...for a major blog update! Sorry it has been so long. This update starts on July 4th and goes through today...but don't worry...it's not too long! ;) 
The above pic is of our two eager kids, ready to celebrate our country's independence with fireworks in the street! We picked out several small, but pretty and mostly quiet, fireworks to enjoy at home. The kids absolutely loved getting to pick some out, and they loved getting to hand "the next one" to Daddy who was shooting them in the street while we watched from a safe distance.
Hmmm. Pretty sparkly fountain or party hat?! Ha.
I loved seeing the two kids sitting in their little chairs in our yard admiring the fireworks show! (Our neighbors were also out in the street shooting some fireworks, too. Made for some fun times!)
Mackenzie in her little chair.
Josiah's been writing his own name for a long time now, but I was surprised to see this sitting on the ottoman, i.e., the entrance to his house in our living room, today. We have not been practicing writing this summer. We've just kinda taken a break from it all, so I was very impressed to see that he still remembers how to write his name without any help or prompting at all.
You can't read that piece of paper in this picture, but that's the one with his name on it. He says it is so everyone will know that this is his area. As you can see, he has created a "house" out of the love seat and lots of pillows/cushions!!!
And, also today in our living room, Mackenzie created a house out of our couch cushions and pillows. Her house, she explained, has two rooms: bedroom and bonus room for playing! She is in the "bedroom," and to the right is the "bonus room." I have such fond memories of building forts out of cushions and blankets from my own childhood, that I just love to see my kids doing the same thing! I do hope these memories are ones they will treasure, too. And, it's 9:00pm as I type this post. You'll get a kick out of knowing that our living room still looks just like that...even though the kids are sound asleep in bed now! No worries, I'll restore order before I head to bed. ;)
It's been a while since I posted a garden pic. I am thankful for Mark's help in discovering that we needed straw at the base of the squash plants. That has done wonders for our squash! Last year, we got one crop, at best, from the squash. This year it has produced tons of squash and is still growing strong! Thanks, Mzee, for your help. :) I love the picture of David holding up the gigantic squash that I had apparently been overlooking for quite some time. Thanks, David, for your help with the garden!
Here's what we found today. Squash, peppers, tomatoes, okra (my favorite), and cucumbers. Yep, we've had a ton of rain lately. My garden has enjoyed that...so have I as that means I have not had to water it in a couple weeks now! Thanks to our Lord and His amazing provision.
Here's the last picture. An overview of the garden with the pick of the day sitting in front of it. :)
The above pic is of our two eager kids, ready to celebrate our country's independence with fireworks in the street! We picked out several small, but pretty and mostly quiet, fireworks to enjoy at home. The kids absolutely loved getting to pick some out, and they loved getting to hand "the next one" to Daddy who was shooting them in the street while we watched from a safe distance.
Hmmm. Pretty sparkly fountain or party hat?! Ha. 
I loved seeing the two kids sitting in their little chairs in our yard admiring the fireworks show! (Our neighbors were also out in the street shooting some fireworks, too. Made for some fun times!)
Mackenzie in her little chair.
Josiah's been writing his own name for a long time now, but I was surprised to see this sitting on the ottoman, i.e., the entrance to his house in our living room, today. We have not been practicing writing this summer. We've just kinda taken a break from it all, so I was very impressed to see that he still remembers how to write his name without any help or prompting at all. 
You can't read that piece of paper in this picture, but that's the one with his name on it. He says it is so everyone will know that this is his area. As you can see, he has created a "house" out of the love seat and lots of pillows/cushions!!!
And, also today in our living room, Mackenzie created a house out of our couch cushions and pillows. Her house, she explained, has two rooms: bedroom and bonus room for playing! She is in the "bedroom," and to the right is the "bonus room." I have such fond memories of building forts out of cushions and blankets from my own childhood, that I just love to see my kids doing the same thing! I do hope these memories are ones they will treasure, too. And, it's 9:00pm as I type this post. You'll get a kick out of knowing that our living room still looks just like that...even though the kids are sound asleep in bed now! No worries, I'll restore order before I head to bed. ;)
It's been a while since I posted a garden pic. I am thankful for Mark's help in discovering that we needed straw at the base of the squash plants. That has done wonders for our squash! Last year, we got one crop, at best, from the squash. This year it has produced tons of squash and is still growing strong! Thanks, Mzee, for your help. :) I love the picture of David holding up the gigantic squash that I had apparently been overlooking for quite some time. Thanks, David, for your help with the garden! 
Here's what we found today. Squash, peppers, tomatoes, okra (my favorite), and cucumbers. Yep, we've had a ton of rain lately. My garden has enjoyed that...so have I as that means I have not had to water it in a couple weeks now! Thanks to our Lord and His amazing provision.
Here's the last picture. An overview of the garden with the pick of the day sitting in front of it. :) 
