Stover Park

We had a great day at Stover Park a couple of weeks ago with our friends. My friend Suzanne first told me about this place last year and the raspberries were ripe. Here are the ones we managed to bring home:) We had a great time playing in the water, exploring, skipping rocks and looking at the fishies, tadpoles, crabs, etc, in the water.

The Fruits of My Labor

I wasn't able to do much gardening this year because we quickly found out that we have a whole family of groundhogs and rabbits living in our backyard. So I decided to make my own version of the Topsy Turvy and grow tomatoes upside down. Works pretty good!

Tomatoes on a salad...

Fresh salsa! There is nothing like homegrown tomatoes!

My basil and chives are doing well

Here are the hanging tomatoes before they started to ripen.
Ben just drilled large holes into the bottom of some buckets and we installed hooks on the deck to hang them.

Let There Be Music!

I was very proud of scoring this little electric organ/piano on Freecycle this week. My mother-in-law has been on me to see if I could find something to encourage Benjamin's natural ability to remember music. He taught himself a tune on her piano 2 years ago and can still go to a piano and play it. So here we go!

A friend helped Ben bring this home and it was all done after the kids were in bed. So as soon as Benjamin got up and saw it, he came running into our room "Mom, Dad, we have a piano!" as if the piano fairies had delivered it in the middle of the night and we had no idea. It was cute:)

Jacob and Evan checking it out together.

Evan was proud to learn Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

It's such novelty that they are playing as much as possible right now it will be good to have in the long run.

Dave's Retirement Party

Our brother-in-law Dave recently retired from the Army after 24 years. We were fortunate to be able to attend the ceremony and really enjoyed his comments. Here he is receiving his final honors. The next day they had a big party to celebrate.

Stephanie got several awards

Dave giving a gift to his kids, Claudia and Ruben

Evan spots a bug on a tree

Jacob

Jacob was having his own personal watermelon eating contest

Benjamin trying out a chair

Hanging out and eating the yummy food (they had a pig roast)!

Matthew loved the wide open space!

Jacob with a paddle and ball

Jacob got creative with the horseshoe pits

Jeffery getting beat up by the girls:)

Jacob

Benjamin

Paris giving Elana a piggyback ride

Girl cousin power!
Paris, Claudia, Elana and Christian

Jacob pondering what trouble to get into next~

Jeffery carrying Jacob

Cousins having fun

Matthew snoozes with Grandma

Evan has been wanting to go fishing since he saw the Rocket Fishing Rod on an infomercial. Well, the party was right on a lake and some guys had been fishing so Evan spotted the poles and becamse curious. They asked if I would mind letting them take him down and letting him try it out and he was thrilled. And Benjamin wanted to join in of course!

Benjamin watching to see what he needs to do

Evan was so excited to be holding a real fishing pole

Benjamin and Evan getting a fishing lesson

Evan says "Did you see me?"

Benjamin reeling it in

Elana and Claudia

Matthew and Grandma Orchard

Jacob and Elana

Benjamin, Elana and Luke

Jacob, Ben, Dave, Esther and Cynthia

Luke and Elana

Evan Fishing

Benjamin Fishing

Jeffery's 15th Birthday

My nephew, Jeffery, came to spend some time with us this summer and turned 15 on July 5th.

He requested a carrot cake and I found a delicious recipe Ginger Carrot Cake in my Best of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It was SOOOOOO good!

Ben and Evan lighting the candles

Jeffery with his panda that I made for him

Jacob and Jeffery hanging around