Car Talk

Little Dude:  Did you see 'dat?

Me:  See what?

Little Dude:  'Dose army cows??

Me:  Army cows???  What did they look like?

Little Dude:  Black and white.

Me:  Ohhhh....**giggling as I realized exactly what he was talking about***

Summer Nights

The sky looks like the canvas of an artists masterpiece. 

 

Red and pink hues streak the sky as the sun slips just below the horizon.

"Now??" he asks anxiously for the umpteenth time.

"No, not yet," I reply.  I know how excited he is.

The colors in the sky begin to fade and the shadows grow longer and longer.

And then you see one.

Then two.

Then more than you can count. 

Bursts of light begin to twinkle just out our door breaking apart the still, darkness that has engulfed the yard.

Fireflies!

I hear the door slide open and then shut.  

He doesn't even ask to go out.  

Bare feet race across the deck and down the stairs into the summer night air to fulfill the mission of the moment.

I peer through the window from the kitchen, trying to keep an eye on the busyness. 

"I GOT ONE," he exclaims excitedly. 

Proudly, and carefully he slips his new friend into a jar with holes punched on top of the lid.  Again he slips out the door to find another.  He thinks his new friend needs a friend.  

What joy simple little things like lightening bugs can bring to an ordinary summer evening.  It's just about the perfect kind of summer evening there is to be had.  Especially if there's a scoop of ice cream to go with it!

June

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE the month of June???  30-blissful days of being unplugged (except for work.  I was on computer way more this year than in years past.  ICK!) and reconnecting. 

We take this so seriously that even people who come to our house during the month of June have to play along.

Cousins and friends who come over to play, and we even 10 kids we entertained when it was our turn to host for our Babysitting Co-op.

So what all did June entail here at the Yellow House on the Prairie??  (I should rename this blog!  What do you think?)  

Celebrating 15 years of marriage.  I had a conference to leave for that day.  But had flowers waiting for me when I checked into my hotel.  We celebrated when I returned with a Pops Symphony Concert with 

Micheal Cavanaugh and a movie 

Vacation Bible School.  The first one I was 100% responsible for planning and organizing.  It was awesome.  We had over 20 volunteers help to make it what it was.  We had about 60 children and youth and God showed up, that is for sure!

Trip to the zoo with cousins

Lots of games played as a family both inside and out.

 

Day trip to Chicago

 

 

Fireflies and Toads

Evenings at the ball park

Hours spent driving The Boy to and from 2 different camps, weights and conditioning for football, youth group, Village Inn, Friends houses. (Hence the reason there are NO pictures of him.  He hasn't been around much!  SNIFF!!!)

June is over.....but I am looking forward to enjoying July even if there are a few more electronics being used during the month.

End of School

No, the child did not have to stay in school this long.  His mama just didn't get his last day of school pictures up. 

He was excited for summer to begin.  Can you tell???  

We are having so much fun this summer (except when mean mama makes him do math or read) that I doubt this will be the same sort of memory I capture when he returns to school in the fall.