The first Tuesday of June is our last Bible study night for the summer. Each year I ask why we have to take a break because "I don't have a life!" As I have done for the last several years I said those five little words on that fateful Tuesday evening.....and I literally did not breathe for the next seven weeks!! I have felt as though there was not a moment of down time to be had. And then when I did find a moment of down time it wasn't really down time.....there was a garden to take care of, weeds to pull, some canning to be done, a house to clean, clothes to iron. The list could go on and on. Throw into that a little boy who wants to play cars, build tracks, play with stuffed animals, take a bike ride, go swimming. And at my advanced age none of this is easy!
We had a wonderful visit with my brother and nephew in July. Right before he got here the renters in my dad's house contacted my sister to say they had found boxes of things that we might want to see. A box with four mugs, very old mugs with the Duncan name and seal on them! Two boxes of oil lamps. Some very old that we know had lit our grandparents houses from probably the early 30's. A pair of wooden shoes that my dad found in, what he called, a lagoon in Holland when he was stationed in Germany in 1962. He or grandma had a lot of foresight to put that information on them. Missing slides! Some of which I hope might be Annette's missing birthdays. A box with several of the cartoon drawings of dad while he was in the service. His dog tags. A box that had some of Lance's report cards from grade school. There is a cute story about Lance and school. While we attended Salem Private he had a teacher one year named Miss Lewis. Lance called her mean old Miss Lewis and had our mom convinced that she was a crochety old lady who should no longer be working with children. At the first parent teacher meeting mom met a sweet young lady. And though Miss Lewis praised Lance in these report cards his grades were slightly sub par. Interestingly enough, the next year, and a different teacher, and his grades picked up quite a bit. Maybe there was something to his complaints? Also in that box was a hand print of Lance's when he was seven years old. Liam's hand went to the edges of that plate! At four his prints are much bigger than Lance's were at seven! But I think the most treasured thing we were given was the answering machine with Dad's greeting on it. After almost two years we can now hear our dad's voice again. Craig is planning on making copies of it. This is something we don't want just one copy of. I imagine my brother will be asking for custody of the answering machine at some point. I suppose I will have to share.
So, because of how busy I have been I have neglected my blog. I have said that before haven't I? And I will try to be better.....that rings a bell as well. I can only try. With the garden coming on and canning picking up. Swim lessons, piano lessons, fun at the river, gardening, cleaning, play dates....I can only do the best I can. So many of my favorite blogs to read right now are in that position. So I am not alone.
Here are a few pictures taken in the last couple months.
We had a wonderful visit with my brother and nephew in July. Right before he got here the renters in my dad's house contacted my sister to say they had found boxes of things that we might want to see. A box with four mugs, very old mugs with the Duncan name and seal on them! Two boxes of oil lamps. Some very old that we know had lit our grandparents houses from probably the early 30's. A pair of wooden shoes that my dad found in, what he called, a lagoon in Holland when he was stationed in Germany in 1962. He or grandma had a lot of foresight to put that information on them. Missing slides! Some of which I hope might be Annette's missing birthdays. A box with several of the cartoon drawings of dad while he was in the service. His dog tags. A box that had some of Lance's report cards from grade school. There is a cute story about Lance and school. While we attended Salem Private he had a teacher one year named Miss Lewis. Lance called her mean old Miss Lewis and had our mom convinced that she was a crochety old lady who should no longer be working with children. At the first parent teacher meeting mom met a sweet young lady. And though Miss Lewis praised Lance in these report cards his grades were slightly sub par. Interestingly enough, the next year, and a different teacher, and his grades picked up quite a bit. Maybe there was something to his complaints? Also in that box was a hand print of Lance's when he was seven years old. Liam's hand went to the edges of that plate! At four his prints are much bigger than Lance's were at seven! But I think the most treasured thing we were given was the answering machine with Dad's greeting on it. After almost two years we can now hear our dad's voice again. Craig is planning on making copies of it. This is something we don't want just one copy of. I imagine my brother will be asking for custody of the answering machine at some point. I suppose I will have to share.
So, because of how busy I have been I have neglected my blog. I have said that before haven't I? And I will try to be better.....that rings a bell as well. I can only try. With the garden coming on and canning picking up. Swim lessons, piano lessons, fun at the river, gardening, cleaning, play dates....I can only do the best I can. So many of my favorite blogs to read right now are in that position. So I am not alone.
Here are a few pictures taken in the last couple months.
Here is Liam and three of his little friends back in June. Due to an influx of small children they were promoted out of the little service into the big service. They were each given a bag with a new big Bible, a box of crayons, a coloring book and a tablet. It is not easy to sit through the service when you are four years old! Oh, he is the same age as the twins standing next to him. Such a big boy!
Heading out for a bike ride. The ties? you may ask? That is so everyone will know that he is Liam. And now since everyone knows that he is Liam he has taken them off.
Some of the over 4 pounds of cherries we got this year. The Rainier were scrumptious!
These were all taken in June...the apples are bigger and redder, the blueberries are done after giving me just over ten pounds! The grapes are loaded and getting bigger every day! I will have an updated garden post soon...I promise!
I will now leave you with a Liamism: You may think that at this point I have enough to give you several but the fact is that when something cute does happen or is said I often times am not near paper to write it down, or at least that is how it has been lately, though I have been known to write and drive if it is too priceless to risk forgetting! But here is a cute one from last month. Like I have mentioned before, he is always asking me to play with him. On this particular day when he asked I said 'come sit on the couch and let me kiss and cuddle you' "NO Mommy! That's not play, that's love!" Have you ever noticed how much time a four year old boy does NOT have for love!?
I will now leave you with a Liamism: You may think that at this point I have enough to give you several but the fact is that when something cute does happen or is said I often times am not near paper to write it down, or at least that is how it has been lately, though I have been known to write and drive if it is too priceless to risk forgetting! But here is a cute one from last month. Like I have mentioned before, he is always asking me to play with him. On this particular day when he asked I said 'come sit on the couch and let me kiss and cuddle you' "NO Mommy! That's not play, that's love!" Have you ever noticed how much time a four year old boy does NOT have for love!?