Never thought I'd have to...

...ask for ICE at an ice skating rink!

Today we went ice skating with our church family. On about his second trip around the rink, Ian slipped on a big wet patch of ice and down he went, apparently head first. He was soaking wet and had a big goose egg rapidly forming on his forehead as proof. So I went to the front desk and did what any good nurse would do:

"Could I please have some ice for my son's head, besides the stuff on the floor?"

Johnny and Andy Barton

 

Aren't they precious! These two are full of boundless energy and enthusiasm for whatever comes their way. I enjoyed getting to spend lots of time with them this summer. Johnny in particular reminds me so much of my brother as a child.

I told you so!

 

Here he comes!

 
Look out for the Man of Steel! He puts a wicked spin on that tire swing!

Playtime

 
The tire swing was a big hit with all the kids!

Cousin Crew

 

Ratios

 
With a ratio of 7 adults to 7 kids, we figured we had them pretty well covered. The boys really helped us out though when they started tying each other to the tree shortly after our arrival!

Emily Greenteeth

 
You've heard of Mr. Greenjeans; this must be his granddaughter!

Who Knew?!?

 

 

Who knew how easily you can entertain 4 boys? Just give them each a pair of Emily's tights and there you have it--endless laughter and easy clean up!

Skunked

 

Isaac didn't catch anything, but he sure had fun trying (and looked cute too!)

The Big Catch

 

The boys (all 6) had a great time fishing with Uncle David and Uncle Larry. They even had a bit of success. One evening I think there were about 5 fish caught in the space of about half an hour. Here's Ian showing off one of his. And the best part was that they managed to keep all the boys on the dock and dry! That's the amazing part!

I miss this smile already!

 

I don't think my neice Emily has made an appearence on my blog yet, so here she is! What a sweetie. Gotta love all those curls (don't listen to Larry and cut them, Susan!). Hard to believe she'll be three next week.

Lakeside Vacation

 
We were blessed to spend a fun-filled week at my favorite spot in the world with some of my favorite people in the world--my family! I have lots of pictures to share and fun stories to tell, but for now I'll let this sunset over Lake Erie whet your appetite.

First Day of School

Well, we all made it through the morning and got them to school on time, despite Isaac asking for his covers back when I awoke him before 7 this morning. I can't believe my baby is in kindergarten and Ian is a first grader. I know they will learn so much and enjoy making new friends. And I did an admirable job of holding the tears at bay till I got back in the car...





I can't wait to hear their stories when I pick them up!

Saying Goodbye to Summer...

I asked the boys on Friday what we should do for our last "day off" together, and of course they picked going downtown to the Falls Park. We walked from the waterfall to the zoo playground (or more accurately, they "rolled" on heelys and a scooter), enjoyed a picnic lunch and some playground time, visited the Ice Cream Truck, and just soaked up being together.



Isaac got a little goofy with his helmet




They're just too cute!

Happy 38th Birthday, David!

My brother is one of the greatest men I know. And yes, I'm going to be mushy and sincere about this. He has the gift of being able to tackle a serious issue with strength and wisdom, efficiency and confidence. He's one of those guys that is just great at everything. And yet he also enjoys life to the fullest, whether it's playing hard with his boys, entertaining several nephews on his back or in his arms, travelling the world and sampling all sorts of cuisines, riding 100 miles on his bike to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research (before we knew how mom would benefit from that), or going down a slide on a sheet of waxed paper at 100 miles an hour! We've laughed, cried, and "gabbed" together so much in our years together. I'm blessed to call him my brother, and thankful that he is also my friend. I love you, David! (and I'm glad you survived your fall from the ladder the other night! Ouch! I notice you ran to the ER when all your engineering calculations failed you)

Sure Signs of a Successful Summer...

...an abundance of freckles on Ian's nose!

No Words Needed

Classic Isaac!

Wiggin' Out!

The boys just had to try on Grammy's wig. She's not wearing it much these days. I think she is beautiful with or without hair. She has a beauty that shines from the inside. I love you, Mom! Your character and strength are such a shining example to me.

36 years young

It was so special to be surrounded by my nuclear family on my birthday this year. We laughed a lot together, enjoyed a traditional dinner of Marion's Pizza, and had birthday cake at an amazing park with a huge slide built into the side of a hill. What a blast! Oh, my goodness, how we laughed! The kids zipped down even faster once Uncle Larry whipped out the waxed paper. Uncle Larry, Uncle David, and I were brave (or crazy) enough to try it out too. Hey, you're only young once (or at least, deluded into thinking you're young until the next morning!). My brother has some great pics on his photography site too.