'MATER PICKIN' (THROUGH INSTAGRAM)

One of the highlights of a summer evening for me is picking vegetables from the garden. Only this year the bigger garden has been filled with its share of wasps, yellow jackets and other sting-y things so for the most part I've steered clear of pea picking (and squash and corn picking) and stuck to pea shelling. Which I love. I guess I'm just weird like that. I love sitting outside shelling my peas while I watch the boys play baseball and throw the ball with their daddy.

And then I take me a dip in the cement pond.

HA! Kidding. I just reread that first paragraph and realized it made us sound like The Clampetts... only without the oil.

It's such a sense of accomplishment, though, to go to the freezer for dinner and grab a bag of peas that we planted from seeds, grew, harvested, shelled then put up. Not to mention they're yummy! 

We planted tomatoes in stages this year. It wasn't intentional but I'm glad it happened that way. We have some in containers and have two separate above the ground gardens just for tomatoes. The boys love walking through and around the plants looking for ripe ones to pick. I know there are ton of camera/photography iPhone apps but one I found that is super easy and fun (and best of all free) is Instagram. So here are a few "Instagrammed" pictures of the boys helping out:

  

 

 

And one for the road just because he's so darn cute:

Not that I'm biased or anything.

A TREE AND A BOAT & SOME OTHER THINGS

Actually how it should read is a tree IN a boat:

Oh how it pains my heart to see that picture. We had been staying at Wind Creek but had to come home for a few days. We got word that the boat (which was not tied up when we left) was drifting and needed to be tied up. Some thunderstorms were in the forecast. Chris got in touch with someone who could go by there to make sure it was taken care of. It got tied up alright. Of all the trees on that big ol' lake...

It's totaled. And I'm not even lying when I say I'm mourning the loss of it. Our kids have grown up on that boat. Ok well it's not like they're grown or anything but it's the only boat they've ever known. Bethany was 9 when we got it, Grant was only a year old and I was pregnant with Mac - then of course Reid came along after that. We've had some really great family times on that boat. I know it's just a material thing but it had a lot of sentimental value, and that can never be replaced. Chris and I were talking last night about how we cannot imagine what it must have felt like for the victims of the tornadoes who lost everything. This pales in comparison so it kind of keeps it in perspective. But I'm still sad.

When I was importing the picture of the boat from my iPhone I found a few more pictures I thought were worthy of posting...

Umby and I got to shop for camper stuff at Wal-Mart... ALONE, without boys. Naturally since she was the center of attention it was her turn to ride on the back of the cart.

I mentioned how the boys love to try to catch fish in the lake first thing in the mornings when we camp. Well they were getting a little aggravated this particular morning so they each came up with their own unique way of "fishing."

Bueller waited like a knot on a log (heehee) and said he would swoop in at the right time.

Professor put the bread inside the net and stuck the net down in the water to lure the fish in.

And last but not least Turbo stuck his net in the sand and told me the fish were going to just jump right in.

 

Reid keeping busy during the day while his brothers are away at baseball camp.

...because they obviously can't get enough baseball and maybe because they can't get away with this at baseball camp. :)

Mac's turn to play catcher. Big brother helps out.

What??? That's so worthy of two pictures! ha!

They may not always get along (and don't a lot of the time) but I can guarantee you they are always watching out for each other.

And because I don't want to forget, here are a few things Reid has said this week:

Yesterday he answered me a couple of times with "yes" and "no." I kindly asked him to try to find those manners of his he seemed to have lost. A little while later he was doing a really nice job using his manners so I said, "I'm lovin' those manners, Reid. You must've found them."

He replied, "Yep. I mean, yes ma'am. I did. They was on the couch." :)

As we were driving home from Wind Creek, out of the blue Reid says, "Do you know it's hard to 'wick' [lick] you armpit?"

Why no, Turbo, I guess I've never really thought about it. :)

I would like to say a belated Happy Father's Day to Big Daddy and my daddy who is the best daddy a girl could ever ask for. And also to my husband who is the glue of this family. Your three boys adore you. I love you!

LAZY LAKE DAYS

Sissy kicked back with a magazine taking a break from the heat

S'mores... need I say more?

Trying their best to catch a fish. Those little suckers are fast! But the boys like to go down to the water every morning to try again.

Getting ready to take the jet ski out

Bethany was a trooper and very patient with her brothers, taking them all riding whenever they wanted. Part of riding the jet ski means walking out to it to unhook it. As in your feet touching the bottom of the lake. This grosses her (and me) out to no end. We made a stop by Fred's on our way to Wind Creek for a $1.50 flip flop purchase because she didn't have any shoes with her she could get wet. :) I don't think Bethany has ever been more willing and proud to wear red, white and blue patriotic plastic flip flops in her life. HA!

Naturally the boys wasted no time in setting up a baseball game.

Since we live on a fairly private lot at home without any close neighbors, the boys think it's so cool to have "neighbors" when we camp. We've been blessed to have met some really sweet families. Chris enjoys that part too. He likes weekends best when the park is filled because he likes to socialize. :) I enjoy the social aspect of it as well but prefer weekdays when the busyness of the weekend settles down and it's quiet. 

They've even rubbed off on Sissy and had her wishing she played softball.

Look at little miss city girl with her bare feet running those bases. I'm gonna make an outdoor-loving country girl out of her yet. :) We hated she had to leave. She had cheer obligations she had to get back to. But she claims she loves camping now and can't wait to come back. I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with a certain 15-year-old named Hunter camping right next to us. :) 

Swimming in the rain

FINALLY a fish!

Yes, it's the same fish. If you only knew how hard we worked for that ONE. ;)

With days like those and nights like these...

Who would want summer to end?!?

There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

MEMORIAL DAY 2011; REUNITED WITH BIG COUNTRY

My lack of blogging lately has nothing to do with nothing to blog about and everything to do with so much to blog about that there's no time.

Did that make any sense at all?

Summer is the best and busiest time of the year around here for us. I love it. Love. Love. Love. I think around this time every year I tell Chris I want to pick up and move where it stays warm year-round. Then he brings me back to reality and tells me that Wetumpka, Alabama is where our businesses are established - you know, the businesses that are our livelihood.

Oh. Yeah. Oh well. You can't have it all.

The boys are at VBS this week so I decided to make time to post about our latest happenings. I know I'll regret it if I don't. So...

Memorial Day weekend... It was spent with my husband and my four loves. It doesn't get any better than that.

We kicked off the weekend with some time at home, picking blackberries, grilling out, and swimming.

 And yes, even Umby picked one.

But just one. ;)

We learned a few new tricks too...

We also spent a day on the lake. It was our first this year but definitely not our last.

I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to be sitting beside Chris riding down the lake looking at those four little heads in the front of the boat. :)

 

 

It was a great day - I was feeling especially blessed.

Last week Martha and I became "HysterSisters." :) She joined my mom and me in the surgically-induced-menopause club. Sounds fun, doesn't it?!? Thankfully everything went well, and she is recovering beautifully. While she was out of commission my parents, Dawn and I took turns taking care of GaGa and Mags. We had a lot of fun while they were here. Bethany and the boys always enjoy spending time with their cousins. Mary Lou was my and B's little sidekick and as always, Claire hung right in there with the boys.

 

More tricks.

Don't you all wish you had an "Aint" Dawnie. She's one of the funniest and most fun people I know.

M & M are always up to something:

Nothing says family like a few good chicken fights:

 

Good times.

WE'VE MISSED YOU, BIG COUNTRY!!!

I'm almost ashamed to admit that the last time we used our camper, this is how Reid camped out:

That was four years ago. It has been stored at Chris' parents since then. For one reason or another (or 20) it just never worked out to get it back here to use. Then after it sat for so long (which is not good for a camper), things needed to be fixed, etc. So I've been waiting for this weekend for a long time.

Chris took the camper to Wind Creek Thursday afternoon to have it all set up and ready for us for the weekend. It was well worth the wait because we had an absolute blast. The boys are at a great age for this. It's such great family time. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. The only thing missing was B although she'll tell you she didn't miss much. HA! :)The boys didn't really remember much about it since they were so young so they did their fair share of flipping every switch and opening every cabinet exploring.

Helping daddy

 

We even found colored Tiki torches

 

Time for popcorn, hotdogs and marshmallows:

I think for this one I said something about how the three of them were sitting together all roasting their wieners - they thought that was heelarious - boys!! haha

I think we burned more marshmallows than we ate but we had fun doing it.

If only I could've slept this good...

Of course Turbo couldn't let the weekend come to a close without injury. He fell off the swing hitting the ground with:

His mouth of course. Why is it always his mouth? And no, he's not poking his lip out. It was that swollen. He's a tough cookie, though, because a little ice and TLC later and he was begging his daddy for another ride on the jet ski. 

As much fun as it is, though, it's also a lot of work. Most of which falls on Chris' shoulders. I'm grateful I get to share my life with a man who enjoys spending time with his family and doesn't mind working hard to make sure we get to do just that. I hope we're making memories that our children will remember and talk about years from now.

We had to come back home for a few days to finish out a baseball tournament (post on all that later), but we cannot wait to go back. These are the days!