Guess Whose Birthday?

Is it someone at the table?


Is it someone who likes liver treats on their cake?


I think it is!


Yes! Daisy is two years old today. And Kiki made sure we all cared. She had planned this day for weeks. Her is her list:

She even turned down an invitation to swim at a friends house just so she could celebrate with her best friend. The balloon is from Dorothy, whose family showed up just to wish Daisy a Happy Birthday, European style. We love Dorothy's family!

Things Around the House a Mother Does NOT Want to See....

Normally this might give a mother pause, but I knew exactly who did it and why. Greyson complains all the time about his hair sticking up. Not anymore.

Another Artist in the Family...

Sawyer is just as intense when he draws as Kiki is....

He can be happy for an hour or so, just doing this.

He studies his drawings in critical detail and often only completes one.

This is what took so long this time.

"Uh, it's a boy..... actually it's a car. With lights."

Berry Season

I tried to make a fresh blueberry pie for the first time.

It was plate scrapin' good. Tristan ate three pieces.

Why They Are Screaming in the Backyard....

It's a new game! Tristan takes a flying leap off of the slide and onto the swing-set like a monkey. And Sawyer tries to make him miss by blowing the party horn at just the right time to give Tristan the giggles. Sawyer had trouble blowing it because HE was getting the giggles. But the timing eventually worked. Tristan fell at just the right time and hurt himself sufficiently, and the game came to a happy end.


Did I mention that they've dug a mud pit under the swing set?


Ankle deep.

The bathroom was nice and clean so they could use it to get the mud off....

Skateboard Night

Tristan wanted to show us some tricks he's learned.





And so did Daddy.


Kiki was barefoot style.


Sawyer just looked on in awe.

What Big Brothers are Good For....

Daddies are good for teaching you to ride with no training wheels.


Mommies are good for capturing on film how you feel about no training wheels.


Daddies are good for putting training wheels back on.


Big brothers are good for teaching the art of spinning a spoked wheel without chopping off your fingers.


It works!


Training wheels are good for inspiring false confidence.


Until something goes wrong with the chain.


Big brothers are good for fixing loose chains.


In the middle of the street. Because that's where the cars are.


Big brothers are also good at testing the fixed bike. And testing it, and testing it, and testing.....

What We Did While They Were Here....

Our Cousin Visit got off to a rip-roarin' start with Sawyer getting attacked by their big green snake.

Carter laid it gently on his shoulders, whereupon Sawyer yanked into a tight strangle hold and started a melodramatic choking routine.

As we started on our hike into the FernForest, we were glad for the cover the foliage provided. Rain was threatening.


We call it the FernForest because there are ferns, in the forest....


Rain hit us in the open field and had us racing back for cover....


But not soon enough to stay dry.


Sawyer liked getting his head washed in rain water...


Our next stop was The Lake....

It was made of glass this time.

I just have to show that again, it was so breathtaking....



To the right was Nun's Island. We call it that because a bunch of nuns live there, on an island.


Our destination at The Lake was to explore The Point.

We saw lots of cool things: A tree, incorporating rocks into it's roothold.



The boys made it out into the water in no time.


Sawyer had to take his time over the slippery terrain.


The water stayed shallow pretty far off of The Point....


But suddenly everyone found an underwater drop-off and was too afraid to explore it alone.


Except for Keirra.


Mr. Crane looked on with interest.


Greyson and Carter were best buddies.


So were Alena and Scooter.


The cousins had to leave today. sigh
This is how we feel about that.