Summer Happenings

So, alot has happened this summer. In June the twins turned 10, and in July the girls had their birthdays. One turned 3 and two days before that her sister was born. My mom came and stayed for a couple of weeks, which is always nice. We went swimming and tried to keep cool, which actually wasn't too hard, since this summer has been alot wetter and cooler than previous ones.

Baby Christina was born here at home, like her big sister, who has had to adjust to not being the baby anymore. In fact, she sat and watched baby be born, and likes to hold her and tries to be a big helper. She still has her moments, not surprisingly.

We've been working in our garden, doing better than last year, I think, taking into consideration that this year I was pregnant most of the summer and very hot. We got quite a few tomatoes, peppers, and will have some winter squash and potatoes by end of season.

A couple of weeks ago, Victor's dad and step-mom came and visited us for a couple of days while they were on vacation. The kids had great fun doing stuff with them, and we all enjoyed their visit. I didn't get any pictures of their visit, but they did and sent us a few.

The last few weeks, we have been eating and eating and canning, and freezing lots and lots of lovely peaches that a wonderful friend from church has growing at their house. They were having trouble keeping up with all the fruit, so invited us to take some. We went out and picked a bunch after they had already given us several boxes. So by the time we are through, by my estimate we will have eaten or processed about 250-300 lbs of peaches. We only weighed one box and that one was almost 60 lbs, and then we had several other smaller boxes, and a bunch in bags that probably could have filled the big box up at least 2-3 more times. So it was alot.

Anyway, thats what we have been up to lately. We started school as well, and have slowly been picking up speed with that, adding stuff in and figuring out what works. Victor went off to Moab to work for a few weeks, so we have had some attitude adjustments to make this week, but hopefully that will improve some in the coming weeks.

Here are some pictures of our summer for you to enjoy!

John working on writing.

Josh and Jeffrey working on their workbooks.

At the pond

More at the pond

water guns at the pond

Swimming, pulling out duckweed

Fun in the duckweed

Jeffrey swimming

Baby Christina and Sarah looking on

Sarah watching the baby

Our squash plants

Tomato and pepper plants

Spending time with Grandpa metal detecting

Grandma and Grandpa

              Canning peaches

Christina 1 month old.

Sarah 4 weeks old, 3 years ago

     These two could be twins.

Vacation Pictures

Last month we went to Texas for a couple of weeks for the wedding of some dear friend's. They had invited my siblings and I to do the music for it, so we got to spend time together with my family. It was a lot of fun and the kids enjoyed playing with their cousin and her baby sister who we met for the first time. Here are some pictures of the beautiful weather and the family.

The whole family eating lunch one day. My brother Jon was taking the picture.

Mom and sister Tiff and I fixing a meal.

All the kids helping grandpa haul brush to the burn pile with the pickup.

All of the kids loved to sit on the couch and watch uncle Jon and grandpa play games.

All of the kids had to take a try at being a tortoise with grandma's tortoise shell.

The kids all got to take a ride on the horses, so they were waiting and watching from the fence while aunt Tiff and grandma got them saddled.

Even cousin Emily took a ride.

Sarah riding the 'hosee'.

Even grandpa and Uncle Jon got to ride.

We practiced for the wedding.

Baby Amber practiced too!

Sabbath we all went to church. . . 

And took an afternoon walk around the lake.

Sunday was the wedding. All the cousins together waiting for the wedding. Except for baby who was with her mommy.

The girls all together before the wedding.

My brother and I.

My sister and my mom.

After the wedding with sparklers to see the bride and groom off.

Trying to get pictures in the bluebonnets, while staying clear of the fire ants.

Finally, all the cousins in the bluebonnets, Amber and Sarah are upset.

After pictures, we went swimming in the lake. Nice and cool, just cold enough to not stay in too long. The kids played in the playground most of the time, while mom, my brother Jon, my sister Tiff and I swam and played in the lake.

After swimming, waiting to go to lunch.

After lunch we found a nice patch of bluebonnets and stopped to take pictures.

This time, all babies cooperated. And we got some nice ones.

Screen time, addictions and motivations.

So, screen time has been an issue in our house lately. Too much of it, in other words. This links in with addictions and motivations, as well. 

Vic and I are addicted to our screens. Him, games and videos; me, Facebook and other forums. It seems like the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing at night. To remedy, this I have been making sure that if I pick up my iPad, especially in the morning or evening, that the first thing I do is read the Bible, or one of the other books I have on it. Also, I have my Bible by the bed instead of the iPad, and some books from the library in the living room, so I've been spending more time reading those instead of getting on the Internet.

I've joined a facebook exercise challenge and since the weather is nice, Sarah has been wanting to ride in her stroller, so we have been getting out more and getting a lot of exercise. Going to the park helps too. Feeling better now, because of the exercise, as well as morning sickness having moved on finally, has been helpful in getting me off my butt, off the iPad, and into doing some spring cleaning.

See how they are all related? Making the effort to change my bad habits and replacing them with good ones, has raised more motivation to get more done and helped me be a bit less lazy. I'm still working on that part, though.

Part of my motivation to stick with getting more exercise is wanting to have a good healthy body to push this baby girl out later this summer. Plus, I feel better.

Anyway, that's all for now.