Catchin' Up on Odds 'n Ends

Noah is back on the baseball scene.  Had his first practice on Friday and has two more coming at him this week.  Excited! 

We joined a SS class at our church and are encouraged by the friends we have been getting to know. We think we are just about ready to join the church finally. :) Signed up for a church retreat next month. Hit up a church picnic this past weekend.  Will likely check out some weekly community groups this fall, too.  Really liking the people and faith and activity we see there.

Josh is a kayaking machine.  He's been kayaking every weekend since he got his.  And we just booked a camping trip right on the water at another state park for October.  Anna even did this artwork to accompany her C seat work at school.  I submit this piece as evidence of the "ciyak" fever that has taken over my people.

Noah starts his co-op next week and is REALLY excited to get that show on the road.  Seeing Anna drop off at Union every day has him longing for his own school scene again. Besides that, he and I are chugging along with his 2nd/3rd grade work at home.  

COUNTING DOWN til Labor Day weekend when my sister and her family will be coming up for a 3 day visit! Then Josh's dad is biking up here for a visit the following weekend. 

Anna is rocking the kindergarten thing.  We are looking forward to hearing more from her teacher's perspective at a conference in a couple weeks.  In the meantime, I enjoy snippets of her day from her very detailed recountings and from her class's web page.

Our cucumbers have passed away on us.  I guess it was time.  And our corn has all been eaten up by now.  It was a good summer run with those!  Our tomatoes are still thriving and our watermelons are growing bigger by the week.  We couldn't hold off any longer though and sampled one last week.  DUHlish!

Noah got glasses for an astigmatism (and how adorable is he?!) and Anna is about to start visiting the chiropractor for help with her allergies.  I am trying everything I can to avoid committing her to allergy shots. : /

I am crocheting every free minute I can get.  Working on a blanket of colors that Anna picked out herself.  So far, I have these stripes and another red one (not pictured) completed.

Fun fact - I devoured a cup of boiled peanuts recently and it was HEAVENLY.  I haven't had those in over 8 years!  And then I cloroxed like a madman to keep any traces of peanut away from Noah.  Josh still gave me the evil eye about it.  But it was so worth it.

We are gonna go broke on birthday party and baby shower gifts.  But I remind myself how blessed we are by such sweet friends and such celebratory moments to share in.  There are two more parties waiting in the wings for these kiddos of mine.

Anna is loving the skills she keeps honing at gymnastics.  Braver and stronger every week!

And, as ever, there is much Lego work being done around here.

This is Josh, I am told.  I think he pegged Daddy to a T.

Josh and the kids caught a bunny in our backyard and held him and pet him and then released him/her to return to her baby bunnies which we see often as well.  Somewhere, Chewie is going bonkers at the thought.  Which reminds me, last week there was a dried up half of a mole on our back patio.  I have NO idea what that is about or how it got there.  Spooky.

Also, it's been almost 4 months since I last ran.  I am gearing up mentally to get back on it next week. Otherwise, my non-running months will outnumber my running months this year. :}  Can't have that!