Part with Aunt Nancy, Payten and Bristol at the pool, and it was a great day swimming, playing in the yard, eating lots of junk and just being with our family.

Tuesday, Elam finally got in for his dental apointment to repair fillings that had fallen out, after having it pushed back several times due to Covid. We are praying this is his last apointment for repair work!

Ezri and Alora had soccer camp Monday through Thursday in Hopkins, their first real experience playing the sport after expressing interest in being on a team late in the spring.  For an hour each night, they learned some skills and played some games, and left each night smiling and full of chatter!

Thursday we celebrated Mommy's birthday!  We spent the day picking cherries from our full tree with plans to make cherry Jam!  The kids and Alex gave me their cards and gifts that afternoon.

That night we also had our first small livestock meeting for 4H, another chance for the girls to get their hands on the birds and practice their showmanship steps with their chickens, which are growing noticeably!

Friday, we went out to lunch with our employees and the kids and then later in the afternoon were treated with their version of the circus in our front yard!

Friday night, we met our friends at the pool to swim for a few hours and then returned home to celebrate my birthday with a fresh strawberry cheesecake and a bonfire while the kids watched a movie.

Sunday, we had a cool, windy, , lazy summer day ahead of us after church and lunch, so we spent it relaxing at Sandy Pines, letting the kids kayak, play on the playground, and going for a slow boat ride around the lake.  It was a perfect way to spend the day together. 

Hot Days and Summer Traditions

Last week kicked off a long stretch of very hot days, with temperatures near 100 for several days in a row!  It was a time for closed windows and air conditioning, beaches and pools and lots of time to soak up the sun. 

We kicked off our week with cousin time at Sandy Pines.  On Monday and Tuesday, we spent our days playing mini golf and splashing in the lake with Aubrey and Wesley while Grandpa and Grandma were watching them.  Elam especially loved the mini golf!

He had so much fun with it that when Wesley wanted to go again the next day, Elam was a willing partner.

The kids swam for hours upon hours, and also tried to catch some fish with their nets and buckets.

Wednesday morning brought the long awaited visit from the Reader Feeder bus!

The kids came home with loads of books, smiles and giant freeze pops!

We also stopped by the library to sign up for the summer reading program, play some fun games and choose some prizes for completing activities in the library.  

Wednesday through Friday we were at the pool, soaking in the time with Uncle Ryan and Aunt Nancy, enjoying the hot summer days and just loving the time to relax.

Ezri also got in some golf cart driving practice.

We made some progress on our bedroom ceiling on Saturday morning, reaching the half-way point.

All of this hot weather is Tobi's favorite.  He has a summer routine that involves waking, eating, and then heading outside for a drink from the fountain, followed by some tree scratching and then a nap under a bush until afternoon when it is time for a repeat!

Wiley has also been developing a new routine which involves chasing the cats around the living room when he is free, and wanting to be up close in their space, sometimes a little too aggressively for their taste.  He is still sneezing, and we have reached a point with our vet where it seems this will be a chronic issue for him that will never resolve, which is not at all what we want to settle with, but may be the case.  He is going off of his medications and we will be monitoring to see if there is any decline or improvement, or if things just stay the same.

Sunday was Father's Day.  The kids were eager to give Daddy the cards and gifts they had for him that morning.

Following gift time, we went to the Hopkins Fire Department pancake breakfast and then to an outdoor service at church, and then spent a lazy day at home relaxing.

Our dwarf cherry tree has been growing fruit like crazy this year, the first time since we have planted it that there is measurable fruit on it.  So, as we wait for it to ripen, we have been sneaking cherries as the become ready.  Alora found a little friend who was equally interested in the tart treat from our tree!