Summertime is the best time...

I love the weather, I love the green, I love taking the weather for granted. The moderate temps have done nothing good as far as growing veggies goes, but for me it feels great!!!
We had a great week in Mackinaw, missed the Shaw clan....we'll see you soon!!!
We had great birthday parties (yes, multiple) for Bear, who is now 8.
And are enjoying not having to think about putting on coats or slogging through snow for a couple months. I assumed that the reason the hyper-active pace of spring slowed was due to sweltering heat, but apparently I just slow down in the summertime. It is now time to start fall-planting, especially if I want to garden "year-round", but haven't gotten to the store for the necessary seeds. My extent of gardening lately has been picking a little veggies and a ton of crab grass. Also, I officially declare the end of attempting to grow watermelon. Its just starting to vine out now, forget setting fruit, the plants were in hibernation for three months of the summer. When I budget my out my summertime I think I can fit in so much more, and I could if I kept up the spring-time pace. I have not been as successful with the gardening as I imagined though. Also, I think I have to start working out again. I keep slacking until I notice a lag in my energy and force myself back into the 6 am routine.
*~Love Dani~*

"M"

Willow drew this picture and then pointed to that and squiggle and said, "M." And she was right!

TA DAAAAA! She's done!!!

In progress, after day one. After day two!!!! She's done.

Happy Birthday Walker!!!!!

Hey, how'd you get to be 11 already?! I remember when you were 1 1/2 toddling around gramma Chris' house. That does not seem like it could possibly be 9 1/2 years ago.... you kids these day grow up too fast!!! Love you Walker, I hope you have the best 11th birthday ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lost in Translation

Yesterday I was in the yard with the babies and Juneau was in his backpack carrier on the ground while I was sawing some branches. Willow stood near him and was picking fistfulls of grass and throwing them into the air so they would blow into Juneau's face. When I saw it I said to her, "Willow, don't do that. Go do that to Apple" (who was sitting nearby). So Willow walked over to Apple and grabed two big fistfulls of fur and threw them into the air. Oh well. Apple groaned and reluctantly moved to a safer distance.

What We Won't Do For A Blog Post

Our house is getting painted this week for its 100th birthday and when the dude came to check it out last year he pointed to a series of crumbly boards and said that they needed replacing. So we procrastinated the full year until two days before the paint crew comes. It was interesting to see the various kinds of insulation in the old wall here and there. Looks like the first kind was sawdust with oiled paper, then crude fiberglass with big chunks of un-fibered glass in it, then blown in paper pulp, then real-deal fiberglass. It all reminded me of Steve and Linsey's horse hair insulation in Newburyport. I think there used to be a door to the right of the window at one point.

Anyways, it went well.

Willow pronounces TR like "F"...

Which makes conversations about trucks especially interesting.

Mammoth Cave!

The Nelsons and Hermans teamed up to dominate Mammoth Caves National Park this weekend.

Bear was in hog heaven with Spencer and Lucas around. We happened to share the campground with 20 some boy scouts. It was kiddemonium.


On the tour bus to the cave entrance.


At the beginning of the tour we wound down an impossibly narrow and steep and random staircase down some crazy cave shaft. I was holding Willow and the rails were waist high. When I looked over the rails and down I could see the stairs switchbacking down back and forth for about a hundred feet. It looked fake and I could not believe that the federal government trusted people to walk through it.



Willow and Eli hit it off and got impossibly filthy together. Five minutes out of the car and she looked like a street urchin with dirt smeared face and snarled leaf-filled hair. It was great!

Happy Birthday Kadence!!!!

Happy 4th Birthday to you

Happy 4th birthday to you
Happy 4th Birthday Dear Kadence
Happy 4th Birthday to you
....and many more!!!!

Last Weekend

Last weekend we went up to Mackinac where Kevin and Danielle were in an arts and crafts show. We all had a lot of fun. I was dad-on-the-spot with the kids with lots of help from Mom and Cheryl. Oh, and Bear and I even got to go see Dad teach Sunday School.

Here are the babies washing up in the apartment.

We all walked into town and back craptons of times. Lots of walking that weekend. Willow loves Walker and he was a great help.

Here are Bear and Walker learning about archaic military ballistic systems.