The End

Our summer ended with Buffalo Hunt with Dad. What a fun memory.

In all of Kevin's years at Pine Cove, he has never participated in Buffalo Hunt. So, the Towers staff initiated him by tackling him and clobbering him with mud.

Then they told him he would be the prize Buffalo for the campers. Little did Kevin know what was to come.

Wow, an early picture of the way it is

Six words. That's where it all began....



"Can you come over to play?" And with his question, Walker thought a simple answer might come back. Nope. And what followed is what I saw again as the difference between men and women.

1) Walker used 6 words. His friend, a girl, on the other end of the phone then rambled for two minutes about how mom is laying on the couch, not feeling well...blah blah blah. He looked at me, confused. I told him to get used to it. Women will make their point more thoroughly and expressively than he.

2) Once agreeing to come over, I saw Walker jump into action as he ran to put on his nice clothes, thus trying to impress her. Man, I guess that begins at a young age.

3) He's never really been interested in his sunglasses. But for whatever reason, he ran to put them on, then insisted that while he waited for her to get here, he ride his bike around our driveway. I guess that's where peacocks learned to strut their feathers, by watching young boys.

4) After a few times around the driveway, he asked me why she was taking so long. Oh boy. "Walker", I said, "get used to it." "This is what it will be like the rest of your life." For now, he didn't understand.

5) Seeing her walk up to the end of the driveway he raced toward her on his bike, only to quickly pass her up and keep going down the road. Ahhh. He did the right thing. He can't really show her his excitement. It has to look like she is coming to join him in his adventure, rather than his adventure being about her. Well done.

6) Unfortunately, the scary similarities didn't end there. After coming inside to begin "sharing" their friend over a good puzzle, Miller took initiative, when Walker wasn't looking to offer another suggestion. "Mags, why don't me and you go play with Tinker Toys instead of doing the puzzle."

And so it begins. The beginning phone call to the sibling rivalry. Lord, give us the wisdom we need to train up these boys to be Godly men.....

TIME FLIES

She is trying to stand up in her crib, but will now have to learn how to get down.

I walked into the den and was so surprised to see them both
laying like this watching a show together.

Wow! I can't believe that summer is almost over! We are at the end of week 10. Only one week left.
So much has happened over the last several weeks of camp. There have been many great and funny memories. What I am most amazed by, is that our children are growing up so quickly. To think that I was pregnant six months ago. So much has happened.
Maddry had her six month check-up today. She is 16lb 11oz (65%) and 27in (85%). Her personality is joyful and content. She is already a mover. She is crawling slowly and sitting herself up on her own. Then I go and get her up from nap a couple of days ago and she is up on her knees in the crib. She just wants to keep up with her brothers.
I'm so glad that she has big brothers. They are both so helpful and love to help me with her and love to make her laugh and smile. I have been so impressed by how nurturing Walker and Miller have been with her. We are blessed and I am so grateful for the honor of being a a mommy.

The King of Deceit

Well, my Friday started off as any other day of the week. Kids, breakfast, straighten house, shower and finish up the grocery list. Our Pine Cove nanny, Haleigh, came over about nine and Miller and I promptly left for the "the big shop" at Walmart. The shopping went okay considering Miller wanted to go home right after we got there, and then of course he had to poop, and in the porcess I lost my grocery list. I got most of what I needed and Miller made it home with a happy heart as we sang the to the new Pine Cove cd at the top of our lungs. I get home and begin unloading groceries, kissing on Maddry, listening to the stories Walker is telling me about all the fun things he and Haleigh did. I'm hungry and weariness is setting in, but I'm pushing through because Haleigh and I had decided to put the last coat of paint in the bonus room. Haleigh was a busy bee that morning making six loaves of banana bread as well as tending to two children. I was impressed and a little sad because I felt that I missed out on all the fun at home.
So then, the plan was set... feed the kids, play for few, and the kids go down and we then conquer the painting. I was getting geared up..., the phone rings and my friend Laura calls and says she really needs girl time, and that I need to pick her up at McCallisters in thirty minutes. I had a hard time shifting gears and realizing the painting would not get done. It felt like a whirlwind of craziness. Trying to finish the putting up the groceries, feeling bad that I was leaving the kids and again, and then Kev comes home and is shooing me out so that the road guys we could fix our driveway. I leave and am catching my breath and pick up Laura. We end up have a great time shopping and looking at fabric. I get home at three and Kevin is pulling in the driveway. I told him I had to leave in an hour for a one-on-one with a couselor from the Towers. We are looking at mail and catching up on the day, when Haleigh mentions she thinks that the washer smells like mold and mildew. I was so bummed and walked into the laundry room to smell the machine and I screamed, choked, and almost peed in my pants when I saw the brand new front loader washer and dryer. I was so shocked and then the events of the day began to make since. I was tearing up and then Kevin teared up. It was amazing gift. Kevin gloated the rest of the day calling himself the King of Deceit. He loves to surprise me with gifts that he knows will bless me. I am truly blessed. Doing laundry is probably my favorite chore if I had to pick one, and now its definitely my favorite. I love hearing the the fun chimes, knowing that hardly any water is being used and we are also using the dryer less. I LOVE IT.