And Now.....an announcement

 Bre and the kids came over to play today. I bought some pretty new red kids chairs and while Bre was over she hoped to catch some photos. 

Annie - 16 months 

Gideon - 3 years old 

Bella - 4 years old 

Bella, Gideon, Annie 

G Dog plays on the trampoline with Bella and Gideon. 

Growing seedlings  - taking the tables in at night....

Fishing, Catching Bad Guys & Gardening

 I am trying to "catch up" the blog...posting from the vantage point of August 2022. While the stories may have no interest for readers, the photos lost during this season of not blogging are precious to us....so expect lots of photos from the end of 2020. 

Stacia and I are always happy to play with the grandblessings. Today, we headed over to CoRielle's. Benny showed us this dock on a lake...and we pretended to be fishing. 

Benny - 2 1/2 years 

We walked down to the neighborhood park and rolled down the hill a couple of times. 

Played games...

Played in sand (back at the park). 

Stacia - 14 3/4...Benny 2 1/2

Benny's favorite - chasing bad guys on the way back home. 

Back at home Alex was making garden beds. Grandpa enjoys being in the middle of the activity. 

We've already planted these little beds, though we've been told not to plant this early. 

I found free garage doors being given away. Michael and Alex figured out how to add end pieces and make great garden beds. The one in the back was the prototype. 

Dad does not enjoy doctor visits via zoom. It's the way of 2020. I find it hard to believe he is getting a good sleep evaluation over the computer as well. 

Bike Rides

 I spent many, many happy hours this spring and summer walking....

and when Stacia reminded us she would like a bike...well....we had promised her a new one when we moved and hadn't made it happen to date. Michael found a sale, got her a bike...

and I knew just the route for us to explore on our bike rides. It's much nice riding down the hills than walking down the hills. 

This is a sugar free funnel cake Krista created. We have re-created it a few times since she made it for her class via zoom. LOL 

Mother's Day 2020

 This was our first FAMILY gathering since Dad's birthday celebration in March - before the Covid lockdown.  It was so nice to have everyone together again.  Krista made me a fun chicken face covering....

Dad found some steak on sale. He began talking about buying steak and having everyone over last week. This morphed into him buying the steak for Mother's Day. The steak was 50% off.  We invited everyone over and set up in the backyard - keeping with the outdoor mandates on gatherings. 

 

There was plenty of food - and it was all good. 

It was pure joy to simply spend time with each other after the long spring spent apart. 

Jamin, Krista, Stacia, Cy and Nolan 

Jamin, Krista, Stacia, Bre & Annie

Dad got Cory and Cy to help him bring out the orchids he'd purchased for each of us girls - to include Krista and Stacia. 

Izaak, Gideon, Michael and Arielle

Yes, we ate...we also played yard games and helped get the last of the big, dead tree moved from where it had fallen. 

Nolan and Benny

A fun highlight of this day is the baby bumps Bre and Arielle are starting to sport. They are due within a week of each other in November. Alex, Jamin, Arielle and I played a rousing game of croquet - making up rules as we went. 

All this excitement for coming in next to last. 

Even the moose came to celebrate. 

It was a great day, made even more meaningful because of the time we've been apart.