Random July Tidbits

Ah, here is a space to bring July to a restful end. You'll find photos of Gherkins out and about which I've not yet blogged.  Random thoughts and tidbits from July. 

Melia got acrylic nails before our trip to ID in June. She ended up getting them before Akemi's graduation in May....and they lasted much longer than expected! She paid for her nails as I didn't consider them essential and I'd already paid for a boat load of things in May/June (clothes, pedicures, plane tickets, braces, haircuts, eyebrow waxing....) They would have been about $100 to put on...but she decided she needed EACH nail to have a different bit of artwork...so that was another $22.50. I paid the tip as she'd forgotten to account for that expense. Actually, she has been raised you don't tip unless a really good job is performed. I asked if she thought the gal had done a really good job, I thought she'd done great. She had earned a big tip.  All that to say - these nails cost but they lasted much longer than expected. They lasted through May and June. She wasn't doing a lot of dishes and such, but she was living life and still they lasted. Volleyball camp started. I suggested she may want to remove them as it would hurt to have such long nails....she didn't. It hurt. She was ready to remove them but refused to go back to pay to have them removed. ::snort:: We googled, borrowed Michael's cache of chemicals and figured out how to remove them ourselves. I was pretty proud of us. 

The garden is struggling this year. From the start I knew Michael wouldn't be able to help, and I was determined to focus on the beds I planted and not worry about the mutant weeds in the rest of the "Garden plot."  Then the free range chickens and moose decided to eat all the cauliflower and here they decimated all the cabbage.  I was still limping along in the garden and then we had 10 days of rain in a row. . . in the end we've had the rainiest July recorded.  I have lots of lettuce, a bit of kale and potatoes are doing well. The animals have eaten the rest or the rain and cold wheather. 

first zucchini

OF COURSE, we went and saw Toy Story 5....Melia and I, Bre, Arielle and their kids and Nolan. Nostalgia. 

Noah successfully completed his first year of soccer. 

Jared and his team

Michael and the boys used to hike out to a forestry cabin at Red Shirt and fish for pike. Cory and Jared carry the tradition forward with the next generation. It's a 3-mile hike, a canoe ride and then sleeping primitive for a couple of nights. They all had a blast!

Jared, Benny, Danny, Noah and Cory in the back

Noah's first fish

Benny, Danny, Cory 

A flaming marshmallow - so many memories of camping with the Bowers! LOL 

This month brought the discovery that Charles is allergic to bumble bees, wasps and hornets. 

Melia and I made it a goal to hike a bunch of new trails. This one - we didn't hike. There were many ways we felt this trail could kill us - to include recent bear maulings. 

Preparing for upcoming travel

Tuckered out 

CoRielle and all the kids made it for the last trail in the Trail challenge! 

These girls are off for a July adventure...Mall of America, Forrest Frank Concert and NYC. 

Ellie loves sunny days

Uncle Jamin came to town

July 28th - we settled in to watch short films Allie and Ash participated in making and we viewed their photos from the past week and a half. 

The girls first visit to the Great Lakes. 

Cory took these boys dip netting

Bre & Arielle celebrated the end of the library summer reading program. 

Bella stays cool with her personal purchase

Yum! Traveling vicariously through the girls. 

Well, there are a few other photos I am trying to load that refuse to load....so we'll call this the end of July. LOL I recognize there are no pictures of Alex, Krista, Nolan or Stacia here - they were all busy working away the month. 

 As is often the case if the photo isn't watermarked it was sent or harvested from the elder Gherkins with much thanks! 

Monday in July

 Allie and Ash made a day trip to Seward today. They have been trying to see as much as they can while Ashton is here. We feel like we are in summer 2.0 with nice weather the past few days.  Stacia worked. The rest of us puttered around, did some house cleaning, shopping - stuff like that. 

I sent an invite to Jamin and Nolan to join us for a later Chicken Pot Pie dinner. Allie, Ash and Stacia all made it home and we enjoyed being together. 

We topped the evening off with a campfire. Jamin leaves for Florida tomorrow. He promises to be back in 6 -7 months. 

Check out Nolan's eye - the results of he and Jared's collision at Family Gathering. 

July's Family Gathering

 We do not usually have a family gathering out here at the house in July. We are typically dip netting during this time.  Michael's back surgery robbed us of dip netting this year. Some of us just don't have the heart to do the whole trip without Josiah. Others of us are ready to do it next year. We will see what it looks like. 

However, THIS JULY, we had a big gathering. AND...before we gather, someone has to tame a bit of the yard. Melia has been volunteering to do the yard. I don't think she knew how much work it was. LOL Michael was cleared to ride around on the mower. He did that in the general areas, I did the weed eating and edging, Melia did the orchard...and we'll finish the rest "later." I just weed eat until I've used all 4 batteries up and then I call it quits. LOL 

Papa and Noah

A sad word about our young orchard - we lost 4 trees last winter. There wasn't enough snow to insulate them from the cold temps. I don't have the heart to plant more...but we need to do something. 

We don't have any birthdays to celebrate in July and KrUke are in Okinawa so it's hard to celebrate their anniversary here...BUT this is Allie's last family gathering before she goes back to VA AND Jamin and Ash are here as well.  Reason to celebrate. We kept the focus on people rather than food and just had a "bring your own pizza" bash. LOL

It was a GORGEOUS day! We did all the things...kiddy cars, visiting, gaga ball, water fights and water play, trampoline, slides and swings...

Of course Ellie can do it too!  

It wouldn't be a family game without a few bumps and bruises! 

Nolan is going to have a shiner, and Jared's jaw is popping...

Over in this corner - water play and balloon fight! 

Trudy and Noah 

Oh my heart! This little man is a delight. We are going to miss him when he reunites with his family. He moved in with BreZak around the time Melia moved in with us. 

A little break for Pastor Cory. 

Keeper of all things sports like

At some point in the evening, I left to take GG home. When I came back the house was quiet. Ash and Allie have been visiting as much of Alaska as they can. They went to climb the Butte. What a great way to end a busy day! 

This one looks like Hatcher's Pass - I'm not sure! It showed up with the Gathering photos. LOL 

Game Night at BreZak's

Bre invited us to her home for games. We were happy to go. It was my chance to catch up with Jamin. I missed him on Tuesday night. He looks great - tired but great. 

Trudy, Annie, Melia, Me, Jojo, Gideon, Nolan and Bella 

Jamin and Trudy 

Michael & Jared

Tali has an interesting take on Shark Attack. 

And then Annie and Trudy brought out Pretty, Pretty Princess....

Ash surrounded by kids

It was a fun evening. Bre commented she should have done this sooner. Agreed. LOL It's was extra special have Jamin, Ash and Allie home to join the festivities. We won't consider just yet what it says about the summer that Jamin and Ash are here.... shhh. Denial is a good thing.