Thankful

August 21st

There was a solar eclipse on the 21st.  I didn't realize until the night before that it would even be visible here in Virginia.  Thankfully Peter was able to throw these viewers together so the boys could safely view the changing shape of the sun.  They loved it!

"What? You told me to paint while you nursed sissy!"

The days are long....

But the years are fleeting...

Summertime at the Fair!

When I was a child, one of the highlights of our year was the annual 4-H fair.  We would spend time during the school year, and mostly crunch the weeks before the fair, to prepare our projects.  When I moved to Virginia I did note that the fairs here are tiny in comparison to the McLean County fair from my childhood.  However, I have quickly learned to love the small, charming local fairs that dot our area.  We made it to two of them this year.  We saw lots of animals, two of our boys participated in a pig scramble, we took in a truck pull and a demolition derby, enjoyed ice cream and even went on a farris wheel ride!  I think next year we might even enter some projects!

Last night Peter came and hung out with us at Clarke County's fair.  He's loving his baby girl!

The boys loved the friends and fun to be had in the tire full of corn.

My three oldest goobers.

Isaac the chick!

Ice cream face!

Marcus the milk maid.  He reminds me of mommy (when I was young) in this picture.

Sam the chick.

Ice cream with Aunt Abby and the cousins.

Loud truck pull!

Cows.

Hatching chicks!  This was a highlight for all of the kids.

Marcus loved to milk the fake cow.

I snapped this picture to make sure I remembered the super mom who was hanging out with her kids in the cow barn.

Conrad like the "birdies"...

And the horses...

And the cows.

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17

Peach Picking!

We have some lovely orchards here in Winchester, and the kids and I love to go to Marker Miller orchard especially.  They have apples in the fall which is our favorite fruit to pick.  They also have peaches and berries during the summer.  The kids love to play on the playground and in the general store.  I'm thankful for some milder summer days last week.  We had a wonderful time there! 

Nearly 2 months with baby girl!

She's a snuggle bug who loves mommy snuggles especially.

Full of smiles; especially for her big brothers first thing in the morning.

She's not too sure about accessories, but she is owning her chubby cheeks.

Adorable when content....

and even when she's sad.

She's had a lovely summer so far, and we all love having her be a part of our family!

July Birthdays

We had 2 birthdays in July, and despite having a new baby, we were able to celebrate them both.

This handsome fellow is a big two-year-old now.  It has been fun to watch him grow up a bit more now that baby sister is here.  It was a little bit of an adjustment for him at first, but he seems to be more at peace with a baby sibling now.  He's my snuggle bug, and I think it was hard on him when mom and dad started snuggling someone else frequently.  For awhile he wouldn't let me snuggle and read to him like we had done before baby was born.  But in the last week, we've gotten back to our reading and snuggling time.  He loves to go swimming and gets a thrill out of being outside.  He's also a trouble maker and keeps me on my toes as I try and keep ahead of his messes.  He give the best hugs and kisses out there, and while his busy self can wax naughty at times, he also melts my heart with his loving self.

We also celebrated dad's birthday in July.  What can I say about this guy?  He's quite truly my rock and brings such stability to our family.  He works hard and then comes home to pour into his somewhat demanding family!

Here he is singing to and with our two youngest at church enabling me to listen to the sermon.

We are so thankful that we are able to do life with him.  He's still my number one guy, and we are all very blessed by him!