Knee Boarding

This afternoon we made our way to Cow Lake to cool off. After a quick ride around the lake we anchored the tube near shore and pulled out the knee board. The older two were super excited to give it a go! Mr. Stannix hung out in the water with them to help them get on and coach them along. He managed to squeeze a ride in too near the end. It's also pretty great having Grampa along to drive (that part still isn't my favorite) while I spot. We went home under the orange glow of a smoke covered sun with full hearts.

Family Time

With Daddy on holidays for the next few weeks, we have been enjoying a lot of boating and time with him. The weather has been so hard to read lately with all of the smoke from the forest fires but we managed to get out of the house for a few hours this afternoon with the boat. Visibility wasn't the greatest and we are sure missing Mr. Sun lately. The littles are getting braver each time we go out and love riding on the tube. Camilla even did some flips off the tube while we hung out in the middle of the lake. I got brave and drove the boat with the three littles in tow. They said I went too slow, and it made me laugh. I keep thinking there should be lines in the lake, like on a road, telling me which side to stay on and where to go. "Which way do I turn?!" I'd shout to Mr. Stannix. He would respond with a laugh. I happily gave back the steering wheel after a few rounds. Ollie has his seat that he likes on the boat and enjoys munching cheeses and treats as well as taking the occasional nap. I love watching the wind whip through his fine blonde hair as he slowly dozes off. Being together is my favorite place to be.

Baby Update

 Tonight I couldn't resist the golden hour to capture a bump picture at twenty-six weeks. Time seems to go faster with each pregnancy and I can hardly keep up these days. Baby is growing well and kicking lots and now that I can feel him/her move around frequently throughout the day, my anxiety has lessened. I can hardy believe that we will have six littles in a few months. All of my appointments have been great and aside from being a touch on the tired side, I'm feeling pretty great! We can't wait to meet this babe in the Fall and find out if it's a boy or a girl!

Welcome August

 We are running into August full speed ahead! It's crazy to think that Summer is half over. I feel like we haven't gotten up to much this Summer, and at the same time I'm exhausted from the little over night trips and visits here and there. It's been a good mix of quiet and crazy and we are going to soak up as much of it as we can this month!

Tender Mercies

Today I am grateful for good friends and tender mercies amidst the chaos and troubles of life. I had a phone call this morning out of the blue from a sweet lady at church who offered her time and energy to watch my littles for a morning so that I could take a break. Another friend had my boys to play all afternoon while the little ones napped. And another sweet friend dropped off dinner and these beautiful flowers tonight. My heart is so full after a rough week.  I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers and sends angels to help us along the way. I am so grateful for people who listen to the tiny whispers of the spirit and offer their service.

Spray Park

The face of a boy who really loves the spray park!!

Our New Boat

Today we took our new boat for a spin! We got ready nice and early and were out on the lake before lunch. It was perfect because there was hardly anyone there and we had the lake practically to ourselves.

 

Mr. Stannix has been anticipating this day for a few weeks now and was all smiles as he drove us all over the lake!

The kids are still pretty new to this whole boating thing and took a little bit of convincing to get onto the tube. They trust their Daddy though and knew he would take it slow. 

 

 They ended up having a lot of fun! Though I think our cautious Camilla will take a few more runs to warm up to it. 

 Ollie enjoyed snuggling up next to whoever he could and feeling the wind in his hair. Oh, and cheetos!

Mike and I were able to go on a baby ride with Oliver. He wasn't sure what to think about the whole thing but I think he enjoyed himself. I was just glad we were going slow. Ha!

 Mr. Stannix tested out our new water skis and got up on his first try! He tried to drop a ski on his first run (always shooting for the stars this guy) and just about made it before an epic wipe-out. On his second go he was able to get outside the wake and enjoy a nice ride. 

 On our way back to shore Grampa and Hyrum went for a spin. I think out of everybody, Hyrum loves the tube the most! He was super eager to go for another ride and frequently gave us the thumbs up sign to go faster. Time flew by so quickly and before we knew it we had spent a good six hours on the water. Mr. Stannix is super happy with his purchase! It's such a fun investment and something that will bring our family joy for years to come.

Juicing for Jelly

This morning we spent a good chunk of time juicing up three or four gallons of raspberries from yesterdays picking. Camilla and Ollie helped turn the handle and enjoyed watching the juice oooze out of the berries.

It will make fabulous jelly and syrup!
 

Gramma got another good haul of cucumbers from the greenhouse. I think I see pickles in our near future!

All of the extra fresh air and running around finally caught up to this guy around dinner time and he ended up passing out on the couch. I didn't have the heart to wake him, so I let him sleep despite the later bedtime.

More Berries

You'll never guess what we did this afternoon....

Soooo many raspberries. The boys eat them by the bowl full with cream and sugar! Hyrum seriously had four helpings in a row.

I caught these three hanging out in the shade together this afternoon. Nothing better than a few boys and their dog. I extra love their crazy hair and the bandana that Hyrum hasn't taken off all week.

Barefoot Berry Pickin'

Today was another chill day on the Acreage. The boys helped Grampa burn some scrap wood all afternoon and then enjoyed a pop from his garage fridge as a reward. They loved jumping on the boards and splitting them into small enough pieces for the fire pit! When it cooled off a bit later in the afternoon we went back up to the berry patch and picked another three gallons of raspberries as well as a huge bucket of Saskatoons. Whenever Oliver is outside he likes to take off his boots and run barefoot. It was cute to watch him play at my feet while I picked. We finished off the day snacking on peas as we podded. Turns out even Reese likes fresh peas!