June Family Visits

We had a fun string of Groves family visits this month!  We are grateful they are all willing to drive long distances to join in our chaos for a few days, and love the relationships our kids have with all of them. 

Uncle Alden & Aunt Taylor

They came to Emily's last Morning Sing, and her class sang a sweet goodbye song to Emily's teacher, Mrs. Grennan, who was a long-term sub.

Alden had the best little confused look Uncle Alden responded to his standard "what's your name?" with: "my name is.... Alden!"

reading Grandpa Groves' old comic books from the 60's!

Granny

Granny also gets bonus points because she did Emily's lipgloss making craft with the girls... we'd given her for her birthday and I'd been dreading it.  ;)

Auntie Eowyn & Uncle Ben

Showing them the Quiet Garden

I think he's ready for fatherhood...

Daytrip to Derry for brunch with most of the gang, and to meet 2nd-cousin Renee

fun to see Alasdair as the 'old' dad - took the crying baby and had her asleep in his arms within minutes. :)

Last Day of School

June 15

At the school picnic the last week of school, we had separate conversations with both girls teachers, and each told me how much whichever girl she had clearly loved her sister, that they talk about each other all the time.  It made me so happy. 

Adara actually finished a week before this, but I forgot to take a picture!  On her last day, we went to a coffee shop to celebrate, since drinking 'coffee' together is one of Adara's love languages.

(I'm not sure this video is working on the blog, but I'll have our June photos and videos up soon.)

Emily turned 7!

This sweet smart girl is seeming so old to me lately!

bird craft and birthday questions on video:

 

Mallory and Leigha rode home on the bus with her to play and we had pancakes for dinner. It was a good day. 

 

experiments with chalk, and playing with balloons

Skip-it

A story from a few weeks later that is so Emily...

Emily came to me very seriously after her quiet time and told me that she deserved a consequence because she'd snuck out of the playroom and taken Daddy's chess set, "because I just wanted to play so badly." She'd found a chess book on the shelf (geared at older kids but called "how to beat your dad at chess") and and wanted to try out what it said. I love her sensitive conscience. and that this is the kind of trouble she gets into. ;)

Here she is later reading about some series of moves and playing out the scenario with Dad.

I'm so happy to have her home for the summer!

Summer!

The girls are down to their last week of school, the weather is warm, and we couldn't be happier that it's summer!  The first weeks back at the farm and the first trip to the lake make it official. :)

 Emily was brave and friendly, introducing herself to the farmers and asking all kinds of questions about chickens and vegetables.  Look how old she is!!

Mom & dad were away (Alden kept saying, "Where's Papa? Papa's in Italy!") so we met Mike & Bekah & co. for Memorial Day weekend.  This was truly felt like vacation and I said happily to Bekah at one point, "There are no babies here!"  to which Alden responded, "I'm the baby, right dere!"

A few quiet moments before the cousin fun began...

playing in Baxter's cage (Bekah's sister Rachel's dog).  i know we have a picture like this somewhere of Emily in Beau's cage (cousin Tom & Leslie's dog)

putting together our new porch swing, which we love! sometimes when we drive away, alden looks back and says, "bye bye bench swing, I love you so much."

Ice cream for dinner on Memorial Day

 

I tried to take a picture of her pretty post-braids hair, but she was more interested in her dead worm.  typical. ;)

 

The sunsets have been beautiful on my evening walks lately.

 Some sweet time with these two lately.

Nico

We got to have cousin Nico overnight recently, and it was SO fun to watch my girls care for him, and the boy cousins start to play together.  Granny was here too, so it was extra easy. :) 

classic attempt at a photo of all the grandkids