Hair cut!

 Sophia and I had fun at Cost Cutters this morning.

Friday--Moweaqua Fun

 We visited Grandma Helen today.  It's always nice to spend time at her house with her. 

 Samuel and Philip had fun with the dominoes.

Sophia did my hair and got a comb stuck in it.  I thought I was going to have to cut it out and come home to Jess with a new style.  I did get it out though.  Whew!

In the afternoon, we headed over to Phil and Mary's.  The kids enjoyed the pool and we ate a yummy dinner of mush and eggs!

Thursday

 We spent some time outside early this morning, playing frisbee in the shade in the alley, reading our current novel and listening to Samuel read Jack and the Beanstalk.  Afterward, we were sweaty so we headed indoors to color.  During coloring, Samuel found a recipe in his Superheroes coloring book for Black Cat Cookies.  He asked if we could make them.  I thought for a moment, then said, "yes, let's go to the store" for the ingredients we didn't have.  The kids did a great job making them, with Samuel reading it himself--he doesn't like me to look at the recipe.  However, he thought 1/2 cup of oil meant 1 and a 1/2 cups.  So, off I went to the store again to make this a triple batch of cookies!  :)  Funny!

 playing in the pool while Alana and I do our Bible study

fish that Phil caught and Alana cooked  :)  Super yummy!  Thanks, Mary, for that tasty batter mix.

Graduation Day!

Pearly's School

Pearl played school with the cousins all month so it seemed natural to her to give her students a graduation ceremony for all their "hard work"!  (She made the hats and diplomas.  Inside the diplomas, she wrote, "Good job, Henry", "Good job, Philip" and so on.  Clint was commissioned to provide the graduation music via his iPad.)  Turn up the volume to hear the video.  The kids are so cute.  Philip said he wouldn't come out because he had "stage fright" and Sophia refused to wear her hat but chose sunglasses instead. I don't know how Pearl continually got this crew to follow her like ducks in a row around the house and yard on field trips and off to conduct science experiments.   She even had them doing all sorts of worksheets--some of them she made herself!

The cousins

Summer 2011

Sophia, Philip, Samuel, Pearl, Harper, Calvin, Henry

Summer fun!--Wednesday

 Sophia was pumping her legs a bit.

 The boys discovered that Philip's Lego Fire Rescue Boat actually floats!

 We spent all day outside, in and out of the pool.  I would make us take little rests here  and read the kids a chapter or two from our book.

 Philip fell asleep.

 Sophia decorated Philip.

When we came home after church tonight, Herb and Linda had set these lanterns (lit) in the yard in various places for the kids!  So sweet of them.

Tuesday

 We got together with some new friends from church.  We'd seen each other's families at church in passing but then on Monday, we got chatting at the McDonald's playplace and decided to hang out on Tuesday!  Us Moms had a great time chatting and Samuel, Philip and Alex (6) really played well together.  Sophia and Andrew (also 3-a month younger than Sophia) bounded through their house and the indoor play ground all afternoon, hand in hand often, just chatty and exuberant.  Sophia took no time to warm up to her friend.  They hit it off right away and tore off through the house to try on old Halloween costumes, even playing outside with Andrew after we went in a while.  This was so nice to have her feeling comfortable and not shy. When she hurt her knee at the play ground (very minor!) Andrew was concerned and came to get me!  Such a sweet little boy!

Here, she and Andrew are putting the bag of ice from our sack lunch on eachother (and us!).

 When we got home, we had a couple hours before 4-H, so I bribed the kids with pop-ice if they would play in the pool!  It worked!  They were crazy for over an hour out there and even ate their dinner out there while Jess and I enjoyed a quiet meal!

man trip :)

 Jess, Clint, Samuel, Philip and Cal took a little road trip on the way to pick Mary and Sarah up from the airport.  They went to Greenville College (where Jess graduated from) and to the Arch in St. Louis.

 Clint said he thinks that the McDonalds playplace was the highlight of the trip.

 rolling down the hill

 pointing at the arch

Assumption, IL

Summer fun 2011

 birdcage candle at Grandpa Jimmie's

 Harper kissing Mia through the glass

 Mud mania with Cal, Logan and Philip

 Auntie Cheryl letting Harper play with the "off-limits" cats--don't look Grandma Mary!

 Sophia helping her Auntie Sarah make Snickerdoodles!

 ice cream!

 Harper and Grandpa Jimmie

 Uncle Clint with his sweet Sophia niece :)

Pearl and Samuel doing "schoolwork".  Pearl made the kids workbooks.

Grandma Helen's House/Teepee

 Harper with her Mama :)

 Lovely Anna and her new computer

 Harper giving kisses to Grandma :)

 Teepee building this morning

 Philip and Harper cruising on the gator

 Phil and Larry getting some sweet corn out of the garden

 Sophia is very proud of her new driving skills

 Cal working on the teepees.  Way to go Cal!

cartoons at Grandma's--CABLE!