Beach Bums

The littles have been begging and begging to go to the beach again and convinced me that today would be the perfect day! We woke to beautiful weather and they were all packed up and ready to go bright and early. I told them we had a few chores to finish up before we could leave and enlisted their help. They were happy to help because that meant that they could go to the beach sooner. We loaded up in big red and arrived at the lake in the late morning. There was not many people there, so it made for the perfect morning! Sawyer was so happy to be there and got so excited the closer we got to the beach. Having just gone swimming here a few days ago, he remembered how fun it was! This time we remembered his life jacket which allowed me to breath a little easier as I watched him play on the shoreline. The big kids all had fun on their floaties! I love this area of the beach because it is knee deep for a long ways out and I don't have to worry much about the little guys falling off a drop and into the deep water. Eventually the pizza floaties ended up getting holes in them, so we packed up and headed home for lunch with Daddy! We all enjoyed popsicles, did a little yard work and checked out the growth in the greenhouse! The tomatoes have really taken off and are taller than Sawyer now. The thick stalks are incredible and we are so looking forward to our harvest this year!

Grateful

Tonight we were all on our own while Daddy worked late attending his board meeting. We had hamburger helper for dinner and then went out for a walk together before bed. The kids took turns biking and pushing Sawyer in the stroller. It took a while to get everyone tucked into bed, and then I neglected the dishes and sat and watched a show. When the sun started setting, I went out to the coop to get the last of the eggs. Looking over the garden I couldn't help but feel grateful and blessed. It's so wonderful to be able to work along side my parents, gathering wisdom and knowledge about growing our own food. Fresh farm eggs and fresh garden goodness!

Summer Solstice & Fathers

Today we celebrated Father's Day on the lake! It was the perfect first day of Summer. When we arrived the lake was calm and beautiful! I love the smells at the lake and the cool breeze rushing across my face.

We left home when there was a break in the clouds and were able to enjoy clear skies and sunshine for most of our time on the water.

Mr. Stannix is always happy to be on the water driving his boat. When we first started out we had to maneuver around the beach area and a couple of sea doos. They created the perfect wave and despite our slower than normal speed, we sent Grampa and the two big kids flying through the air on the tube! Hyrum was quick to pat his head and request us to stop, eyes wide from the air they had just caught. We all had a good laugh about it afterward! 

Oliver does not sit still on the boat! He loves being on the water!

After one of our stops, Sawyer made his way to the back of the boat and pointed to the tube. He wanted a ride so bad! Daddy hopped on and put Sawyer on his lap and we took them for a spin.

When it started getting really hot, we stopped the boat and went for a swim. None of the kids wanted to jump in though, so I told them I'd go! Mr. Stannix and I held hands and jumped into the chilly lake together. I could jump into anything as long as I have this guy beside me!

Fin was feeling brave and wanted to test out his new life jacket. He decided to slowly climb off the ladder and towards his Dad in the lake. It took us a lot of coaxing to finally get him in the water (it was cold at first), but he was so happy after he finally did it!

Camilla jumped in right away after to help Fin feel more confident.

After threatening to throw him over board, Hyrum made his way slowly into the water as well.

It was a gorgeous day! I am so lucky to be surrounded by gentle and kind fathers who are always serving and helping others. We finished up the evening with Chinese food for dinner with Gramma and Grampa. Camilla and Fin made special name tags for the place settings and got the table all decorated up while I went to pick up the food. We sure love our Dads!

Naptime

It's not often that Ollie takes a nap anymore, but today I could tell that he needed it. I opened his window up wide to let in the cool breeze, kissed him on the head, and left the room. A few minutes later I came back to find him snoring.

Little Brother

We enjoyed German pancakes, ice cream and strawberries for breakfast and then everyone headed straight outside to play! After tidying the kitchen I looked out the front window to find the boys had hitched the wagon to the back of their bikes for Sawyer to ride in. I watched Hyrum, one foot on the ground at the top of a huge hill, debating if he should go down it or not. I called out to him and told him it probably wasn't the best idea, so he turned around and biked home. I wasn't  entirely sure how I felt about it, but Sawyer seemed to love it! This is why little brothers grow up to be so tough.

Chore Buddy

We have been enjoying the sunshine so much lately! Sawyer brings me his shoes first thing in the morning and begs me to let him play outside. We've been spending a lot of time in the garden and greenhouse, hanging out with Gramma and Grampa.

Collecting eggs is one of Sawyers favorite things to do. He loves the chickens and always tries to hug them.

Camilla has been enjoying photography lately and is always setting things up for pictures!

After dinner we all had ice cream cones out on the deck. Half of Sawyers ended up melting all over the place. As he ran, the ice cream dripped, and Reese wasn't far behind to lick it all up.

Spending time outside before bed is so great! We are loving these barefoot evenings.

The greenhouse is making great progress and I am so excited for toasted tomato sandwiches this Summer!

God is Love

Tonight before bed I slipped out in the sprinkling rain to lock in the hens and check for the last of the eggs. After grabbing the last egg of the day I wandered around the the back runs to shut the doors and looked up to find the most gorgeous rainbow! As the rain continued to come down, I made my way up to the top garden to take a closer look. It was the most beautiful sight I have seen in a long time. The rainbow stretched all the way across the sky and I was tempted to try and find the end. I snapped a few pictures and texted them to Mike with a "You're missing out!" When I made it back to the house I joined him on the deck and together we took in the double rainbow and the orange glow of the setting sun. The sky was on fire and it was incredible! I always feel God's love and the tender mercy he shows me each day when I am surrounded by the beauty of nature. This was just the reminder I needed. I enjoyed the beauty until the last ray of light slipped behind the trees and it all disappeared. I came inside soaking wet, but glowing with happiness and contentment. It was the perfect way to end the day!

Summer Storms

Waking up to a blue sky and sunshine streaming through the windows has to be one of my favorite things! Sawyer has been waking up long before 6:00am this week and the early mornings have been made easier as I've focused more on the rays of light and gift of a new day.

While I tidied the kitchen, Finley brought me in an armful of rhubarb that Gramma had cut. I sat on the back deck and chatted with my mom while I trimmed the leaves and bottoms off. The children were happily running around, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

When little tummies began to growl, I whipped up a double batch of gingersnap cookies. It usually fills the cookie jar even after the littles have eaten a pan or two hot out of the oven.

The afternoon brought rain! We went for a quick walk just as it started to admire the freshly mowed grass and the mulched trees in the orchard. Sawyer loved running around and kept patting his head every time a rain drop fell on it. I got back to the house just in time to pull six loaves of bread out of the oven for lunch!

In the evening, being a mamma meant snuggling a feverish boy on the couch while listening to the rain fall and the thunder shake the house. He had slept all afternoon without any coaxing from me and still wanted to go to bed early.

When the  big kids finished their movie they became mesmerized by the lightning and thunder. Finley brought in a pair of binoculars to get a better look. A few of them ended up bunking together for the night and happily tucked into their cozy warm beds.

Dirty Foot Prints

Today Oliver sat at the table just before dinner to draw. He almost always has a scrap, rolled up piece of paper and a fist full of markers on him or near by. While I made dinner, I couldn't help but smile as he tried to sneak across the table for the pencil box.

He left behind some perfect foot prints, evidence of a wonderful day spent barefoot outside. I smiled.

Then he told me this drawing was special for me! When I asked him what it was he told me it was a chicken. "See it's wings, and it's feet mom?" Oh yes, now I see it!

New Toys

The big kids came to me a few weeks ago and told me that they had each saved enough money to buy an MP3 player. They had done some research online and found a few in their price range. After doing a little research of my own and talking it over with Mr. Stannix, we decided to let them go for it! We placed the order online and they payed us in cold hard cash. They were pretty thrilled when they arrived today, three days earlier than expected! They excitedly tore into the boxes and got to work reading the manual and figuring out how they work. As they were listening to music, Fin pointed out that they were all matching their MP3 players. A picture had to be taken to document it. I am super proud of these guys for saving their money and using it wisely. They have spent the day biking, running, hanging out in their tree fort, and going on walks....with their earbuds in. I now feel like I live with mini teenagers. Haha!