Gorgeous Weather

Since before school started we've had weeks and weeks of beautiful, sunny, warm days. Days that make you want to be outside and soaking up some sun. Days that make you feel good. The whole summer actually has been cool and lovely. Mostly too cool to swim, but it's been great to only use air conditioning about 1 month out of 4.

I don't have much yard work to do this fall. Usually I buy a lot of on sale plants, but the stores don't have much this year or what they do have, I already have. Picked gourds and small pumpkins, carrots. Raspberries are blooming - all 3 plants; strawberries are sending out hundreds of runners.

The house is mostly staying clean - which makes me very happy. I am driving kids places constantly. It is not unusual for me to make 6 trips from the house/day. Carpooling is not working well this year, as I have kids to pick up as well as drop off at dance and though "you drive-and I pick up" is a fair sharing, asking someone to drop off and also pick up a different one of my children, is not. L will be driving by next fall and then this task will also lighten.

The kids are so happy with the DVR - which records and saves tv shows. Good thing we didn't know it existed before, because now it is a vital necessity for some people - and I do admit I like the ability to see So You Think You Can Dance even though I have to work that evening.

The reason I'm writing today is no so much that I have something to say, but that I have a chance to write. It's early Sunday morning and I've got laundry started (which didn't get done as we went shopping) and tea brewing and I'm all alone - priceless, as MasterCard would say. And that's what's also wonderful about the weather -it's there every day, free for the taking and most days it's a wonderful day, a mood improver. When I get bogged down with too much work or anger that things aren't going my way, stepping out into nature is my relaxer.

M.H.

L.

Here's 2 more of L.
M.H.

M.

Here are some photos of M.
MH

More Photo Shoot Photos

Some were taken by Joanne, but many were taken by the kids. They are good photographers. I'm trying to catch up!
MH

Photo shoot

While we were visiting my mom, Uncle Mel took the kids out and had them model and take photos of each other. They all shot some good photos. Here are some examples.
MH

What's new?

We have a new kitten - Bitzey, I think is how M is spelling it. She's over 2 months old. She loves to be wherever Nibbles is. They do a lot of wrestling. Nibbles likes it as much as she does, but he does get annoyed with her constant attention. She's also taken to running out the door when it's opened. She's a lot of fun.

L had her first driving lessons around the farm and out on the highway. The road is closed at my parent's house do to construction, so with little traffic, it was a good time to get out on the highway. We really need to start practice driving regularly.
MH

Garden

OK, I brag about the kids all the time, but I also have to brag about my garden. Here's some photos to show what I've accomplished. Bit by bit I keep adding and eventually I'll have the yard full.