father son bonding?

and yeah, that's a 10 foot ladder, not a 6...

it should be noted...isaac made it up there by himself for the most part

i loathe mosquitoes

he was outside for no more than 10 minutes!  by the time i saw the welts on his face and got him inside, he had five bites swelling on his cheeks, side of his face, and one on each eyelid.  just when i was beginning to think it was cooling off and the mosquitoes were leaving...

that's exactly how i would feel, bud...

the next day, they swelled even more.  the poor kid was such a trooper though!  he didn't mess with them at all which amazes me!  and he even took some good naps despite his crazy swollen eyes!  i felt so bad for him, every time i looked at him.  we joked he was our own little Rocky!  today, i'm grateful to report, the swelling is down and the bites are subsiding.

girls' day getting haircuts

elise did so well today.  it was her second real haircut, but her first time actually getting shampooed and everything.  she was awesome!  here's the photo recap of the day :)

not a waste of time

if these are an encouragement to others, wonderful.  but i have to admit, i'm posting them simply so i will not forget the truth that lies in these words...these are from the girl talk blog.

"I think I find most help in trying to look on all the interruptions and hindrances to work that one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials sent by God to help one against getting selfish over one's work. Then one can feel that perhaps one's true work--one's work for God--consists in doing some trifling haphazard thing that has been thrown into one's day. It is not a waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the most important part of the work of the day--the part one can best offer to God. After such a hindrance, do not rush after the planned work; trust that the time to finish it will be given sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it."

~Annie Keary, 1825-1879 (qtd in Keep a Quiet Heart, p. 9)

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered."

~G.K. Chesterton

visit with grace & miss julia

last week, three of us and our kids got to visit our dear friend julia and her daughter, grace.  julia holds such a special place in my heart.  there are just some people that you connect with quickly, and can bridge the gaps of distance and time each time you talk or get together.  she has been so faithful to always speak truth into my life and point me back to the gospel and Jesus, no matter what...even in her own struggles.  we miss you, friend!  but i am simply grateful God did not call you guys further away :)

here we are braving the heat of one of the last hot summer days, on the playground.

then it was so sweet to watch the girls play together in grace's room.  it looked like a slumber party and i had flashbacks of my younger days just watching them.

to add to a great day, we also received some lamps from my friend, that she painted herself.  she's been kind enough to hold on to them for me for quite some time now.  julia, thank you, and here are some of them!  three are now bringing new (and much needed) light to the kids' room!  i love them!

before-bed-fun

not sure what you all do before bed time, but we play with magnifying glasses...

wrestle until our we're sweating and our bellies hurt...

saunter around and find things to climb...

and eventually wind down and read books.  our evening routine is one i cherish and trust our children will always remember with smiles.

papa's birthday

to celebrate papa's birthday, we ate like crazy!  it started with justin's homemade fish and chips and followed with charlotte's homemade ice cream sandwiches.  we were stuffed!!  and of course, papa had a birthday crown to wear, compliments of elise :)  (she, however, did not want to sit and help blow out the candles until the last minute)

waiting for the ice cream truck

we have never actually gotten anything from the ice cream truck...but since calling it the "music truck" all last summer, elise has grown to love the sound of it and watching it drive by (often stopping at one or both of our neighbor's houses).  when the music starts, she will make a bee line for the window and of course, isaac follows suit.  so here they are in their evening ritual.  but of course this night was even better because of her rain boot attire :)