The Rockies

A delivery truck dumped 5 tons of rock in the driveway. We needed to place rocks underneath our deck after two years of trying to grow plants. There was a big drainage and erosion issue; plants were not going to make it. Jeremy had the rocks delivered. It was the best playground the boys have ever experienced. They climbed, rolled and jumped in the large pile. Who could ask for more? We do not need the super deluxe play set from Costco, just deliver some rocks are they are set.

Adventure Mountain

Over the weekend Jeremy, Carter and Luke joined some friends for an adventure in the mountains. It was an action packed day. Riding the ATVs, playing in the dirt, exploring the woods, lots of snacks, scouting for animals and even a rattlesnake (shhh, don't tell my grandmother). The boys and three of the Fetterolf girls were in it for the fun.

Uncle Brian was the superhero of the day, according to Luke, by finding and killing a rattlesnake. Each time the story is told the snake gets bigger and bigger and they were braver and braver!

Hair Accessories

I have finally given in to the fact that I live in a boy’s world.
Everything becomes a fort. Daily exercise includes wrestling. Clean boys can get dirty from the house to the car. Toilet seats are up. I have no hair accessories, anything pink, sparkles, or heaven for bid, princess material!

This is what hair accessories are in my house. Yes, it is safety goggles from the tool set. Luke insisted that he wear them all day. Thankfully he forgot to put them back on after getting dressed.

I love that they wake up everyday expecting that it is an adventure made just for them.

Grow and Grow

The garden is a success! The tomatoes are in and plentiful. The corn is tall and will be ready for some picking. The garden has been a wonderful experience for the boys to plant, care for, watch grow and pick. They enjoy every minute of it and do daily inspections.

Carter and Luke picked tomatoes and found wild blackberries around the yard.

Gotta have the Goggles

Carter started the summer swim lessons. He has been working hard to swim and overcome his cautious personality when trying new things, like swimming without assistance. Apparently swim goggles were the key. With everything going on with Brayden we were unable to go to the pool much last year. This year, we will be there as much as possible.

Day at the Zoo

If you asked Carter if he could go anywhere, where would it be? He would probably say Africa, for a safari, or the zoo. Carter is all about animals. He knew what an Okapi was before he knew his alphabet. His first year of preschool, at 2, they were asked to draw an animal. Most of the class drew dogs or cats. Carter drew a wombat. Luke's love for the zoo is all about the sweet treats, cheetahs and the hippos. We finally made it to the National Zoo in Washington DC. We spent this past weekend roaming around looking at the animals. As always, Brayden was along for the ride and a little taste of a frozen lemonade.

Nothing but Wet

We celebrated Great-Grandpa Jenkins birthday with a pool party. Uncle Russ and Aunt Sandy (now the boys favorite place to go) hosted the party at their home. The children were in the pool for the majority of the night. Brayden even joined the party in the pool. The children begrudgingly came out to eat dinner and later some cake. Luke's last words for the night, as he was fighting to stay awake, mumbled, "That was fun."

Pictures of Great-Grandma Jenkins in the hot tub with the children. Grandpa Warren and Great-Grandpa Jenkins with Brayden.

Grandpa's Incredible Edible Eggs

Tonight was a special night for dinner. Jeremy was working late and the boys (with my suggestion) decided to have breakfast for dinner! They thought it was a fantastic idea, they did not need to know it was because I did not feel like fixing much else. Carter and Luke love to help with the cooking. They were ready for this. The extra special treat was that we used the eggs from Grandpa Warren's chickens. That's right, after moving to Purcellville Grandpa Warren and Grandma Ellie are working their way to becoming suburban farmers! A large garden, beautiful barn and the most adorable hen house you have ever seen. All of the kids love to visit the chickens and collect the eggs. We made our breakfast dinner using those special eggs. Boy was it good!

Chicken photo courtesy of Grandma Ellie

Fun with Fireworks

Our 4th of July celebration was an evening at home with friends, the Drakopoulus family. We have known each other long before kids and over the years been able to get together despite us moving further and further out. Carter thinks Emily, their oldest, is cool for a girl. Jeremy and their son Peter, who has down syndrome, have a special bond and even went for an ATV ride in the rain, upon Peter's request. Luke and the littlest Drakopoulus, Jake, did their best to keep up with the big kids. We love to get together with them.

We had our own fireworks display and it was a huge hit with the kids. Brayden slept in his bed during most of the chaos (it must be nice to be able to sleep so soundly).