Over Memorial Day weekend we had the opportunity to meet up with some good friends of ours while they were camping, at a camp ground, in the next town over from our house. It was fun to go up and make s'mores and fellowship.
I would have had some pictures of our older kids playing, but they were all over the place, and anytime they saw Mrs. G or I, ran like a bunch of lunatics in the opposite direction.
I've been trying to get some sewing done as well. This is a wonderful quilt pattern that I have been using lately. This top, pictured, is now completely pieced, sandwiched, basted, and ready to quilt. Now just to find the time to do it!
I bought this intriguing piece at a yard sale. I have NO clue what is really is, but I put it to good use.
These are several quilt tops ready to be quilted, some fabric I have to make Jerusha a nightgown, and a partial bolt of blue fabric for making culottes for the girls.
Elizabeth made these "skinny meatloaf cupcakes" one day. They were delicious! The base is meatloaf, and the top is mashed sweet potato. Very filling and nutritious.
This is a felted bag I started back last winter, I think, Esther and Elizabeth we working on theirs. I had finished the knitting and the felting a while back, then got sidetracked as I considered the strap and if I wanted lining in it. The fabric in the strap I love. The pic really doesn't do the colors justice.
I intend to use it as a small project bag. As you can see from the pic above, I can knit right from it, yarn in the bag, and instructions, etc. The strap was a little wider than I needed, but overall, I am ridiculously pleased with it.
Here I made some swim shorts for Benjamin. He chose the fabric. And he realllllly wanted a pocked, which I did add.
I also made Jerusha a swim outfit. She has such a pretty smile. Too bad she didn't give me one for this picture! Trust me, she was very pleased with the swim "dress".
I'm just about finished with Esther and Elizabeth's swim suits. Why all the rush for the swim suits? Oh, didn't I tell you what we bought the kids for their birthday bash?
A Pool!
Oh yes, 24 foot by 52 inches of wonderful water. However, some excavating has been necessary. Somehow the kids seemed very motivated to help clear the area.
We have the entire circle clear now, and need to level it off, but we have had day after day of rain and mist so that I wonder what we even bothered with the pool for. It is still early in the summer yet, and we could have some very hot, humid weather coming, so we are glad to get the grunt work out of the way now.
We had the Birthday bash June 1st. That was fun! We had a pinata for the kids, a cookout, and a MAJOR water gun/balloon fight that would have made my dad proud. Within the first 10 minutes I was totally, utterly, undeniable drenched. The cake was made by a neighbor who is good at such things. The inside was camouflage ( the theme of the party this year) and it was soooo yummy!
This summer our lives are basically wrapped up with camp. To help defray the cost of sending 6 or our 7 children to camp a couple of times each, I am volunteering as much as I can, and have gladly volunteered Benjamin, Josiah, Esther, and Elizabeth to help out when they aren't being campers. The girls will be helping in the kitchen and the boys do whatever Mr.Greene tells them to. So basically, the five of us are owned by God's Adventure Camp for the next couple of months. Not a bad thing, in my opinion! This week kicked it off with Horse Day Camp on Monday and Tuesday for 8 to 12 year olds. It was fun! Each day went from 9 to 5 and the children were taught about the parts of the saddle and bridle, how to groom and care for their horse, to put on the saddle and bridle, and of course, how to ride.
I haven't been on a horse in a while, except for last November, and that wasn't very long. But after spending two days around the horses, I have to say, I think I am becoming a little addicted. My favorite horse right now is Shadow. She is a sweet thing, and loves to be brushed. She almost fell asleep the first day while I was grooming her. She is very gentle, an little pudgy, but her coat is very sleek. She hates ring work, and I spent most of my time in the ring on her just trying to get her to walk forward. I think she believes it is beneath her. On the trail, she is wonderful. When she isn't trying to eat every single leaf in sight, and snapping twigs back in my face and soaking me from the recent rain... but that is another story. She is most definitely my favorite.
Jerusha and Caleb both joined in on the fun, and Jerusha fell in love with her horse, Pippy. Caleb had some struggles with Sun Dancer. Now if you remember, Sun Dancer was the one I struggled with back in November. I think he did a much better job with him than I did!
Just look at that face! She was up at O'darkthirty Monday and Tuesday mornings chomping at the bit to get to camp. (Yeah, that pun was unfortunately intended. Sorry.) Too bad she wasn't excited about it, eh?
Caleb on Sun Dancer in the ring. Yes, we fixed his helmet. I didn't get any trail rides because I was on them, and didn't take the camera with me.
Each day we walked the horses around the ring for warm up.
Jerusha on Pippy (right) and one of the other campers. This girl was at most 4 and a half feet tall. She is riding Titan, who is almost 17 hands! He is really just a big baby, though. She did wonderfully on him.
The Heritage Singers were at camp both days for devotions and they sang and played and it was a blessing to hear them. On Monday night, after a day at camp, we attended the church they were singing at, which also happens to be the same church that the Christian school is in. After the service, they allowed the kids to try some of their instruments.
At first this kind lady let Isaac just try the little mouth piece. After he got some squawk out of it he looked at her in wonder and said, "There's a duck in there!" Then she put the trumpet together. You know what? That little bugger actually got some respectable sound out of it! (And to you grandparents who are thinking about, "Oh, let's buy him one" .... FORGET IT! You know who you are. )
Just a few weeks ago Josiah said he wanted to learn the cello. Well, he got a chance to try one at least!
A face only a mother could love, eh?
I don't think Isaac cares that the instrument is bigger than he is!
Jerusha, who stayed awake like a trooper after a busy day at camp, fared pretty well with the trumpet too.
Caleb really took to it! I was kidding around with Mrs. Greene, who does the music stuff at school, wondering if the band had a trumpet player, and she said, "Oh, I have a trumpet he can borrow for the summer to play with!"
I laughed.
I shouldn't have.
We left later with her trumpet, in its case, in Caleb's hand. Unfortunately she forgot to include the earplugs. :/
This was at camp today. This is Rodney. He is play a Ukaline (I'm not sure of the spelling on that) that belongs to the Greenes. It is a very pretty instrument, and very unusual.
Oh I almost forgot. During the services Monday night, each of the Heritage team members introduced themselves then gave an interesting fact about themselves. Rodney's was that he could frown and smile at the same time. Then he said he wasn't going to do it right then, but would show anyone who asked after service.
Oh yeah, I asked.
Tomorrow we drop Benjamin off to camp for Wilderness week, which actually only goes until Saturday. Meantime, the rest of us are skipping town going up to visit my mother in law in NY, and also my brother in law and his family. We haven't seen them in a very long time, and it will be good to see them again. After we return Saturday, it is a mad dash to get ready for Sunday, and then Monday, the twins and I are off to camp. This time it is Teen Horse Camp, and we'll be gone all week. I'll be a counsellor, and the girls will be helping with the kitchen work and whatever else they are needed to do.
I know this post was long and picture heavy, but if you could see all the pictures I didn't add in, you'd think twice about that opinion. Hopefully, the next post won't be so long, as I hope to update once a week on the weekends. We have LOTS going on this summer, and lots of adventures ahead of us!
Have a blessed evening!
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