It must be summer!

Our favorite season has arrived, and we are loving it! Gardening, mowing lawn, boating, playing T-ball, and taking walks across the pasture to Grandpa and Grandma's house are just some of the activities that have been filling our hours recently.  We can't seem to get the kiddos to bed before 10pm because the evenings are so long and mild! Here are lots of random pictures that I have been too busy to blog.

I had just left for work Thursday morning, and looked back to see a rainbow directly over our house.

Our big T-ball player!  Note the grass stains!

Nora and a sparrow eggshell we found in the yard the other day.  The eggshell is blurry, but I love this photo for so many reasons: 1) Nora's wavy hair from the humidity, 2) Her swimsuit- she would live in one all summer!, 3) Her grubby hands from playing outside so much, 4) If you look closely at her cheeks, she took a purple marker and gave herself "freckles", 5) The peanut butter on her face- my kiddos would eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches only if I let them!  There is so much I love about their ages right now and just want to remember!

Summer means enjoying Minnesota's beautiful lakes.  We spent 3 evenings last week at lakes. Tuesday night we took our boat out for the first time of the season, ate supper on the boat, and did some tubing and wakeboarding.  Thursday evening, we met my parents at their lake and took them for their first boat ride on Lake Cowdry.  Friday night, we headed to the local swimming beach to cool off after Dane's T-ball game.



Sunset on Lake Cowdry.



Sunset on Elk Lake.

We saw a dog go for his first tube ride!

The kids just love the boat!

On Wednesday, Mike and I celebrated our 14th anniversary.  As a gift, he hung this beautiful swing in our front yard.  He made this swing in high school shop class, and it is still in perfect condition! I have a hard time getting chores done because this swing is always just pulling me over to sit and swing a while!

Kiddos on the swing! Oh, how they love each other- when they aren't tormenting one another!

Sprinkler time!

The view down the driveway from my tree swing.

We found a robin's nest in an interesting location.  It is on the end of Grandpa's sickle mower in his shed.

Beautiful eggs inside.

 I take too many flower pictures:

I saw a bunch of these fluttering around the lilac bush last week and thought we had hummingbirds.  When I looked more closely, I realized they were hummingbird moths instead.  Since then, I have also seen a pair of actual hummingbirds hanging around.

A bouquet of flowers picked from our pasture.

Peonies!  I wish I could somehow pass along the smell!

Nora loves to pick my daisies.

The grass in the pasture is growing so tall that it is hard to see the calves when they lie down.

"North Pole"

This past weekend, we drove up to Duluth (the North Shore) for Mike's cousin's wedding and a family getaway with Mike's immediate family.  We had been talking about the trip for the past few weeks, and Nora asked one day, "How long until we go to the North Pole?"  The weather was cool and foggy, but it was a fun getaway.

"Sweet like a strawberry"

Playing at a park with Grandpa on the drive up.

A Dagwood sandwich.

Canal Park, Duluth.

Looking through holes in the rocks.

Popcorn!

Saturday morning, we toured the Glensheen Mansion along Lake Superior.

Girl cousins in matching outfits Sunday morning.

Big nap Sunday afternoon.  Still my little baby when he's sleeping...

Monday morning we toured the William A. Irvin freighter.

Dane and Zach.

Little monkeys on a BIG chain.

Now we're back home again and waiting for summer weather.  Dane will be done with Kindergarten in 1 1/2 days!

Spring on the farm

Words of Wisdom from Nora

This morning, Nora and I took an hour to walk through one of our pastures along the creek in search of flowers and asparagus.  We were successful on both counts. 

Along the way, Nora asked me, "Mommy, who makes flowers?"

"God does, Nora."

"All of them?"

"Yes, baby."

"Well, He must love us very much then."

"He most certainly does, little one."

I often feel the very same way when I behold all the wonders of nature that we are surrounded by.  Here are some photos.



A cute fistful of just some of the flowers we found.  It was pretty windy as you can tell by her wild hair and squinty eyes!



Pretty little creek and our barn barely visible in the background.



The creek really winds around our property.

Looking like summer around our place.

Mr. Harry.

Best buddies.

Mr. Sully, a.k.a. "eyelashes."

The other morning was beautifully hazy.

Morning moon.

My sweet Posey cuddling with me in the sunshine on Mother's Day.  She just wraps herself right around my arm.

Around my heart, too!

Mother's Day gifts from the most beautiful kiddos ever, even with bedhead!

Swing into spring



Nora learned to pump herself on the swing. She can swing so high all by herself!



She also loves to swing on the tree in our front yard.



Our beautiful crab apple tree blossoms.  If anyone would like to come visit, this will be your view out the guest room window (for the next week or less!).



 Taking a few swings with Daddy.

Sentences

Dane is learning to write sentences in school.  Here are some recent examples of sentences he has written to describe his drawings.  I just love his literal spelling!

"I so the pom trees in hwy." = I saw the palm trees in Hawaii.

"I like to run to my Gramus." =  I like to run to my Grandma's.

I also love that we are close enough that he can run to Grandma's!  We are so proud of all you are learning, Dane!