So Long June!

June has just flown by!  Lots of fun, simple times have kept us busy.  School will be starting in some form or another soon, but before then I am looking forward to making more memories. I haven't worn anything but t-shirts and shorts for months now!  I am afraid I am going to have a hard time getting back to normal.

Lindsey shared these pictures today.  The kids loved this spontaneous trip to the new splash pad!

These two sweet people spent 3 days here and devoted 21 hours to painting Papa's house.  We could not appreciate it more!  Three out of four bedrooms, the hallway, dining room, foyer, a bathroom and the ceilings and trim now look awesome!!  Did I mention that we are remodeling the house?  I will devote more time to that later, but so far we have done extensive yard work (Just trying to get it manageable again-Caleb has led the way with the yard work.), fixed extensive damage to the exterior done by squirrels, painted the entire exterior, (I highly recommend a sprayer.), built and painted new shutters, replaced a ceiling, fixed a drainage issue on the roof of the front and back porches, (That had been an issue for years.), and a thousand other little things.  We still have a long way to go, but it's great to see the progress.  Much more to come on that!

Hard at work!  We visited often to check in on them and to keep them fed. 

Today was haircut day for the boys!

I got to hang out with these two cuties today!

These guys have gone home, but will be back this weekend.  They were enjoying a little cousin time here with John Sawyer.  Below they are playing a game with Alexa!

Is there anything more fun than getting pulled around in a clothes basket?

Checking out Baby Jack!

Precious!

We squeezed in a river trip, and Lillian got up on her first try skiing!  Amazing!  

And we always manage to fit in lots of pool time!

                                   We have a fun Fourth planned, and can't wait to celebrate!

Happy Father's Day

It just doesn't seem possible that we only take one day to celebrate the wonderful fathers in our family.  We are truly blessed!  Josh, Caleb and Reed are all totally devoted to their families and live by example. We are all better because of their love, leadership, and commitment to our family.  You are loved and appreciated! Enjoy your special day!

Thanks for all you do!  Happy Father's Day!

Six

Happy sixth birthday to our sweet, loving, adventurous, talkative, never a dull moment Reed!  Six years has just flown by. For his birthday this year, we went on a little kayaking trip.  My last adventure (which was in a canoe) like this was over 20 years ago, and was a disaster.  I am happy to say that we had a wonderful time, and I didn't fall out once.  More importantly, Reed had a wonderful time!  It was the perfect way to celebrate a special birthday.

Pop and I headed out very early Sunday morning and met the guys somewhere in Coosa County on the Hatchet Creek.  I did point out that this wasn't like the creeks we had here.  In some places, it was as wide as our river.  It was a very peaceful and beautiful little journey.

Before we headed out, he opened a couple of presents from us-including a folding rod and reel and a container of crickets! The girls and Reed were able to catch a few fish from the landing before we left.

Lillian does not like anything pertaining to fishing or hunting, but she actually caught the first fish.

And we were off!  Isn't this beautiful?  Nice and smooth ride!  Perfect for this Nana.  

We made a couple of snack stops, and Reed and Josh made a couple of fishing stops.  They also made a little log stop.

We are definitely a water family, but this is not the way Pop and I usually enjoy it.  Lindsey and her family have gone on numerous trips this summer.  It's been a great activity for them during quarantine. I enjoyed it so much, and hope for another trip soon.  I don't think I'm ready for the rapids yet, but I'd love another trip like this! Pop was our photographer for the day. 

We ended the day at a neat little landing, and enjoyed hotdogs, cake, smores and a little more fishing!  It was the perfect end to a perfect day!

They are enjoying another day today (his actual birthday) with another kayaking trip on Lake Martin. Happy Birthday sweet boy!  We love you so much! 

Summer Fun

One might think that I would have really been on top of blogging with the pandemic.  That simply hasn't been the case.  Once again, I find myself catching up!  I am still working from home, enjoying my grandchildren, and easing into the routine of summer. 

I think it's safe to say that Lillian's eighth birthday is one she will never forget.  Lindsey and Josh surprised her with a party with 2 of her very best friends.  She had not seen them since the second week of March, and had no idea they were coming.  They were thrilled to see each other, and had a great time.

Sweet Friends

There were presents.

Water balloons, swimming and more!

Lillian didn't know Pop and I were coming either.  She happened to be in the driveway when we pulled up, and took off running when she saw us!  I think she was pretty surprised.

Little Jack is growing and changing each day.  John Sawyer has been the perfect big brother!

These guys are rapidly becoming expert kayakers!  They are loving their adventures.

They have also been going on some pretty awesome bike rides, too.

We are thrilled that they are here for a visit right now.  We are trying to get in some pool time in between rain showers! 

Never a dull moment!

Love these sweet babies!