Food, Friends, Fun and Sun!

Before I add more pictures to my overwhelmed hard drive, I'm sorting through some that I never actually got to during 2011! The girls are none too thrilled that I forgot to share their Homeschool Summer Picnic at Oaks Park! We had such a fun day...picnics, 3 legged races, freeze tag, potato races, a watermelon eating contest (go, Elora!) and more all with friends old and new. Seleia's BF's Mikaela and Danie and Elora's BF, the lovely Rose, were there to share in the fun. And then, of course, there were the rides! WE can't wait to organize the 2nd annual summer picnic!

Elora and the Slip n' Slide

For those of you who may not know, little Miss Elora can be very....well, enthusiastic. (She will either be President or an aerobics instructor. Seriously.) When she met the giant Slip and Slide at a friend's party recently she could not get enough. She ignored the cake.  She ignored the candy.  She ignored the games. She didn't want to miss one glorious second of sliding down a hill on a giant sheet on 6 ml. plastic. (Note to self: next year don't buy a Slip n' Slide-ours barely got used- go to the Home Depot and buy a roll of plastic sheeting.  Who knew?). She organized slip and slide games and got entire groups of kids going in lines while holding hands. There were tangles of kids all running and going together at her instruction. General hilarity ensued. Ahhh, simple pleasures.

This Evening

 This evening was just one of those nights. Too hot to get much of anything done, the swimming pool beckoning us after dinner. We skipped the dishes, headed outside, and enjoyed what is sure to be one of our last summer evenings this year. Sleepy baby soaked himself in the kiddie pool almost immediately, so skinny dipping seemed the way to go. He splashed and played and squealed with glee before heading over to cheer on his sisters' lively game of 'monkey-in-the-middle'. And cheer he did, with great enthusiasm. Then he crawled around, explored, and was happy to find a lone plastic dinosaur, left behind from one of yesterday's games. After climbing on and off of the little tykes picnic table a few times, greater mischief soon found him and, after checking if anyone was looking, he headed for his favorite thing...the stairs. After reaching the top he surveyed his little kingdom and found, right at his feet, three little pots full of glorious dirt.
He played with it, talked to it, and had the best time any little boy could possibly ask for, before finishing the evening off with one very thorough bubble bath and falling fast, fast asleep.

And Everyone Else Was There Too

Photos simply cannot do justice to the real beauty of a summer sunset over the sea. God indeed had His almighty paintbrushes out and was working a masterpiece, while we simply got to enjoy the magnificence of it. The way the colors would change in the sky and the water, the birds flying over the horizon, the salt spray coming in on the wind...the royal oranges and reds, pinks and purples, yellows and blues all danced in the sky and skipped over the waves until they finally said their farewells. Then the North Head Lighthouse took center stage, shining its beacon to ships out at sea and all the while winking it's welcome, as if to say, "It's good to see you, old friend." The girls jumped in the waves and ran on the sand, full of delight while the baby giggled with glee and yelled at the waves in the background. We waited until the sun had well set and headed back through the tall grass to spend more time together...in front of the campfire and away from the world! Nights like these make everything else worthwhile.