Salmon Pink Children!

A friend invited me over to 'stitch' today and my boys gratefully went along too.

With plenty of backyard, empty lots in every direction, and swimsuits there were endless things to do while the mom's peacefully quilted inside.  (It was heaven!)

The highlights of the day were H2O and wheels!  The house sprinklers entertained them from zone to zone provide a new game each time they changed.  First it was ride your bike through the sprinklers, then it was fill the water squirters with the sprinklers, last was the best...Swing-set and sprinklers!  By the end of the day my previously lilly white bottom boys were salmon pink and smiling from ear to ear!  Definitely a good day for all!

Secret Writing Society

Novel Writer :

Brandon and his marry band of writers were hard at work this week!  The official meeting 'spot' for his band of neighborhood writers is right in our back yard.  There's shade, chairs, and an endless supply of freezy-pops for anyone who wants to join!  

I have gotten so many chuckles from Brandon and his 'secret writing club'.  He organized the neighborhood kids and had them bring various supplies to help him write a novel.  I wish I could get a picture of all of them together, but it's supposed to be a 'secret writing club!'  With my youngest as my spy, I got a few pix of part of the group, and I sent out 'word' that when the finished their Novel I would publish it in a real book.  Way exciting for this little band of aspiring writers!

Blessed by Bouquet

Blessings is the theme for my posts this week.  On the Fourth of July I met two of the most amazing families, our new OMFS Residents this year.  We chatted all day and I invited all the OMFS Resident wives to pop on over this week to learn how to make Jewelry.  Natalie took me up on my offer and we had an evening filled with laughs, concentration, and shared stories.  By the end of the evening we both knew that we were kindred spirits and that this friendship adventure would be more than just a year long.  To prove my point, I was awoken the next day by a smiling face and friendly 'good-morning' breakfast bouquet.  Hand made with all of our favorite fruit, Natalie got up early and blessed our home with this beautiful treat!  The kids and I decided that this gesture of goodness had to be celebrated!  We had a 'Pajama Holiday'  snuggling in for a good movie (the last wimsy) and eating our lip- smacking- good fruit kabobs while staying in our PJ's till afternoon.  Ahh, the blessings of summer, friends, and family!

Tyler and Brandon Blessings

This week I feel So blessed!  

Tyler, my resident comedian, brought me so much joy just watching him play.  He came up to me and asked me if he could get the bubbles out.  Of course, I said yes, and when I checked on him an HOUR later, he was still blowing bubbles.  He figured out how to blow different shapes of bubbles, how much pressure it took to build a mound of bubbles, how HIGH he could get the mound before it toppled over, and how far the bubbles from different bubble solutions would go.  BTW, Gymborree won across the board!  He IS my little entertainer, all I have to do is pull up a chair and watch!

Brandon, on the other hand is my dose of practicality and reason.   He's always moving me with his kind gestures  and unbelievable  imagination.  Last week he endured some heart-ache when his lego airplane was broken apart at our Fourth of July party.  So this week, my little optimist saw this as an opportunity to 'trip out his plane.'  He fitted the airliner with several lego men from Pilot to Gunners and took it on an excursion around the yard 'just to  test it out.'  The detail and thought behind each piece he added was so fascinatingly meticulous that I had to expose it in a serious of photographs.  Ahh, the imagination of my little ones!

Frog Hunting

Then came the notorious 'Frog Hunting'!  With jars in hand and plastic sandals, hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the lake we go!  It was a dry season and the lake had subsided quite a bit this year leaving the once bottom of the lake now an exposed MUD pit.  Perfect for frog hunting!  GOTCHA!

The Extreme Sport of Water Fighting

Jack and Brandon took the hose to a whole new 'sport' level!

Cooling off at the Lake

Next was the 'cooling off' games.  The water slide and hose provided hours of entertainment and laughter for ALL!  I died laughing at the boys and their antics while totally engrossed in their play!

Baseball at the lake

The boys arrived and jumped right in!  They played baseball like pros in the 100+ heat! Scoring run after run with Nancy and Dick's grandson Jack, they managed to wear us all out!

Shell Lake Fishing

This past week we spent time at dear friends (Stanley's) Lake house in Shell Lake, WI.  WOW what a summer it's been so far!

New Resident Picnic

We had our yearly new resident picnic for OMFS at our house this year on July 4th.  It was HOT, but a ton of fun!  There were little ones all over the house and yard making their own fun by running the chevron cars down the stairs, pulling each other's pants down, and taking the beverage bucket to a whole new level.  Once the floodgates and imaginations were opened, the party really got Going!  A few hours and a few towels later, the kids were exhausted and so were we!  With a little cleaning up, a good nights rest, and a road trip it was off to our next adventure...Shell Lake, WI on July 5th.

Jan Feb March 07

Want to see pictures from our adventures in Jacksonville, FL during the Winter this year?

Check out my other posts and keep in touch! www.impressivelysimple.com or

http://web.mac.com/michellenoffze/iWeb/Impressively%20Simple%20Designs/Inspirations.html