wo-jo family reunion in heber

(Aunt Haylee and her look-alike, Emmy)

 

Back in June, we headed to the mountains with the WO-JO family and had a super fun time.  Of course, it doesn't really matter where we go with our family, we always have fun! 

 

  

 

One of the highlights was the SKIP-IT, a handy little toy that goes around the ankle- the object is to get it moving in a circular motion and skip over it with the other foot each time it comes around.  Some of the kids spent hours each day trying to increase their score, and so of course Aunt Haylee had to get involved in the competition.  One afternoon all the adults (except me, because I'm a party pooper!) gave it a whirl.  Needless to say, we laughed really hard.

 (Little Josh and Sam, best buddies!)

Another day we went to the nearby community pool.  Everyone had a great time!

 

This picture of Emmy and Claire made me smile.  One morning I went upstairs to check on Claire and she was sitting by the doorway of the bedroom crying.  She told me that a bee had stung her.  Sure enough, when I checked her bed there were two dead wasps underneath where she was sleeping and she had been stung twice in her sleep.  Darn wasps, anyway.

 

We had a great time and the kids were sad to go home, as always.  These weekends with their cousins is something they look forward to all year long!



amen.

summer days at the farm

 



Here are a few more pictures of our summer days at the farm.  The girls had fun collecting eggs, chasing peacocks, panning for gold, and showing people around.  I had to laugh when, one afternoon I was in the farmhouse kitchen and here came Claire and her two new "friends".  She was giving quite the tour.  She came barrelling through the door with them close behind, with her talking a million words per minute.  She pointed as she talked, "And this is the stove, that's the warmer where they cooked the babies, this is the where we start the fire, that's the I don't know, that's the I don't know. . . ."  The man and his wife (who were visiting from Germany and spoke just a little English, just looked at me and smiled.  "She is a brilliant guide!" he said. 

Of course, I had to watch out the window after they left the farmhouse.  She continued her tour, showing them the chicken coup, the summer kitchen, and then giving them a detailed lesson on how to laundry by hand.  She couldn't reach the clothes line to hang up the shirts she had just washed, so she made several attempts at chucking them up and over, hoping they caught on the line at some point.  If nothing else, she was good entertainment.  When I went outside to rescue her sweet new friends, they asked me to get a picture with their favorite tour guide.

 

Claire also met Jack the donkey this summer.  Supposedly, he was kept as a pet inside a ladies house (!) and has a fondness for little girls.  It was pretty crazy to watch the two of them when  Claire went inside his pen.  He would come over and snuggle right up to her, and stay that way as long 'til she left.  Pretty cute.

We were excited when Aunt Kelsey and Gray came to visit, along with Aunt Kerri and her boys.  The girls had a great time showing them around.  I think it just happened to be the hottest day we have ever spent at the farm, so we were all melting!  It was so fun to have some familiar faces!

poor sam

The girls were bored one day and this is what happened.  Yeah, we had to put a stop to this one. . .

more pictures from ryenne's birthday. . .

 

little ballerina

Yesterday Claire went to ballet class for the first time.  Officially, that is.  (She has been a student in our imaginary, sister-taught classes for years!)  "Real" ballet classes are a major deal- she's been waiting to be a "big girl" (five years old is the magic age at our house) for a looooooong time!  She woke up at sunrise for her big day, and was so excited for 4:00 to roll around.  She's even been praying for the past week or so that she will learn everything she needs to learn at ballet.  Her excitement has been contagious and we've all become excited to see her dance her little heart out in a real ballet class.

When the magic hour finally rolled around, she looked as cute as can be in her little black leotard, pink tights and tiny blond bun.  I walked her in, helped her find a bin for her things, get her slippers on, and then left her in Miss Michelle's care.

When I arrived at the studio at the end of class, I watched as Claire came out with the hugest smile on her face.  I helped her take off her ballet slippers and replace them with sandals.  And then?  I was lucky enough to see one of those moments.  You know the kind.  One of those magical little moments that imprints on your memory so you can tuck it away in a special place in your heart.  I like to pull those little moments out and relive them on those days when I need something to smile about. 



Claire walked close to her teacher and asked in a quiet little voice, "Miss Michelle?"

Her sweet teacher got down on her knees so she could look right into her eyes.  "Yes, Claire?" 

With that reassurance, Claire threw her arms around Miss Michelle and gave her a big bear hug.  Then, snuggled into her neck she said, "I love your ballet class."



So happy that little Miss Claire finally gets to be a real ballerina.

kung-fu

Today during church Sam had a treat someone had given him and of course, Claire wanted a taste.


She worked him over in her sweetest sing-song voice.  "Please Sam?  Can I have some?  I'm your favorite sister!" 

Then came the kicker, "I taught you kung-fu!"




Silly me.  Here I have a Kung-Fu master in my midst, and I didn't even know it.