Jam-packed July

July held SO MUCH STUFF.  

First, a much anticipated week at MFuge Camp for Noah and Anna in the NC mountains.  It was another great experience for them both and this year neither came home sick.  That was amazing in itself because EVERYONE came home with sicko fevers and crud.  I had flashbacks of Noah coming home with COVID last year.  This year, dodged the bullet(s).

And I was thankful we dodged the camp germ bullet because Anna had surgery the very next day after getting home.  Procedure went smoothly as well as healing and I thank the Lord for answering us favorably in those prayers.

Fourth of July weekend we snagged some tickets on sale to see a play performance of The Hiding Place.  It was great!  Lasa especially was riveted by the whole experience of attending a live performance and by the story.

Some sparklers before settling in to watch Gallatin's fireworks from our pool deck again.

Anna's tie-dye masterpiece camp shirt.  And then we laughed to realize Lasa just so happened to also be wearing her Redeemer shirt at the same time.  Even funnier, I have mine on too as I do this blog post.  Ha!

Josh accomplished a big moving milestone ... finally building a shed and shade house ...

.... that enabled him to move out the shelves and piles of boxes and tools and junk and stuff from the garage and under the house.  Now it's all cleared out in the garage and roomy and we are aren't squeezing around tiny slivers of walk space.  It's glorious. And Josh finds it glorious to be able to locate all his tools again ... only 18 months after moving. 

This month has not been without more bunny drama.  Let's just say, bonding Valley and Millie was a challenge and then it got worse ... as in bloody-levels of bunny violence.  So we have dropped that dream and just set Millie up with her own new private space behind the chicken coop.  We let her and Valley stay separate and they share custody of Luke who we relocate between the two spaces every week so neither gets too lonely.  Bless Luke for being easygoing with EVERYBUNNY.

 

 

Lasa loved the week the big kids were at camp.  Being an only child suits her. 

July saw our very first chicken eggs start to come in, all little and adorable.  They are getting bigger every day.  We are up to 9 a day now.  Have already had a double yolker, too!

 Summer puzzle we have in the works ... 

 

July has held much swimming, of course!

Josh's 44th Birthday goodies!

 

The lovely in-person reconnect with Angelique that I already referenced in Lasa's birthday post!  So very thankful this door is open and active again.

 

A fairy garden birthday party Lasa went to for her friend, Quincy.

 

This guy.  Wears a chain now.  Don't get me started. He only tucked it in to humor me for this pic.  Normally it's out and swinging around his neck in all its glory. Lordhelp.  He keeps on being a working machine - still 40 hours a week.  When he's not working he is taking off to be with friends or playing video games.  I miss him!

 

We cannot get enough of the cats.  They amuse us and we adore them.  We remark on their antics all the time.  They have gotten spoiled being brought into the house to play so often.  This pic was funny because they got stuck out in the run in the rain this night and were pretty soaked for the first time ever.

 

Canning peaches.

 

Best July read for me.  I have been reading up a storm this summer.

Tomatoes finally started coming in.  These were the first few.  Now we have them coming out our ears.  The chickens love how many they get fed because we can't use them fast enough.

Lasa's birthday party, which has its own post of course.  Wanted to document here too.

 

A little blast from the past for a THEN/NOW since this July marked our TWENTIETH anniversary.  Still chewing on that milestone.  Just wow.  Thank you, Lord, for getting us here.

More cats moments.

Watermelon ... homegrown ... so pretty ... and delish.

Canteloupe, also homegrown.

And our first pumpkin!  Josh made two pumpkin pies and an experimental souffle out of this.

 July had us marching right up to BBE to meet Lasa's new teacher at registration.  She was DELIGHTED with who she got ... Mrs. Stansbury.  And to our delight, Mrs. Stansbury was altogether delightful to meet and chat with.  So much friendliness and energy and welcome.  It's gonna be a great year!  First year ever for Lasa to be returning to the school she attented the year before and not starting from scratch. Glad!!

My growing collection of bedside art a la Lasa.

And no summer is complete until we have that one last visit from Emily and the kids for a late-night swim, among all other cousin festivities - movies, makeup, video games, legos, popcorn, cookie making, violin and ukelele, kubota, kitties, gabbing, airsoft guns, music, swims and hot tub.  My personal fave was swimming in the rain with Emily and the littlest kids one morning and enjoying a new-to-me treat, spiked popsicles - ha!  My parents came up the day trip also on the day Emily and the kids left, so that was fun for all. They brought bday gifts for Lasa and took us all out to eat for our anniversary. So nice!

Cannot, cannot, cannot believe how fast summer blew past us.  I think I mourned the whole last week with constant remarks that we needed two more weeks of summer at least.  And I am not even a summer fan! That's how fast it went.  Lasa starting school August 1 was no help either.  Ouch.  Those pics to come with next month's post.  Other July noteworthies include a million drs appts - chiropractor visits, dentist appts, derm appts, Anna surgery appts.  I visited with Emmie one day and ended up naming her new publishing brand for a book she wrote.  Neat! And I sold all our used curriculum ... not counting one box with $250 worth of books that got lost in the mail and I had to refund the buyer.  SAD. It was a whole thing. I am trusting the Lord is using that for some neat purpose that I just can't see from TN.  Ha!

See ya 'round, Summer!