I know it has been a LONG time #2...

The computer and I have not been good friends lately. The last thing at night after a long busy summer day has not been to get on the computer and update the blog. But alas, I have posted several things that should hold your attention for a little while. I am also going to say that we are going on vacation for several weeks, and the posting may not happen again for a while. I will return refreshed and ready to start the fall off with a bang! Thanks for being patient, and not giving up. I still love the blogs out there of family and friends, so keep the posting so I can keep up with you all!

And then there was a path...

We decided to make another path in the backyard that goes from the patio to the other side of the addition where we store the firewood, so that in the winter as Kyle goes for more wood it will not be as messy and he can get the wheelbarrow out there.
This is Kyle laying out the path before we lay the stone. Here is where the sump pump is located to "catch and pump" the water out to the other side of the backyard from the downspouts off of the roof from the new addition. Isn't it pretty!

Here is the finished path. This went alot quicker than the patio and the other path. We did a little more planning, so that we did not have to do a lot of cutting. (Oh...you can see we have done a little painting on the addition. There is the new color of the house. We love it, and can't wait to finish the house)

A day at the zoo with cousins...

All four cousins paitently waiting to leave for the zoo! (I had told them to scream something, but for the life of me I can not remember what it is they are saying in this picture)
Jack and Rynn showing some love and posing for me oh so good! (This might be one of my favorite pictures in a long time. I love to see how they are growing up and becoming friends - enjoying one another's time together)
Molly and I doing a little goat petting. She really did not want to go in, and I had to hold her hand. However once she saw they were not going to do anything to her, she loved petting them.
There is an area at the zoo with farm animals. We got the kids to do this funny thing. I thought they looked oh so cute. We tried to get Molly in the little hole under Eleanor, but that was not working out so well, so...
...we got Molly by herself after the big kids were done and gone! We had a super day at the zoo. It was beautiful weather - it did get a little crowded at the end. The animals were fun to see. Jack and Molly loved seeing the giraffe. We got to see some really cool fruit bats, and spent a long time watching the polar bear swim in the water. We also got some really good family time with Jason, Caroline, and the girls. Jason took the kids on a bike ride to Trader Joe's for some ice cream. Jack, Eleanor, and Rynn turned two jump ropes into a homemade water ski time. Jack ran around with one handle from each jump rope in his hand, while Eleanor and Rynn each had a handle in their hand. I laughed and wished that I could have had that on film for Pops to see. They even came up with it on their own. I am not sure they knew what they were doing, but it sure looked like waterski practice to me!

4th of July...

Here are a couple of pictures (late) from the 4th. We had a church picnic at a park, then went home with the kids. We did not even stay up for the fireworks. I was tired and worn out, and the kids were the same. I figure we have many years when they actually will know to ask to stay up for the fireworks ahead of us that I did not fret about not seeing any this year.

Grass, where have you gone?...

In the midst of trying to get the final permit accepted for our addition, we decided to redo the grass in the backyard. We had to do some drainage work per the city in order for them to give us a final permit, which meant that Kyle had to dig a really long trench across the backyard. There are many long stories to accompany the drainage issue in the backyard, but I will leave it at this...the end is in sight and the city seems happy with what we came up with to solve the rain water in the winter. Hopefully by the end of August, I will be able to post some new pictures with pretty new grass and the kids running around in it!

I'm trying to post new pictures...

but the site won't let me. Check back another day. I do have lots of photos and stories to share, so hopefully it will work another day. Don't give up just yet! Sorry it has been so long...life has been too crazy that the computer has not been turned on most days unless a bill has to be paid.