Our Summer

We did all our favorite summer sports:

  eating at Loco Pops

 
 visiting the Museum of Life and Science

 

 celebrating the muggy 4th of July

creating sidewalk chalk art ("It's a girl with whiskers," says Eole. When asked why the girl has whisker, she defensively responds, "well, it isn't me, you know.")

                                                      visiting Duke gardens where we....

                                                                     jumped off walls

and discovered the giant koi fish.

But we spent most of our time at the JCC pool where Eole turned into a fish.

Oh, we were able to sneak in a date or two as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



These are the people in your neighborhood

I love our neighborhood. Oh, sure, you do hear gun shots fired once in a while, but that really comes from the area a block or two away.  My neighborhood is filled with Birkenstock-wearing, Prius-driving, Liberal-voting, rescue-dog-walking, salt of the earth people. We've made so many friends.

This summer we loved our impromptu pool parties in the driveway with B and girls, and Yaya, the Greek grandma with her grandson from across the street.

Yaya is my "go-to" cook. She shows me how to turn a bag of lentils and some random herbs into an amazing soup. We join her for lunch at her house where she serves up delicious home-made pizza, fresh salad, and exotic cheeses. She bakes daily from scratch all while keeping a tidy house and lovingly attending to her grandson. In short, she is my hero.

B is another favorite friend in the neighborhood. She grew up on a farm in South Korea, and together we go on daily nature walks through the neighborhood. "Here, try this mulberry" or "here are some pecans" or "try these herbs in your soup" she tells us as we walk up and down the street.

You can't forget the neighbor next door, H, who is known as the "Mayor" of the street. He is a true Southern Gentleman. He hosts the neighborhood parties, inquires after everyone's well being, and tells me that if I ever run into trouble (with that less gentle neighborhood around the corner) to call him, and he'll come running with his "friends" Smith & Wesson.

 

 

To Utah with love

And here is what we did....

We paid our respects to our ancestors in the cemetery

 

Davyn got his first haircut from Connie: now cutting the 4th generation of our family's hair. Daddy was sorry to see the strawberry blonde curls go, but -SPOILER ALERT-they grow back!

We fed the horses with Uncle Mike

We tended Grandpa's garden

Swinging on the corral gate was one of mommy's favorite activities at this age too.

Cousin Elizabeth was most attentive to Eole who still asks when she will see her again.

Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys...

Davyn is taught the art of the toast dipped in chocolate milk by the master himself.





This is why we keep coming back...and the family.

The highly anticipated pony ride

 And there was a train ride too! Davyn loves his Auntie Jen.

A serenade by Uncle Steve

The Dark Knights (Oh, Jackson--only yesterday you were Davyn's age!)

We were able to visit BOTH grandma-greats who so happen to live at the same rest home.

And we rounded out the whole trip with a cousins outing to the zoo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past Spring we….

Drove with the top down in Granddad’s Jaguar

Fixed the car in the “Auto Shop”

Matched with the flowers at Duke Gardens

Joined our biker friends at our friend’s birthday party

Caught red handed (or is that blue-mouthed?) eating crayons

Spoiled by my husband on Mother’s day

Over all goonieness prevailed this Spring

Davyn Turns 1!

Our little guy turned one this past May!  Here is how we celebrated our favorite ringlet boy’s day.

Big sister made sure Davyn would not burn his little fingers on the flame

And she helped him blow out his birthday candle.

Davyn didn’t need any help with the next part.

Birthday boy’s big tricycle,;because when you have been walking since you were 10 months old, riding a bike is a natural next step.

What a handsome fella! You may not say any words, but you are already a little lady killer!

This Easter past...

This past Easter brought a special visit from our favorite Wisconsin cousins. Eole love having an older sister and brother in the house, and she fell in love with her Auntie Susie. She would sneak into her Auntie’s room early in the morning to request snuggles…she even preferred these over Mommy snugs.

The cousins also brought their violin!

Eole asked to play every chance she could get.

The Easter Bunny came on Saturday morning and hid Easter eggs throughout the yard

Bunny slippers for an Easter Bunny egg hunt

“Hey! That’s my shiny egg!"

“I found my own shiny egg!”

The Haul (notice the cute hand-made basket by Cousin M).