Saturday Adventures

We really wanted to show our guests a good time. Take them to the best places, do the most adventurous things. Like clean the church because it's our turn. 

With a new ward and new arrangements, things got a little confusing and we were the only ones who showed up. So we put the kids to work. Seth was a champion vacuumer: 

Aaron & Adleigh helped by providing things for Seth to vacuum: 

Then it was back home for some cousin bonding: 

Aaron has very mixed feelings about his cousin Breydon. One the one hand, he is kind of funny and makes silly noises. That's cool. But on the other hand, Mommy was always trying to hold this baby. Totally unacceptable. Aaron shares his Mommy with no one (he even gets jealous of Seth and Catherine sitting on my lap). Let's just say there was much jealous whining while Breydon was here. But one day these two will be buddies. Don't you just want to eat both of their cheeks?! 

Jon had a big stake young men's to-do that night, so Kenna and I took the kids on an adventure. We had coupons for free ice cream at the Jarrettsville Creamery (thank you, library!) and decided to give it a try. The ice cream was pretty darn good. The crab soup, however...we'll just stick with Broom's Bloom, thank you very much. 

I just need to accept the fact that I will never eat another meal without assistance: 

After ice cream we let the kids run up and down the stairs outside.

More running = more sleeping later is the theory. 

Sisters Week (or two) Begins!

Every once in a while, Southwest likes to have $69 flights from Dallas to BWI. And since my sister Kenna apparently spends her days checking flight prices, I got a text requesting a visit. But, since flying one Kenna, one Adleigh, and one (freebie) Breydon is MUCH cheaper than paying for four tickets, she came to see me instead. 

Of course, we couldn't leave Marah out now that she's near Dallas, too. She and Russell joined the fun. Mom had already planned to come during that time, so it worked out great. Beth was so broken-hearted about missing out on the fun that Mom bought her a ticket to come back to visit. It would be a full sisters (and mom!) week! 

Kenna was the first to show up (she was trying to escape their house, which was up for sale and had to be kept clean for showings). Adleigh and Aaron are just a few months apart, but there was little doubt as to who was in charge. Not only is Adleigh the oldest, she can also talk circles around Aaron (and kids twice her age). 

Filling the bubbles with water and chalk.

Because MESS = FUN.

Seth is hesitant to join the mess.

Probably only because he had the iPad in the house.

This picture is what happens when you tell the kids to play outside.

Apparently "inside the van, inside the garage with the garage door open" counts as "outside."

Also, they are wet from rain, not sweat.

Our first adventure with the Weirichs was another trip to Rocks and the creek. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast together.  

My boys

Once again, stealing someone's tube.

At least I remembered Catherine's floaty this time!

The toddlers with awkward cheeseball smiles.

Little Miss Independent playing in her imaginary world

This one is not a water guy.

He is a shore dweller.

Water is okay if it's in buckets or cups.

Possibly the most flattering picture of me taken in recent memory.

Clearly those posture lectures in middle school paid off.

We really need to buy tubes next year.

And then there was this guy. This was our first time meeting Breydon, and he did not disappoint. Just three months old and already a total charmer. I wanted to hold him all the time and gnaw on his chubby cheeks and legs. With the exception of his loathing for car seats, he is the world's happiest baby. I was most definitely in love. 

Good Parenting

Good parents always make sure their children are properly groomed and dressed.

As giant burritos with red mohawks:

Good parents always feed their children at proper times.

Like when their children haul giant cereal containers all the way up the stairs

 because they are hungry: 

Good parents carefully watch and guide their children.

So they don't trip on the sidewalk and land smack on their foreheads: 

Good parents feed their children well-balanced meals.

Like Instant Instant Breakfast.

Milk is for the weak: 

Our kids are so lucky to have such good parents.

The Great Outdoors

Maryland is one of the most beautiful states I've gotten to visit. During the summers and falls I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale. Or a painting. 

Of course, all that greenery doesn't grow without lots of horrible humidity, which generally makes me want to lock myself in my air-conditioned house from May until October. But for the sake of my children, I force myself to enjoy the beauty of nature, even if it comes with a good soaking.

Our biggest adventure this summer was a day camp put on by my amazing friend Tiffany. She has the most AMAZING woods behind her house. Because she loves the woods, and kids, and teaching, she freely offered to take our kids through the woods to the creek to play. FREELY, as in totally free. 

I perhaps bit off a bit more than I was expecting with this one. Turns out it was a good, long hike through the woods. Like almost an hour. And Aaron is heavy. So was my backpack full of water bottles. But all five kids (I brought along two extras just for fun) had a blast in the Wonder Woods:

Our next adventure was much more sedentary (for me, at least). We met up with some friends for an afternoon of swimming and chatting at Rocks State Park. Aaron did less swimming and more rock throwing: 

Seth and Catherine happily stole someone's tube and floated around: 

(note to self: buy tubes for next year)

We are so blessed with wonderful friends and a beautiful place to live.

And it's August...

August began with post-bath burritos:

And "helping" Mom with the laundry: 

And "helping" Mom sort her jewelry (which she had already sorted and put away): 

And first dates: 

(Kidding! Our very-good-friends-practically-family the Knoxes decided to sell their townhome and move just a few months after we did. They sold their beautiful home quickly, but had a tough time finding the right home to buy. They finally found the perfect place, but, as happens frequently with home-buying, it wasn't quite ready to close when it was supposed to be. So instead of spending one night with us before moving into their new home, they got to spend a week. And while they may think they were a horrible burden, it was actually a miracle in disguise. Jon was out of town and we were getting solar panels put up, which meant we were trapped in our house. All day. For a week. Without the Knoxes my kids and I would have gone totally insane. 

This picture is from one of our "get out of the house!" adventures. Gabe and Catherine both wanted a milkshake and I'm too cheap to buy milkshakes for each kid. So they (unhappily) shared. But if arranged marriages were still a thing, this one would be a sealed deal.)

August brought more snuggles from my chubby-cheeked baby: 

And less food.

Because Aaron eats all my food.

Still: