A little bit of this, a little bit of that

and lots and lots more of that other summer type stuff.  That's what we've been up to around here lately.

{swimming at Memaw's}

With cousins, of course!

{Visiting with out-of-town family}

Gobs and gobs and gobs Alot of dear visitng family!

If only

2 wooden blocks

we're all that was needed

to keep each & every one of us

happily occupied

for an entire afternoon.

{Swimming lessons}

Okay, so most of these are actually pictures of my little guy, gal and I as we waited for my 3 oldest girls to finish their evening lessons one fine day. My little man and I did a class together each morning for 2 weeks. It was so much fun and he has shown significant improvement! All of my kids have!

Okay, there is a smile in there, somewhere.  I just know there is.

Aha, there it is, it's coming!

Beautiful smile, baby girl!  Thank you!

{Hike to summit of Hyndman's Peak}

My Main Man and 3 of his friends camped out under the stars on a Friday night recently, then hiked to the peak of the 9th tallest mountain in Idaho on Saturday.  Hyndman's Peak is 12009 feet above sea level. They overall biked and hiked more than 16 miles, climbing 5000 feet and all in ONE day.  They had an unbelievably great time!

{Mishaps}

My second in command gashed her toe really good. It was gushing blood for a few minutes until we got the bleeding stopped, nicked & scraped her tendon, and she ended up needing to get 6 stitches.

All in all, it's been a great  'worth-jumping-for-joy-over' summer.

Lazy afternoon family canal walk

(my sweet niece)

("I see a berry momma!")

(I'm sorry, I just love taking pics of old antique things!)

(If you look really close you may be able to see the butterfly directly 5ft. above my first-born's head!  She endured brush and scratches to try and catch that butterfly without success, but sometimes the adventurous process of the hunt is just as exciting, if not more than an actual capture itself)

(throwing rocks into the canal water is one of our summer walk highlights)

(three generations of men- there were four together this weekend!

(Two father daughter duos)

(Right beside my husband, my fave place to be)

("There's a driving potty, mommy!"

Adults taking a break from the kitchen and kids from splashing in the pool,

wandering outdoors along the canal road invigorates, refreshes and always evokes an adventure.

Blooms, berries, butterflies and birds;

Canal walks are always delightfully relaxing and sweet.

The views are beautiful, the smells rich and the company divine.

Rocks, "a driving potty", fields of wheat, old bridges, and enticing muddy canal water,

create lasting memories of which will never depart.

Spending time out at the family farm suits our family well and is always a welcome treat!!