My last minute attempt to get in all the July news

So I've been slacking off here, as I mentioned in my last blog. I have a TON of pics to show you...so hopefully if time keeps permitting, I'll get to them in the next couple of days. I'll do my best...

THE COTTAGE

My grandparents own some property on a lake in the newr-north country and it's simply BLISSFUL to hang out there on warm summer days. This past weekend we managed our second trip there. Lisa and the kids, Chip, and Grandma are in this pic. You can tell they all love it!

Sophie learned "Reach for the sky" (A la Buzz Lightyear) from her brother recently, and this is her showing off her skills.

Grandma has the three youngest great-grandkids...quite a motley crew!

As promised...Sophie in her new bathing suit. I thought this picture was taken at the lake, but now that I see the hose, I know it was out back of our house by our pool. Nevertheless, isn't it ADORABLE?

Hello again, my friend

Welcome back, Katy!


I've been meaning to write for awhile now, but I wanted to add pictures and I rarely get time at the computer that I can easily attach my pictures from, and I haven't really had much interesting to write about either, but I am tired of my blog pointing out that I only have three entries in July (and why do I keep checking back - do I think someone else will write FOR me?).


So...here I am.


We have had an eventful July, most of which I don't remember. Too busy paying attention to the here and now and keeping Sophie off the computer keyboard, from stuffing every piece of lint on the floor into her mouth, applying for jobs, and trying to keep my sanity while Chip was training for a certification.


I have been in quite a funk and I don't really know what to do about it. I take it back...I know something I could do about it, but I have no guarantees of things getting better. I had a little epiphany today with Sean's room, and currently I have 5 garbage bags full of his room contents that I will give back to him one toy at a time as I see him taking care of the things I let him have. That's just the stuff that was on the floor and not in its place. Of course, he's not totally to blame since his 4 cousins are visiting, but it needed to happen. He needs to learn to respect his own things before he can respect others' things.


Sophie is getting to be quite mobile, and tears stuff up quicker than I can put it away...but sometimes it's cute.


So, anyway, enough of the boring stuff (see why I didn't write before?). Here are some pictures that I have on this computer. They're old, but still cute!
Sean taking a "picture" of his photogenic sister.

Sophie enjoying WATCHING the silly string fight in NY in April (the week before Easter).
On her way to the swimming pool at the hotel on the way to NY in April. SHe is a bathing beauty, but I can't wait to show photos here of her in her new swimsuit that I bought last night. It was $7.50, and doesn't need a separate swim diaper (a new pack of those were on sale for $8.99 last night, so I feel I got a bargain!). Stay tuned...


Sophie enjoying lunch. Looks like Jes and Sarah were feeding her (I assumed this because of the skinny leg, but one could deduce it from the mess on Sophia's face, too!)

Sibling Revelry

Yes, Revelry. Sean and Sophie have been having a lot of fun together lately, and I just thought I'd share a few photos that illustrate that point. It's so fun to see them both growing in this relationship, and I hope they're always as nice to each other (one can dream...).
going bananas

awww...


Just as a side note, I'm not really sure why sometimes my typing is underlined. I don't do it on purpose, I swear, but there is no way to change it that I know of...hopefully it doesn't interfere.

Groundhog Day

Did you know that Groundhogs and Woodchucks are the same beast? I surely did not. And Whistlepigs are the same thing, too, I learned. The Internet says they stand up and whistle when they sense danger. Apparently we aren't dangerous enough, because here they are just running around Mom's yard. They have practically worn a path from their hiding place under a grove of trees to her garden!
It was so funny to watch them! We got just a couple of pictures, so I hope you enjoy "Mamma G and the Four Whistling Chuckies"...

The Great Underground

Can you think of a better way to cool off on an almost-hot summer day than to go 160 feet below ground? I can (the beach, swimming, a cold iced tea...), but it was still fun to walk through Howe Caverns on Sunday after church. Sean had a blast (well, not literally), and keeps asking to go back. It was a bit expensive, so we'll probably wait until next visit before going back, but here are some pictures to commemorate our day.

Sean and the Stalactite (it fell many years ago when Mr. Howe was clearing out some path for the visitors, that's why it's not still on the ceiling, which is what "stalactite" means) Sean and the stalagmite (it also came "unglued" from its place when they were doing some excavating, but it is one that originally grew from the ground up.) These formations remind me of the fun I have making pillars with wet sand at the beach...
One of Mom's parishoners joined us for the trip - we love having S* around, and Sean loves her, too! They had a great time. I particularly enjoy Sophia's face in this picture! Chip is holding Sean, so sorry that I didn't get a better view of his face.

Here's the whole gang (minus me - the joy of holding the camera!), and you can almost see Chip in this one! :)
For some unknown reason (perhaps Mr. Howe's daughter's wedding), they decided once upon a time to cut out a piece of some formation (I think it's called flatstone or something else that starts with "flat") and shape it into a heart and host weddings in the cave. It really happens - I think he said 357 times! Maybe it was just 57. At least you wouldn't have to worry about the weather...except flooding. At any rate, they cut it in the shape of a heart and lit it from underneath, so it's nice and warm. Here the kids are warming their hands, because hanging out in 52 degrees for an hour made them rather chilly.
Oh, and just a little footnote: Sean decorated his own sweatshirt. We bought a sweatshirt at a yard sale for 50 cents and he wanted to make it look cool, so he used fabric markers to paint on flames. It was all his idea. Pretty funny!