summer happenings

Ugh.  No.time.to.write.depressing.  Where has the summer gone?  I mean, really!!!!  Four weeks until school starts and I still haven't made a dent in my summer goals.  But I think the kids are happy so that is good.  Baby doesn't sleep and I hear him right now, so I'll go super fast.

I love having the kids around.  They are the joys of my life.  Just a couple of cute stories.  This evening Ibby was helping put away groceries and prepare dinner and said, "You know what I love about this world?  I love that you don't just appear here, but have to come through someone else."  You are right, that is so cool!  What if we did just appear out of thin air?  Life would certainly be different.  Deep thoughts.  And the baby is so cute!  For some reason I've been whistling a lot (Castle on a Cloud to be exact, the bane of Charles' existence from home school choir in fifth grade) and Archie finds it completely fascinating.  Almost every time he will purse his lips in an absolutely adorable way and start humming a little tune -- he totally thinks he is whistling!  Oh my heck it is something else!

Some pictures from last month, none from our trip eastward for the beloved Smith family reunion since I didn't have my camera, grr, but what can you do?

I took a quick jaunt over to Hannibal, MO (say it singing!) with the 3 littlest and a friend and her two kids -- it was fun!  And Mark Twain paradise.

 ::panning for jewels!

 

 ::white washing the fence

 ::being Tom and Becky

 ::scouting out Tom's cave

 ::dressing up at the museum

 ::taking a trolley ride all over town with the most hilarious tour guide evah!

 ::overlooking the great Mississippi

 ::standing in front of Mark Twain's house in a new bonnet

 ::two pics of baby just because he's a cutie patootie, and musical to boot

 

 ::White Place annual 4th of July parade and block party

 ::swimming in the boulevard