Girls' Summer Slumberin'

(Yes, still catchin' up from summer!)

 

All three of my girls  .  .  .

  

 

 

 

Oh, and these two, also.

 

Tree House Time

Chad's priority project before having his knee surgery (on right knee) this summer was accomplished while wearing a medical "boot" on his left foot due to a bad ankle.  (Yes, he turned 40 this May, and apparently his warranty has expired.)  Anywho, down with the old and increasingly rickety swing set and up with a new one and monster treehouse!  [Special thanks to Dana "Bud" Dale for his carpentry expertise and to Chris "Strongman" Seider for his ability to lift and hold the boards and pieces that I (Sherry) could not!]

 

 

In progress  .  .  .

 

 

 

Mom makes the boys pause in this great lighting, and wouldn't you know it,

they actually quasi-cooperated and I got a fun shot!

 

 

The finished beast  .  .  .

 

 

 

Sometimes the kids come up here just to read or

 look upward through the branches and leaves.

 

 

Or spy down on whoever might be below.

 

 

Miss Anna's July 4th

Okay, so much for the previous "I'm ba-ack."  Apparently the new normal is that I disappear for long stretches of time.  Too, too, too durned much on my plate.  And I've finally had enough of there being more than enough of too much.  So, here I blog this weekend -- a bunch at a time, and it's feelin' good.  (It's fun; it's quiet time.  It makes me feel like me.) I won't post all now; will parsel them out over time from the hidden stash of entries.  I know y'all don't really wanna read 11 posts in one sitting.

Here is Lady Anna on her most recent birthday.  July 4th.  Okay, I get it.  I didn't say "recent."  I said "most recent."  So, I'm still really behind on things.  It's only, um, oh, yeah OCTOBER!  Anyway, she enjoyed her special day, with her "big" gift being funds toward her spring 2013 school trip to Washington DC.

 

And, yes, she's pretty much past the whole doll thing, but you know, when a child (even though now a teen) goes so many years missing out on what we (in the US) think of as "standard kid stuff," she deserves to be able to go back and "catch up" a bit.  Honestly, how many of us, adults, don't still love childish things?  I'm sure every G.I. Joe toy in the boys' playroom was purchased by Chad with ONLY Hunter and Jameson's interests at heart, right? (wink)  Oh, and, um, maybe I liked the doll just a little, too?