Lazy Summer days

#164- #190

~ Beautiful gardens
~ Design that grabs the eye
~ Hens and Chickens made appealing
~ Color in nature


~ Diversity of flowers
~ Fireworks in plant form
~ Botanical sea urchins

~ Boys and squirrels
~ Peanuts
~ Fascination with all things in motion

~ Family walks

~ Baby runnings (aka chubby waddles)

~ Big girl sprints
~ Middle man leading the way looking for the next nature thrill
~ Mama in the rear taking in all she loves

~ Baby boy

~ Bottles

~ Spaceship slippers in summer

~ Remote control monster trucks
~ How boys pile their favorite things

~ Massive tomatoe plants

~ Sea soil that makes then grow

~ Making my own food from my own sweat

~ Water hoses and little boys

~ Water gun fights

~ Weeding at 7am in PJ's and gum boots

What We've Been Doing

Though the last few weeks have been intense we have still had lots of fun.

Like building a bow out of only things found naturally in the back yard. Vines and twigs make for good imaginative play around our house. We called her Miss Journey Hood. She has also built several versions of a tee pee from backyard materials and a sheet. Who needs toys!

There are certain members of our family that make on art of being cute..need I say more?

We definitely use goofy as a form of entertainment around here. Laughed so hard at each other. Good medicine.

We have been reading tons since stopping normal school. We are reading Farmer boy right now but recently finished The Sign of The Beaver by E. Speare. Great read aloud! I think this is where all the bows and tee pee building came from. Prior to that we read an abridged version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

We made our annual strawberry picking trek. Shhh....don't tell anyone but this year we bought freshly picked instead of picking ourselves. Picking strawberries with a toddler just wasn't on my list of fun things this year. Now the freezer is stocked for the rest of the year with 15 lbs of these yummy berries. Next run is for blueberries...I cannot wait! We just used the last bag of last years blueberries a few weeks ago. Nothing like fresh blueberry pie.

Here is our very focused and committed strawberry cutting team. I think they ate more then they cut.

More photos to come.......

A New Chapter In Life

Hard to believe this is my 460th post since I started blogging.

When I started blogging I had NO idea the many paths that God would have us travel.

The one we are now walking is one I never imagined would be me.

I lived in denial for a long time not wanting it to be me.

Isaac has Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism.

My first reaction was relief in may ways. I have been living with this for a long time and ever slowly coming to terms with what I knew to be true about my child. Someone acknowledging that felt good.

Yet.....

I am sad.....for him and all the struggles he will face. For how hard it is for him to relate, communicate and navigate life at times. No mother wants to watch their child struggle and fight in daily life.

I know in many ways there are gifts that come with this path.

I am not at the gift part yet.

I am at the...I have no clue God, but grateful that you do...part.

Now, we can move forward. God is good.