Salamanders!

Today we headed up to the mountains with friends. We went in search of salamanders! The kids found lots of crawdads, snails, and salamanders. They had a fun time looking for them. Also, the walk to the falls was pretty fun. On our way to a picnic area, we saw a bear...that was pretty exciting. The best part was spending some quality time with friends. My friend Emily took these pics today....

Proverbs

We've been trying to read a chapter of Proverbs every night with the boys before bed. We got the idea from Ted Tripp's Instructing Your Child's Heart. It's been amazing how much the boys get out of it. There are some verses we just read and don't talk about right now. But, a lot of them can easily apply to their lives. It also gives us a chance to talk about how we (Chad and I) struggle with things and how great God's grace is.

Well, last night Chad was reading Proverbs 15. He reads "only a fool despises his parents discipline". Ethan says,"What does despise mean?". I say , "It means hates". He gets a really serious look on his face and lets out a little gasp and says, "Ewwww....I think I might be in trouble there."

It was so funny! He's such a cute kid and very insightful. While it was funny...it was also really cool to watch him think about God's Word and take it seriously. Also, he was thinking about how it applies to his life. God's Word is relevant no matter where we are in life.

Finally....A Picture of "Fred the Magic Man"

Fred the Magic Man is Luke's friend. Luke talks about Fred ALL THE TIME. One day I asked Luke if Fred was real or pretend and he got really sad and said he was pretend. So, I just started asking him questions about him and he was so happy. I'm not quite sure how to handle it so we just go along with it. Luke has such a vivid imagination and I know God made him that way for a reason. So...what we know about Fred is...he lives in a magic house, he has no hair, he has a magic hat, he is 10 years old and he never gets any older, he has magic underwear, he has been to Mexico but doesn't speak very good english.....I could go on and on. Everyday, we hear new things. I asked Luke to draw a picture of him and this is what we got.

Hot Summer Days!

It has been SO hot here lately. It's almost unbearable to be outside without being in the water. We had some friends over today so I set up a little sprinkler for the kids. The put it under the zipline and then rode right through it. They had a blast. Well, all except for Luke. He likes to be in control of the water so he doesn't get sprayed in the face...and he wasn't. So, he mostly stood in the shade and watched. We did have one injury on the trampoline...but, other than that it was an awesome day!

Ethan

This guy is awesome! As he would say...he "must have eaten some crazy flakes today". :o) He is full of funny little sayings and keeps us cracking up. He's so sweet....he's the best big brother and cousin. He can also aggravate his little brother better than anyone else....I think he might take a LITTLE joy in doing that. He's such a smart, intuitive kid. I'm so blessed to be his "mama". He's in a stage right now where he wants to hug and cuddle, which, is unusual for him, so I'm trying to soak it up all I can. He's growing up too fast!

Luke

Luke's outside on our porch playing with his construction set...singing his little heart out. It's so cute...he sings all the time....as loud as he can. He sings the ABC's, A You're Adorable..but, mostly Jingle Bells. Love that little guy!

Hiking~Spruce Flat Falls

Today the boys and I took a hike to Spruce Flat Falls. It was a beautiful day for it. It was a nice trail and just long enough for the boys. We were definitely worn out at the end of it though.

Ethan found several salamanders, but, daddy's gonna have to teach him how to catch them...I'm sure not going to!

These moths were everywhere...for some reason they liked Ethan's boot.

Water and snack break.

Our Day

After a busy weekend, we had a great day at home. We did go have breakfast with a friend, but, then came home and stayed in the rest of the day. It was a nice break. Ethan played with his legos. He did a couple different sets. He got some pretty cool ones for his birthday. Luke played with their toy soldiers for a long time. They got them in Williamsburg....it's really cute watching him kill all of the soldiers by running over them with the horse. Meanwhile, I was baking, baking, baking. I kept having to mill more grain because I was baking so much. I made 5 loaves of bread, peanut butter banana bread, oatmeal maple bread, and maple cookies. Our house smelled so good today! Tomorrow...it's a hike in the mountains.

Remember

Yesterday we went with my mom, my sister, and the kids to my grandfather's grave. We wanted to teach our kids what Memorial Day is really about. So, we decided to honor my grandpa. He fought in the Korean war and I remember that it affected him for the rest of his life. He sacrificed a lot. I'm so thankful for those who have given so much to defend our country....all the way back to those who fought for our independence from Britain. We spent last year in school teaching the kid's about American history and all the great men and women who have made America what it is. I love to teach about our history. I think I'm going to have to make myself teach something else this coming year. :o)

Yesterday was moving. Chad got the kids together and told them about my grandpa, Conrad. They watched as my mom cried and we all took time to remember him. Even though they never met him, they can be proud to know they had a grandfather like him.