Where's Finley?

 This morning Mr. Stannix left to Young Men's camp for four days. Given all the happy chaos around here he brought me back a huge bag of chocolate from the grocery store. I chuckled at the "Family Size" on the bag. He said that he knew I had a lot going on and that he hoped it would help me make it through my week. That guy knows me too well! The kids were up super early and Mr. Tucker is adjusting to his new surroundings, so things have been a little bit hairy around here today. I've already snuck a few chocolates from this giant bag!

Before naps the kids and I ran to the town office to register our new pup. They played hopscotch on the tile floor while they waited for me. We left just as they all got crazy and I reminded them all to have walking feet and listening ears as we made our way towards the door. Joseph and Hyrum faught over who was going to push the handicap button to open the door. In all of the chaos I misplaced Finley. I frantically opened the doors and looked all over the entry, scanned the sidewalk and parking lot, and he was nowhere to be found! "Where's Finley?!" I started asking the kids in a panic. Camilla giggled, he's right there mom, in your arms. She giggled even harder and I couldn't help but laugh at myself. This is going to be a long week!

Also, meet my new bed buddy. While Daddy is away he has decided to take up half our king sized bed. I don't mind so much because he usually sleeps longer in our bed. We are counting down the days until Daddy is home!!

Fish Lake

 Today we left the Acreage bright and early and headed West to Fish Lake. The littles had been looking forward to this for a long time. The whole trip out Joe kept asking, "Are you SO excited to go fishin' Grampa?" We arrived early enough to secure the other side of the dock and then Grampa and Daddy prepped the fishing rods. I hung out with Tucker and admired the view across the lake, the mountains peaking over the tree tops in the distance. The whole time they fished they had one curious fish, and no bites. Every time Joe reeled in his hook he would exclaim, "I caught a HOOK!" or "I caught some sea weed!" I've never seen a kid so excited to catch nothing. Mr. Stannix got to test out his new fishing rod that I gifted him last Christmas and was pleased with it! He spent the whole time on the dock and I snuck in a few casts while he ate his smokie and rice krispie square. When the littles lost interest in fishing, they threw off their shoes and waded out to their knees in search of "sea creatures". Grampa gave them each a few bob's from the tackle box and they turned them into people and used their imaginations the rest of the afternoon. Once we had our fill of hot dogs, smokies, and junk food, we put out our fire and headed home. 

The Early Morn

 The mornings are early and wonderful at the acreage. Finley is the first to wake every morning, followed closely by Tucker. The three of us head outside in the early morning light and listen to the birds sing their morning songs. The swallows, blue birds, yellow finch, and black birds answer each others calls and fill the air with music. 

Everything is peaceful and I drink it in.

 I am growing quite fond of our early morning walks together. Finley snuggles in close and tucks his arms under his tummy to keep warm.

 The strawberry patch is plentiful this year. If we aren't picking and eating them right from the patch, we grab a handful or two each time we walk through the kitchen. They are the tastiest berries ever, but I still like to enjoy a bowl with a sprinkle of sugar every now and then.

 The littles pass the day away on their bikes or in the sandbox. 

 When they started getting too crazy we loaded everyone up and went to a close by lake. 

 I adored seeing Hyrum's goofy side come out! He is typically a very reserved, quiet kid, so these pictures make me laugh.

 We stayed and played for quite a while until everyone was cold and ready to go. We beat the storm home by just a few minutes and everyone hopped in a warm bath to finish off the day!

Lets Go Fly a Kite

 After a wonderful morning at church, the kids found the kites in Gramma and Grampa's basement and asked if they could take them out. It was a great way to bring more peace and calm to our day. Each of the kids had a kite and an adult to help them out and they loved it! "You're kite flies really well!" Camilla would say. "This is the best day ever!" Adds Hyrum. "Look at my kite go!" Exclaims Joe. I stood in the middle of the kites capturing the moment and smiled. This was exactly what everyone needed this afternoon! When the clouds rolled in and the sky started rumbling, we pulled in our kites and called it a day.

At the Beach

I am loving these slow, Summer mornings! Hyrum walked through the kitchen bleary eyed, right passed my outstretched arms and to the rec room to find his puppy. He spent a long time snuggled up with Tucker and it was super cute to watch.

In the late morning the Wolsey's arrived for the day! It was so wonderful to see them again and I'm glad our friendship can pick up where we left off. We picked strawberries from the garden, took a walk through the orchard, and ate some lunch. Once everyone was full and rested up, we took off to the beach for a few hours.

These two girls were quite happy to be together today!

We finished up with a stop at the park and then loaded up our tired kids and headed home. On the way home, Joseph looked out at the pump jacks and said, "Hey, Jessica! Know what those are called?....Jumpin' Jacks!" Oh, how I love that kid!

The rest of our afternoon was quite leisurely. I love being with good friends, the kind where you can just sit around together and have good conversation. 

 

During dinner I asked Hyrum if he wanted to have a race as a desperate measure to get him to eat his hot dog. He said, "If I win, I give you a hug. If you win, you give me a kiss!" That was my kind of deal! After dinner, we said good-bye to those dear friends, wiped away some sad tears, and enjoyed the last of the evening sun. 

Gramma Purdon came out on her deck, and the littles rushed over to hug her. Gramma brushed Camilla's newly washed hair, and told us about her days playing baseball in a ladies league back in Ontario. She said she was pretty good! When she was three months pregnant, still sliding into bases (because of her competitive nature) she decided to give it up to keep the baby safe. She was quite athletic as a young girl and I enjoy listening to her stories!

Hyrum stuck around and got some good advice about how to hold his glove and how to catch a grounder. I snuck this picture from the other end of the deck while pretending to watch the other boys play.

Another thing I love about Summer is the extra daylight that can be used to enjoy a good book. Camilla found one of my Gramma's old readers and got through a couple of chapters before bed.

Joe enjoyed a few more puppy snuggles before his bath!

After a long day outside, Tucker decided to fall asleep in Mike's sandal. We all had a good laugh! He's such a funny pup!

Canada Day

 We arrived late to the Acreage last night after a long drive to pick up our new puppy! The children woke early and rubbed their eyes as they peeked into the rec room to check on the newest addition to our family. After sleeping on it, we all decided to name our little labrador retriever Tucker, and we are totally smitten with him! He has soft, creamy fur, a wet brown nose, and thoughtful green eyes. 

After many requests, Gramma and Finley put together a batch of pancakes to be enjoyed with homemade syrups and peanut butter.

 Hyrum spent most of his morning snuggled up with Tucker. These two are kindred spirits and it's so fun watching them together!

 There was a lot of napping today! With all the fresh air and extra space to run and play, everyone was pretty tired. Both of the little boys had at least two naps today which is almost unheard of!

 While we waited for the boys to wake up, Camilla and Hyrum helped pick strawberries! They taste so yummy and we can't help but snack on them all day!

 We spent the afternoon out at a family friend's enjoying a Canada Day BBQ. We got to visit with a lot of people and the littles really enjoyed the swings and trampoline. 

The rest of the afternoon it rained on and off. We enjoyed relaxing, snoozing, and playing with Tucker. It rained pretty hard late in the evening and we decided to forgo our plans to attend the fireworks. Some of us who were still awake watched them explode over the tree tops from the living room window. Happy Birthday Canada!