I Love These Girls!

 Doesn't this picture make you want to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot coffee and have some fun on your computer?  That's what I thought at least.  But I love these girls!  They were so excited to ride to school in the rain today!  You can tell that doesn't happen very often around here.  As for Ruthie and I, we're enjoying an inside morning and I thought I would share a few (fairly) recent pictures with you, since I've been a little lax in that regard lately:)

 

First, you'd better check out these cute first day of school pictures.

Here's Josie, heading off to Kindergarten!  On the bike ride home that first day she told me fifty times if she told me once-literally- that she LOVES LOVES LOVES Kindergarten!

And Anna, all ready for first grade (which she has been absolutely loving so far, too, I might add):

Ruthie and I came with them that first day for the Opening Ceremony/Rose Ceremony.

Thank you Mema and Papa for the fun dresses, the girls love them!

 

 What better tradition to have than ice cream on the first day of school in the heat of August?

 Anna lost her first tooth!  Look at that great grin!

 We are enjoying our new house.  For those of you that I haven't kept in touch with very well lately, we moved into a house here in Boulder right before school began.  We are loving our backyard, back porch (we've had dinner out there every night), new climbing trees, and this Mama is especially enjoying the normal size kitchen with a dishwasher and having a washer/dryer!

 

Three good friends in their climbing clothes eating peaches on the back porch on a sunnier day:

 I designated some climbing clothes for them after they were destroying all their school clothes getting them covered with sap while climbing the 50 foot tall Spruce tree in our backyard.  Anybody have a remedy for sap in hair?  I've learned that the alcohol in hand sanitizer will take sap off hands beautifully (thanks Rob and Michelle!), but I've yet to find a remedy for hair. 

 

One of my favorite recent pics of these three sisters.  Classic.  A moment to remember and treasure.

 Friends over for dinner!  The Kennedy's came to celebrate our new house with us.  Little Ally and Ruthie are fast friends.

Anna, Isaac and Ruthie reading on the couch.  I'm loving this new step into reading with my big first grader.  Way to go, Anna!

 Anna found a way to climb onto the roof of our house.  Whose kid is this???  She was quite proud of herself.

 Ruthie and I love our mornings together while big sisters are at school.  I'm also loving all the space and light in this wonderful kitchen.  Put the two together and you can find Ruthie and Mommy working in the kitchen together on many a morning!

 Anna and Josie are wonderful kitchen helpers.  They're making Daddy's lunch in this photo.  Pancake sandwiches! (Daddy'O Update:  Mitch has 3 more weeks until he's done with his masters!!!  THEN we can truly celebrate!  But it still feels like a big push to get through these next 3 weeks.  Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, we need extra doses of patience and grace in this house.)

 Ruthie climbing the Russian Olive tree in our backyard while I'm hanging laundry.  It's hard to find a time when at least one of these girls is not in a tree.

 Last but not least, I thought I would share our most recent family photo.  It was actually taken in June on Father's Day. 

Weekend Afternoons

Weekends always seem full around here, in a good way.

In the summer heat lots of time is spent at parks or in the creek as a family.

Anna and I went tubing down the creek past our house for the first time the other day.

Yesterday after church we headed to the park for a picnic with friends and spent most of the time jumping in and out of the creek.

But then those late afternoon thunderstorms come through and we duck back inside while the outside air cools off, the garden gets watered, and the thunder claps loud enough to wake the girls from a nap if they are sleeping.

This afternoon was Josie's date with Daddy. He takes either Anna or Josie on a date once a week and today was Josie's day. The other two always feel a little lost at first with their constant playmate gone. But they quickly find their feet and dive into play.

Today their request was for finger painting. Ruthie's first time.

Quite a tactile, gooey experience.

She ended up with paint everywhere-face, arms, hands, legs, belly, bottoms of feet, knees... Then back inside they came, found their dollies and curled up in their billum hammock rocking them to sleep. Bunk beds have many uses.

Then Daddy and Josie were back, stomping through the summer shower bearing treats for the rest of us. Josie is one who constantly thinks about and looks out for those around her. She can't go on a date with her Daddy and get to choose her own treat without wanting to also choose something for each of the other members of her family. Sweet spirit, sweet girl.

Special times with Daddy'O.

Hiking with Grandma Jo

My Mom is here visiting so we decided to go for a little hike with her along the Anne U. White trail just outside of Boulder. Of course it decided to rain on us. But we went anyway.

Everything is so green right now, it was beautiful! And a little chilly.

Josie wanted to eat her way down the trail so she found a way to prop her umbrella in her water bottle sling so she had both hands free for her snack.

Sweet, tired Ruthie, who fell asleep on my back by the end of the hike.

Down the trail we go!

By the end of our hike the sun came back out and warmed us up.

Josie found the hugest earthworm I have ever seen! I thought it was a stick, but she saw it and stopped to look at it. Good eyes, Josie!

Fun times with Grandma Jo. We'll miss you in the coming year!

Rain Ride with Nora and Sam

You know it is going to happen if you make plans for a picnic and a bike ride with two of your favorite people. That is the surest way to make it rain. We had to picnic inside on the living room floor but we still wanted to go for our bike ride despite the pouring rain and thunder and lightening. Dont worry, we waited until the storm had passed over and there was at least no more thunder and lightening before we took off. Just a little bit of light rain still coming down and lots of puddles to ride through.

The girls found a puddle in the courtyard as we were getting ready to take off, little ones do seem to have a radar for puddle finding.

Before:


And after!

We had fun! Yelling and laughing and finding every puddle there was on our ten mile ride. If you ever want to go on a fun bike ride, just take Nora and Sam along. But be ready to ride fast and be ready to get wet! Even if I had wanted to avoid a particularly deep looking puddle the rooster tail arching up from Nora's wheel was enough to soak me through and through! Nora at least had a crate on the back of her bike that acted like a fender to keep her from getting covered with a majority of her road spray. The roads and bridges were a bit slick and Sam had one fall that sliced up his hand. Other than that we sure had fun! Do you want to go again sometime soon, Nora and Sam?!

New Black Boots

They may not be quite as stylish as my sister's new black boots that she got for Christmas, of the sleek, high-heeled variety, but they sure are fun for puddle-stomping in the spring rains that are headed our way!Four pairs of puddle-stomping boots on four sets of feet, headed out to find the deepest puddles around.

As you can see by the wool mittens on those hands, the first of the spring rains are definitely not as warm as the barefoot ones to come. But they are a sure sign that spring has arrived! It was rain, after all, not snow!