finally

i feel like the summer-me is coming out to play.  

i'm not sure what to think or write about june and july.  

i tend to conceptualize the time period in list form:

living room floor - check

kitties born - check

wedding 1 - check

dental work - check-ish

char and jane's birthdays - check, check

respite - check

visitors - check, check, check...

wedding 2 - check

flu and colds - check

the hunger games - check (out my messy house!)

and although the list stuff continues into august,

gary's surgery - check

deck railing - checking.

find kitty homes - check pending

i'm starting to feel like it's ok to breathe a little

and play a little at the lake and the library

and like i have time to take pictures of my kids 

and make fruit tarts

and then share them with my neighbors.

this makes me happy.   

this evening i decided, i reeeeally need august to be a reeeeally long month.

ok.

and i need to go to the beach.  

i do believe,

charlee is teaching janie pie the tricks of the trade.
looks like they have the cheek to shoulder move down. pat.

um, what a minute.
is jane making pouty lips
or is she's sucking on that penny she found on the ground?
...
dang it.
  

remember when i use to do this?

those were the good o'l days.

...

hey momma, this one's for you

and for old times sake.

...

the other day i took just bodhi out for an ice cream sandwich date.

it's been a long couple of months and i've been missing my kids 

and feeling like i need to connect with them in a special time kind of way.   

we sat outside of Lepp Farm Market and took turns with our little melty cookies and cream, 

except i could only take bites like a baby - "not big."

if you've ever shared food with bo, you know the drill.

because we don't live far from Lepps, i decided to let bo put his booster in the front seat for the drive home so we could keep talking and hold hands.  it's a real special thing we do sometimes.    

almost as special as what transpired as we were driving.

...

we were driving past a hobby farm with a densely tree'd hill looming behind it.  

bo: hey mom, guess what's in that scary jungle.

me: what?  

we both made scared big eyes.

bo: big. scary. monkeys.  

with cymbals. that go "aah aah aah."

i died laughing and he loved that.

me: you know what else is scary?

bo: what?

my first thought was "dinosaurs" or "monsters" but i didn't want to give the sensitive kid nightmares so intead i came up with 

me: girls. with short shorts.  

bo: how about girls with cymbals that go "aah aah aah"

me:  yes, bo!  sooo scary!  

we went on for a little bit more, shaking our heads and making more big eyes.  

me: son, this might be the best conversation i've ever had!  

bo: yeesh, scary stuff.  

that's right.  he said, "yeesh, scary stuff."

bless'ns

sometimes

even grey days

 should be lake days.

right?

for the record

when mom calls and offers gas, ferry moneys and a trip to the zoo for the whole family,

we drop everything (really we do).

and drive.

can you blame us?

it was a canada day/ 4th of july weekend of fun in the sun with my bro's and their loves.

and even though it's kind of old news now, i just have to share some of my faves.

here are the yearbook highlights:

  the zoo,

attending one of rusten's shows with all of my brothers and their wives (and one almost-wife),

banana hammocks,

a risky m&m heist,

slip'n slide wars,

and of course, many into the late night visits with my mom.

...

being with my family does something to me. 

it makes my heart feel like my face does when i get a bit of sun -

glow-y and alive.  

i can only imagine