Any Similar Revival

Having fun is exhausting. Really, it is. It takes concentration and lots of energy and a willingness to wear silly hats and dance with small children in public. Also, a willingness to get dirty, be hot and thirsty, and chase said small children around. We did all of that today, and now, I am tired.

We met up with our peeps, Mike, Kristen and the kiddos, plus a cutie-friend of Emma's, and we had a marvelous day out at the Yankee Peddler.

I love these pictures! And I am feeling tired again, just from looking at them! But that doesn't mean that I can't wait to go to the YP again next year. Or that I can't wait for our next adventure, which hopefully, is as soon as tomorrow.

We walked for over two hours and probably covered around 1.5 miles. When he wasn't whining for me to carry him, he was running. I didn't carry him, because, as I never failed to point out to him, I was walking the dog. It was a great excuse, because he believed me. Most of the time, he looked like this:

Or he looked like this:

We found buckeyes, acorns, seed pods, jewel weed "poppers," crunchy leaves, sticks, lots of ROCKS, a toad, and a little snake. As a nature hike, it was a resounding success!

I ditched my boys Saturday afternoon and went to the Quailcrest herb fair with Heidi. We met up with Willow and her little Aidan, and we had a lovely time.

First of all, of course, we had a picnic.

Even the ants came to our picnic.

I bought baby pumpkins and decorated myself.

And we walked around, oohing and ahhing over the crafts and sometimes buying them.

Willow really wanted some of this wool. Really badly. REALLY.

Right after these photos were taken, I dropped my camera. Right on the lens. I tried to take some shots, and the shutter stuck open. I had the sinking feeling and then the sicko feeling, but I didn't throw up. I put it away, and I prayed a bit desperately, Please Lord, fix my camera. We walked around some more, and I used my little purse camera, which is perfectly nice in its own way, but not the same.

When I finally got home, I took off the lens and looked in. There, sticking in the shutter door, was a tiny bit of plastic that had broken off from the lens. I gently pushed it out, and the shutter clicked! I tried it out, and the camera worked! Even the dropped lens worked! I was so happy, so relieved, I can't even tell you!

And then, yesterday, the fridge stopped working. And I thought to myself, hmm, maybe I should have used that fix-it prayer on the fridge instead. But a nice repairman came out this afternoon and replaced a bad thermostat, and now it works again, all for $130. It makes my meltdown from last night look a bit silly now. And I did meltdown, pardon the pun.

I was looking through some old files of photos on my external hard drive the other night, and I discovered a TON of shots I'd never edited or printed or done a thing to! Treasure! So I had a great time remembering (or not remembering) all those times from good ole 2006. These were some of my favorites.

A Day at Hinckley, Being Dorks

Thank you for letting me indulge myself here.

I do keep meaning to blog. I really, really do. I blame Facebook for most of it. Once I post my photos there, I have little motivation to put them anywhere else! Friend me on FB, and you can see them all. Anyways, what a week!

Last Saturday, the girls came over for the day, and we went to the Splash Pad right before an impending storm. Because we're crazy like that.

This was the week that Little A started several services the state has decided he needs, like Early Head Start and speech therapy. He also had two parental visitations to make, so we were pretty busy! And, these little monkeys went to school, Liv on Wednesday and the twins on Thursday. We had our second annual Back-to-School party on Wednesday.

And here is the big girl, coming home from her first day of third grade!

Can I just say that I remember her all small, on HER first day of kindergarten?

Yeah. Wow. She's so big now!

Ok (wiping my eyes), moving on.

Look at my garden!

Those empty ones in the front are planted with seeds for the fall/winter. Kale, Swiss chard, leeks, and on the other side, carrots. We'll see.

On Thursday, we had a picnic at Kingwood with Liz, Willow, and her little guy.

Yesterday, Kristen called me around 4:00 to tell me to get the kids to the basement, pronto. Tornado warning! So we stopped what we were doing, which was this:

And then we went inside. No tornado, but a big storm and some excitement.

Today, it is rainy and cool. Autumn is coming–you can smell it in the air.

Days like this, I just want to bottle for winter. I want to pop it open in early March and take a deep breath of it. I want to wrap it around me and snuggle in. I want to hold it forever.

Last Friday before school starts up again. It might still be hot next week, but it won't feel like summer anymore. What we've had is just enough.

Minus all the melt-downs of the sleep-deprived small boy. I just can't bring myself to photograph those. 🙂

I made some peach cobblers, using the old, red Betty Crocker cookbook. I made a few changes, using butter instead of shortening and not using quite so much sugar. They turned out beautifully!

If you go to the Medina farmer's market, get your peaches from Steve Andrews. I can't remember his farm's name, but it's all organic, and his peaches are LUCSIOUS. Big, juicy, sweet, perfect. We bought a basket for $12, and they have lasted us all week. We've eaten them out of hand, put them in our smoothies, and of course, these cobblers. We still have some left!

And then it rained. Big. Fat. Rain. Little A likes the thunder. Each time he looks at me and says "Bomm?"

Bomm!

And I looked around and said, "Hmmm. . ."

How did my house get so messy?

Why is my garden so overgrown?

What do you MEAN the kids go to school next week and the twins are starting KINDERGARTEN?

Seriously, those babies, starting kindergarten? Be still my poor little heart!

It has been a really good summer, though, packed full of all my favorite things. The other day, Olivia and I made a list of everything we've done this summer, both families, and we were both surprised by the length and variety of those things. We picked berries, visited farms, went swimming, rode on crazy rides at the fair, watched Emma's first dance recital, met our first foster child, went to the zoo, splashed at the park, played in the rain, picked our own tomatoes, learned to ride without training wheels (Liv), learned to pump our legs and swing ourselves for hours (Emma), played T-ball (Ben), completed some sewing projects as Christmas gifts (ME!), caught wooly bears and crickets (NOT me), and generally enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We are caught in that bittersweetness of the end of summer. Only one week left. However, we are not the type to lose ourselves in the past. We've already made our list of things to do this fall, including jumping in leaves, having a bonfire, going to the Yankee Peddler and the church's fall festival. We also planned a party for next Thursday, when the girl gets home from school. Our second annual "Back-to-School" party, complete with refreshments, games and crafts. Olivia likes to plan things. Her mother might say she gets it from me, but her mother also likes to plan things. In fact, she and I have planned a Pumpkin Carving Party-Bonfire ourselves!

{Yes, I rolled down a hill. In a skirt. I have no shame.}

(She lost that wooly-bear after this photo was taken. We looked and looked, but couldn't find him. Twenty minutes later, we heard happy shrieking, "It's in my hair, it's in my hair!" It makes me wonder what else she's got in there?)

And that's what I did on my summer vacation.

What a great day at the market!

Perhaps you'd like to look more closely:

My anniversary sunflowers, 12 years tomorrow!

The bee was just for free.

We spent some time in the pool this weekend. Little A is still a fearless little tadpole, wanting to do it all himself and jumping off the side of the pool. We have figured out a suitable flotation system for him, so some of this is possible.

The bigger fishes are fun to play with.

And they were sporting some cool looks.

the small boy.

Today, you were so excited to play outside and drive your car.

But the sky looked like this:

And then the thunder started booming, and the rain started falling. We watched it from the porch.

You gave me such a look, one that said, "It's only water."

I said, "Go right ahead."

You drove around in your car very happily for a few minutes until it started to really rain. So we took off your socks and shoes.

THAT was super-fun!

You are a very good driver when it's raining.

I am going to be a better blogger. I am going to be a better blogger! I am going to be a better blogger!

From this past weekend. . . . some fun times!

Farmers' marketing.

Crocker Parking with Linda. Dinner at Aladdin's!

Pretty snaps from the farmers' market.

Softball Sundae Sunday at church

Chad hit two home runs!

Then we spent too much money at Target and rearranged the back room again. But I don't have any photos of that!

Yesterday, we went to the county fair. We met up with many of our friends and had way too much fun. I am still recovering from all that fun!

Olivia, Kristen, Mike, Hannah, Sarabeth and I all rode on the Musik Express. It was hilarious–my stomach hurt from laughing hysterically the entire ride. It even went backwards. Totally worth the $3 to ride it!

The kids all had fun looking at and petting the animals.

And sitting on the tractors.

Of course, the food was fabulous.

And our friends are awesome. I love our friends!

Little A and I went on the Merry-Go-Round.

And Leah rode too!
So did Joe and Jillian.

It was frabjous fun!

Whee!