Petunia Starts School

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This is my little girl. We call her Petunia around here. She went to school today. She was very excited. I missed her. She had fun. Lots of it. The end.

But really the beginning. I can't believe she's leaving me too.

Growing Up

Once upon a time there was a brand new baby boy. He had the most adorable dimples and he always smiled and he never went to sleep.

Well, that little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew until he was two-years-old and he learned the name of all Thomas the Tank Engine's friends and he never stopped talking and he still never went to sleep.

Well, that little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew until he was four-years-old and he knew the name of every dinosaur that ever lived and he asked one million questions a day and he still NEVER went to sleep.

Well, that little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew until he was five-years-old and he caught insects all day long and he learned how to read and he still NEVER went to sleep.

Grasshopper on a leash - Cole with cross-eyes

And then that little boy started Kindergarten. And his mother was very excited for him but missed him like crazy and tried not to cry and counted the minutes until she could pick him up.

Go get 'em, Coley. You were born ready for this.

And good luck to you, Mrs. Jensen.

Huckleberry Harvest

Sandwiched between two lovely days at Bear Lake, we headed to the mountains to do a little huckleberry picking. Did you know huckleberries cannot be domesticated? Interesting. Have you ever seen a huckleberry? They look like this:

The more purple, the sweeter. The kids had a lovely time picking. I had a lovely time carrying Annie because she refused to walk after her cousins warned her about not stepping on any huckleberry bushes.
We picked enough berries to head back to the condo for homemade huckleberry ice cream. I really liked it. So did Ben. Maybe next year we'll set up huckleberry camp for a few days. They were quite delicious. I used the last of them for muffins this morning. Yum.

Bear Lake

You know the drill. We went to the lake. The kids had a blast. My car will have sand for the next three months.



This village had a name. I don't remember it. Something about sand. Sand City? Sand Village? Or maybe shells. Shellville?

Petunia Rose had a fabulous time, obviously. The girl would like nothing more than to live at the beach. I don't think she even talked to me the entire time we were there. She just played.

This little guy was a delight. Looks like he'll be a beach bun like his brother and sister.

A great way to end the summer. I hope we make it a tradition!

Laundry Mountain

A husband out-of-town for two consecutive weeks + two trips to Grandma's house + a long weekend at Bear Lake = lots of laundry.


The good news - there are lots of beach towels in there, so the pile should go down quickly since they are so big.

The bad news - there are also lots of teeny baby clothes in there.

I've got piles to go before I sleep.

The Threshing Crew

They are a little bit ragtag, but I don't think Grandpa wants to trade them in.

Ben's first try at farming. He liked it!

Annie in her "John Deere Pink." Doesn't quite care for "John Deere Green."

No Summertime Blues Around Here

I really love summer. So do my kids. We are hoping that somehow the start of the school year will be delayed until October this year so we can enjoy it a little longer.
Did you ever play with the hose? I did. For hours. It is so relaxing to watch the water.
When we move, the number one criteria for our new house will be whether it has a suitable spot for a hammock. This one is perfect and will be hard to duplicate.
Thank you to whoever installed the fire pit at our house. We have really enjoyed it. Also thank you to the makers of the ginormous roasting marshmallows. We have also really enjoyed them.


How do we know summer days are dwindling? That's the combine they are riding in, meaning the middle of harvest season. I love harvest, but a big boo for the end of summer.


How much fun can we cram into these last two weeks? I like fall but I'm sure not ready for summer to leave. I read a research article once that noted that statistics show people's favorite season tends to be the one in which they are born. I think it's true for me (although I'm only a summer baby meteorologically - astronomically I'm spring). I know it's true for Floyd (fall). I'm pretty sure it's going to be true for our swimsuit-loving, shoes-not-wearing July baby Miss Annie too.