Monday, August 29, 2011

Science Museum



We have a lot of fun at our local Kids' Museum & the boys really learn. Like today, Luke & I pulled a rope out 20 feet to see just how long a persons' intestines would be if you laid it out straight. (Ugh! I doubt I will ever forget learning that either!)


Luke & Mark display "acts of strength" - very important in a family full of boys


I love it when the boys have that much fun learning! :)

First Soccer Games...

of the season...




Friday, August 26, 2011

The Fair, Soccer, Big Mess...(and Arm Farts!)

...yup, that's pretty much what's going on around here. We have gotten ourselves out of "holiday recovery mode" & are now functioning normally - for us! :) 


The boys are at the beginning of their soccer season with their first games tomorrow. It's Nathan's first game ever so very exciting! I hope he at least stays upright on the field. He's been having a lot of fun at practice faking injuries & lying flat on his back in the middle of it all. If you know Nathan you will understand completely! He's a born performer.
 
We are also working on the boy's Fair entries. None of them are very crafty so I use the Fair competition as  motivation. They love the idea of winning ribbons & cash!  So far we've been doing model airplanes & Luke & I did a practice run on making sponge toffee. 





The sponge toffee didn't turn out too well. It was very hard to get out of the pan & tasted like sweet baking soda - yuck! We'll try a different recipe next.

Here they are trying to pry it out. Their expressions are interesting!





Thursday, August 25, 2011

Real Life : Can I Put It Off A Little Longer?

That's the only problem with going on vacation (besides the overeating, that is!) ... it's a bit hard to get back to "real life" again, once you return home. At least it is for me.

I'm trying to bravely face the gym (weight loss, please!!!), John being back at work (sigh), and the whole back-to-school thing. In my case, as a home school Mom, that does not involve waving goodbye to my boys in the mornings & wishing them a wonderful day (although I've fantasized about it, believe me!) 

Anyone else have trouble getting motivated after holidays?

Monday, August 22, 2011

And More From Canada...

 Luke, Nana, & the portrait he painted of her - super cute! 

 Luke, Tirzah (their dearly loved cousin), Nathan & Mark

 Mark & Tirzah
The boys loved having two older cousins (my sister's kids) to play with. 

Nathan loved pestering his cousin, Josiah! Thanks for being patient with him J!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

More from Ontario...







We just arrived home from Canada a few hours ago. It was so very good to be there & is also so sweet to be home again - I love that about holidays - the satisfaction on both ends...  Now we are turning our minds to unpacking & getting ready to begin school.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Lake Ontario on A Beautiful Sunny Day

Me & my beloved


Sandy Luke 

 Very Serious Luke


This picture could have been so darn cute! The boys had picked me flowers.  I asked Luke why he made the face & he said he had not wanted Nathan in the picture with us. Ugh! Oh well, they're so cute, I love it anyway!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hanging Out With People We Love...

 Papa & Mark

 Nana & Papa

Silly Cousins :) They are having a blast! The olders are being so sweet to the littles!

John & Papa in  front of the T-33 (Papa used to fly it.)

I'll post more later - my uploader is not cooperating any more.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Family Camp

We had the BEST time camping with friends this weekend! It was HOT & humid & it rained hard on the tent but we still had A LOT of fun & just some really sweet family time.

Luke & Coach Sam jumping as high as they can while Nathan jams on his kleenex box guitar! 


Mark & Luke loved fishing & were rewarded with lots of fish. 

Nathan somehow "accidentally" fell off the pier (doesn't he look a bit sheepish to you?) but he was just fine. 
Here he is explaining how exactly it all happened. :) 

The coolest part of the weekend was that John got baptized! (by our dear friend, Sam). Then John got to baptize Mark & Luke! The boys had been thinking about getting baptized for a long time & it was super cool that they were able to do it all together. Wow! 


They all wanted to get baptized as a public symbol of their personal faith in Jesus Christ. Nathan wanted to do it too but we don't think he really "gets it" yet so we asked him to wait another year at least. He was miffed & I think that may be the reason for his "accidental" fall into the lake! :) Tee Hee!





Thursday, August 4, 2011

Buddies

At some point last night, Nathan decided to move to the floor to join Jake.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Death & Spa Treatments

Yes, death & spa treatments somehow made it into the same day & therefore, the same post. Of course, I'm talking about our chickens - so obvious, I know. I mean, who else around here might get a spa treatment! :)

So, it all started in the morning when the boys discovered that my two favorite hens had been murdered. So awful! They were both Cochins (love them!) & one was 5 years old. That's a long time to have a chicken & those two were sweet girls. So...there they were dead, not eaten really either, just slaughtered. :( I think a mink or a weasel got them. They fit the profile according to Google. So, I had to really "put my big girl panties on" & clean up the horrible mess. I'll spare you the sad, icky details. 

So, on to the spa treatments

...that same afternoon we discovered that a few of our laying hens had developed strange balls of dirt on the tips of their toes. Rock hard balls that were impeding their ability to walk. Umm...so weird. The same day too. (I'm rolling my eyes here. Yes I am.)

So, what to do...what to do...

Well, let the girls soak in a wash tub of warm soapy water of course! My first spa recipient handled it all surprisingly well. She sat in the tub in the laundry room for three happy hours! Every time I'd go check on her and change her water out, she'd happy cluck as if enjoying it all immensely & occasionally spray me down with some lovely chicken poop. It was so ridiculous that I almost felt the humor of it all. Almost.

I still have two girls to go...I'll take pictures this time. Promise.