1 Flashback to 2008! How I miss that chubby little attachment! He is so big now.
2 Richard inspecting the property. So many mornings he and Dave would walk around with tea and coffee mugs in hand, thinking and planning. We miss you, Richard!
3 This is Majesty. She is taller than I am, always bright and smilling in the morning sunlight, and a beautiful reminder of the Creator's sense of humor, I think.
4 Mom and Richard are just about ready to head home :(
5 Poor Ben was sad. Sam's hair is still not cut for school yet :)
6 Blackberries from the property! Dave cleaned them and took this picture.
7 The blackberry bears out harvesting!
8 A Labor Day tradition - a visit to a favorite tiny little beach to swim. The boys thought this dog was so funny, digging just like them!
9 The tide came in!
10 Time to jump in!
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13 We were the only ones there - the water is COLD!
14 They even got me to jump in, with my clothes on!
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17 LOTS of jumping!
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20 Such a cutie. Quite willing to pose for pictures, unlike Sam :)
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22 I had such a good time with them. Dave had a headache and so was home trying to rest up before another frenetic week.
23 A summer slideshow recap I punched out while Dave made dinner. We watched it the night before school started. I'm sure I'm missing a few things, such as mountain biking with those boys. Enjoy!
24 First day of school!
25 The new classroom is very bright with lots of windows. We were the second ones in the room!
26 Checking it all out with Ben :)
27 Shared learning area.
28 Looking back into Sam's classroom.
29 This is where I'll be Monday mornings working with a small group on math.
30 Beautiful hardwood floors in the gym!
31 I took Ben in to see the Kindergarten room so he could have something fun to see for himself, to dream about next year.
32 Meeting up with Brie on the first day of school, after drop-off. We're at Bay Hay and Feed, and Ben is putting a chair back.
33 Now we're off again on our bike to take a tour down to Manitou Beach.
34 This was a cool little archway we ran across on a sleepy little side road.
35 There's the trusty bike, overlooking the sound and Seattle in the distance.
36 Such a peaceful time with my young man. Also ran into another dad out for a walk. He and his wife run a business from home, so it was nice to trade stories and strategies.
37 First day of school - a new library book being read in the new spiffed up front entrance area. Sam slipped right by me at school. I was going to walk him home but he got away before I saw him! He surprised me in our driveway :)
38 Building a compost bin or two from pallets.
39 Love Sam's face here :)
40 Ben is learning about leverage, using a long screw to twist an eye hook into place.
41 Such good helpers.
42 Then it was time to play with chickens. We put the big kids (the grown-up hens and Merlin) in the run so we could play with our babies in the garden. This is Gordon!
43 Awww...sweet chicken boy. Both of them. Both boys.
44 What're you lookin' at, big boy? Gordon is about 3 months old now, halfway to rooster puberty.
45 Look at that stylin' hair! Tijen says it's like Flock of Seagulls!
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47 Mom says these are the "auto-turners" - ha ha!
48 Finally took Ben to a place he's wanted to go for a long time - OLIVE GARDEN! It was just as good as he'd imagined. He'd seen an ad and just thought it was an incredible place.
49 Sam making a new ringtone for my new GoPhone, which is saving me at least $40 a month. Excited about that! I don't use a cell to talk so I don't need all those prepaid minutes.
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51 Another project inspired by Rob!
52 Dave worked for hours to get his bike all tuned up and the trail-a-bike attached for longer rides with Ben, who loves to push!
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55 I gave myself a hair cut! Tried a new technique...many more layers.
56 Going to a stylist today for the first time in years to help with the near-mullet! Needs some shaping in the back :)
57 Ben and I researched harvesting sunflower seeds, so this bag is on to keep the birds from getting the seeds otherwise there won't be much meat in the seeds if we harvest too early.
58 After the sytlist cut and blow-dry. Looking smashing for back-to-school night! :)
59 The back side.
60 A wooly bear caterpillar about to go into a pupa!
61 Grass is growing up!!!
62 Checking on a new wooly bear adopted and put into the terrarium. This one seems ready to make a pupa, so we're watching carefully and calling Gramma with the play-by-play.
63 Ben is talking to Gramma here in very animated fashion...as you will see next!
64 Oh yes! Standing on the chair. He started swinging his arms so much he looked like a helicopter and almost went right over!
