Today we spent some time at a local park. I brought my camera, determined to get some new pictures of All Those Boys. I expected to get a few keepers, but to my surprise, they all ended up really good! Now I've been studying photography long enough to know how rare that is: the moon must have been in the same house as some planet or something. I'm not complaining though! I'm thrilled!

Luke at 15. He's growing up so fast.

Nick at 13. What a handsome young man!

Tyler at 9. Poor Tyler was very sick last week. I'm so glad he's feeling better!

And here's Chip at 2. He certainly knows what to do when a camera is pointed at him.

I completely expected today to be a rotten day. We were kicked out of our house for yet another open house. But I was wrong! I'm excited to have a bunch of new family pictures! Thank goodness for my trusty tripod. ;o)

First Day Of School

Mid-August brings with it the beginning of a new school year. In past years, that simply meant that we started spending copious amounts of time in the basement together as we picked up a new year's worth of homeschooling curriculum and got busy. For Tyler and Chip, that is still true. On Monday, we'll get down to the business of 4th grade and preschool. But for Luke and Nick, this year was very different. They returned to Wellsville Schools after being gone for five years. Both boys are very excited about this big change; Tim and I are comfortable with the decision, so all is good.

Here is Luke and Nick on their very first day of school! Aren't they cute? But not TOO cute, you hear me, little high/middle school girls!? Cute like in a mom kind of way.

We are not used to getting out and about so early in the a.m. While Luke and Nick are bright eyed and bushy tailed, Chip sums it all up quite well in this picture.

And these pictures show how they looked when I picked them up at the end of the day. I think we can easily tell how pleased they are with the whole big adventure. I sure will miss having these boys around all day, but am enjoying watching them grow up into such nice young men.

What a Corny Post!

Summertime just isn't summertime without corn on the cob, and that's a fact. We can't seem to grow corn in our garden so, recession or not, we are forced to buy it from people who have better gardening skills. It is one of our very favorite things to eat in the summer and long gone well before we are tired of it. Here, Chip shows you the perfect corn buttering technique.

And what good does all that drippy, yellow goodness do without a liberal sprinkling of salt?

Now that's the only thing we're liberal about in this house, mind you.

Finally, when it's done just so, there's nothing better than stretching out on your mom's bed to watch a little Barney and enjoy your summertime meal. Ahhh, life is good!

Cracking The Code

As you all well know, 50% of All Those Boys will be starting a new adventure in education this fall. That's correct, Luke and Nick will be attending Wellsville High School and Wellsville Middle School, respectively. They are excited. No, scratch that...they are EXCITED!!!!!! Today Nick and I stepped into the hallowed halls of the middle school to find his locker. He approached it with reverent wonder in his eyes. He soon mastered the art of opening said locker.

Let me assure you, these pictures do not fully capture the glow of delight on his face!

Tim and I are so pleased to see their enthusiasm. We've all enjoyed our time homeschooling together. Now we take joy in watching them begin to spread their wings just a bit.

Nothing says Summer quite like a visit to Grandma's house...unless that visit happens to include a roaring bonfire and all the fixin's for a good old hot dog roast.

Now while it is true that I don't eat hot dogs under any circumstances (and I do mean ANY), it is certainly not true that I shun festive occasions where hot dogs are likely to be served. Nay, I am quite happy to slather my empty bun with ketchup and eat it with relish. (Get it? Relish? HAHA)

Anyway, All Those Boys do not have the same hot dog hangups that I do, so this was doubly exciting. Grandpa had a raging inferno going so cooking the hot dogs was a breeze. Everyone had their own sharp, dangerous, pointy stick to use.

Once those dogs were truly hot, it was time to eat! Yummy!

But, as everyone knows, the best part of the meal comes last, namely dessert. Well, what does one eat for dessert at a bonfire?? That's right! Roasted marshmallows!

This picture is a really good image of what it means to be two years old: See the 'ME DO!' look on his face and the tug-of-war going on over the dangerous weapon/marshmallow roasting device?

But at the end of the day, a toasted marshmallow sure is a sweet finish.

My laundry basket is usually filled with clothes waiting to be folded, but when it's not, Chip can always put it to good use. Ah, doesn't that look comfy?

Happy Birthday, America!

We celebrated the Fourth of July last weekend and had a fabulous time. Saturday morning, All Those Boys and I set out in search of good deals on fireworks. After all, being the last possible minute, I expected to find deep discounts. BUT NO! Apparently 'the economy' has hit the fire cracker people too. Well, humph.

So with (small but precious) bags in hand, we returned home and prepared for our par-tay.

That evening, Sandy and Co. descended upon our humble home and prepared to eat, drink and make merry with the punks. (The little sticks you light things with, not the kids.)

This was our first year with a good camera, so Luke and I had so much fun capturing the explosions as they lit up the sky. What a wonderful holiday...and what a wonderful country we are blessed with!