Summer Birthdays

Sunday was the birthday of "J" one of our good friends! We had a great time celebrating his 6th year of life. His chocolate cake was scrumptious! I really do miss seeing this little (well not so little) guy!


Arden spent his time riding the 3 wheeler.


He was also having a good hair day!


Rory and his vegan cup-cakes! You should have seen his teeth, lol... we teased him about having a mustache.


Rory had a ton of fun. He misses his friends and really enjoys his time around them.



What amazes me is the fact that I started babysitting J and C when Arden was the age of Canyon! I can't believe these beautiful children have been a part of my life for the past 2 years!

Saying Good Bye to the Cicadas

For those that missed out on the "wonderful" invasion of bugs this year, Western North Carolina (or at least parts of it) were swarmed with thousands upon thousands of nasty looking bugs and larvae called Cicadas.


The dogs ate them like popcorn, the boys were afraid of them, and they fly into you like crazy. We were infested.


They only appear once every 17 years and for weeks our neighborhood sounded like something from the Twilight Zone, like an alien spaceship. They produce an eerie noise that almost scares you at first. I thought it was some sort of landscaping tool or something... after a while you didn't hear it at all and it was soothing to listen to without listening. It was a soothing sound that I listened to during my labor and will always associate with Canyon's birth...


Well over the past month, the sound has dwindled, they are "attacking" us less and less, and we are seeing fewer and fewer. I guess it is time to say goodbye to these ugly, yet magnificent bugs that have left our trees poke-a-dotted and out children afraid of flying bugs.


See you again in 17 years you noisy little guys!

Today I actually got my kid dressed.

I actually got clothes on Arden today, can you believe it? He never wants to wear clothes!


Today was one of those days that I really didn't feel like folding laundry or cleaning (what's new, right?) So rather than doing my household chores, I decided that my boys needed some photos taken.


Arden was cooperative today! He actually let me take more than one photo at a time. In clothing, amazing huh?


I don't care what anyone says, he is too pretty for a hair cut! I'm letting it grow. Between his curls and his smile, he is one of the cutest kids I have ever seen. (I'm only slightly bias.)



Rory was an easy shot as usual~ He is such a camera ham.


He jumps in front of it whenever he gets a chance!


Then, there is the Can-man.


Canyon really is a little gift from God. I can't get enough pictures of this little guy.



And now, I have to go do the chores I neglected.

"Mimi" and Vince

Mimi and Vince came over for supper Wednesday night, while Carl was cooking the pork chops on the grill, I grabbed just a few shots.

Here is Vince and Canyon.


Here is Rory.


Here is Arden.


Here is Mimi playing with the boys.

Toes for Tuesday

I know I promised pictures from last night, we had a glitch.

Our dinner party was canceled because Arden decided to swing a wooden toy into Canyon's head and we had to spend a few hours at the doctor's office. Tons of fun. But we are having our friends out tonight. So more pictures for you tonight or in the morning.

Canyon is OK, just a bump, nothing serious.

He did however find his toes last night; sorry for the bad picture quality, there was no light.


Oh and I grabbed a few more since he is making silly faces now!

Monday Monday

Today was spent running around and going here and there. The boys were tired after being out, mom is too.

Our fridge was fixed, Able Appliances ROCKS! They came out Saturday fixed it, and were awesome and reasonable on prices.

Otherwise, nothing much going on. Rory is going to see Todd Stone on Wed about his knee... he fell at Granny Eva's and is still complaining about it...

No pics for today, but tomorrow I will have some. Vince and his wife are coming out for dinner, so we will have some of them for sure!

Friends, Foamies, and Fun.

I spent my Saturday at the Pigeon River paddling with a buddy, and then headed up to Big Creek to spend some time hanging out with my family and some friends.

We swam, played, grilled, chased Lil' Huckers and just had a blast. Enjoy the photos.




We can now say for sure that the grown-ups had more fun with the Lil Huckers than the kids did! (Seeing as how the "big boys" decided they wanted to play alone and leave the little boys and ladies on the shore...)

Computer Cords, Crunchy Towels, Sprinklers, and Jump Ropes

Ok, someone, PLEASE tell me who/what goes around our house knotting up all of our computer cords? (Not ONLY the computer cords, but also the camera cords, curtains, blinds, and lamps too!)

If you know who it is, please catch them in the act and let me know!
Summer is moving by so quickly... I wonder how on earth I thought it was too long when I was a child... Today was a busy but fun day. We hit Walmart, EarthFare, the bank, the post office, and the farmers market all in one trip. Then we came home and enjoyed the rest of our day in the yard. Canyon sat in the shade with me while...


Rory and Makenna played all afternoon...

In the sprinkler...



Jumping rope...


In my clean laundry... Man I love crunchy towels from the line...


All while Arden watched. (He still wants nothing to do with the sprinkler... go figure since it was his birthday gift.)
Is it wrong that our kids think about kayaking all the time? Even when on dry ground?...

Thursday is trash day.

Thursdays are our trash days... the boys get up early to sit and watch for the trash man... (that is about all that is interesting here on Thursday... although every other Thursday is recycle day... the boys think that is twice the fun!)

Our fridge is still broken... hopefully the appliance guy (Able Appliance) will have the part in by the weekend. Gotta love eating out since I can't save/store food in the fridge. Blah. Hopefully it will be a fast/easy fix.

We did get to go eat out at Asheville Pizza today with Sonya and her girls for lunch. We had a great time! The girls came over and played with the boys after we ate.


We hooked up the sprinkler that Arden got for his birthday and the kids had a blast, somehow all my pictures were of Rory though... he did seem to have the most fun with the water! LOL.





Arden spent his time watching his brother play in the water.

Not much to report.

There isn't much to report for today. Carl got back in town Saturday night / Sunday morning at 3 am. Today he played catch-up all day for work.

I went to the dentist... I get to go back... yippie!

The boys drew and played.

Sundays at the River

Pretty much every Sunday, after church, you can find our family at one of the local rivers here in western North Carolina. It is a great place for children and families to go and have fun in the outdoors. There is no better place than the river to celebrate life, God, and each other!


Here are a few shots of Arden in the kayak in the river for the first time. It is a PS Composites Spy. You can see other boats just like it at www.customkayak.com Paul and MaryKay rock! Check them out.



Here is our friend Rhett giving Rory a ride on the front of his boat today with my Lil' Hucker in tow. Rory had a blast "paddling" the boat for Rhett!