The Rest of June

So here's a peak into how we spent the rest of June in totally random order. Also, the first day we were home from
Florida our camera broke and it took a week to get a new one. I bought a throw away camera to compensate for that week and am now having trouble finding a place to develop it. So when, that happens I will fill in the holes.

Last Saturday, the 30th we took the kids to Chilis for dinner. The new camera had been bugging me because after Pepper messed with it, it looked all fuzzy. I couldn't figure out what she did.

Then, Cody suggested maybe she just touched the lens...uh, yeah, that was the problem. Heehee.

Garden update. I am really, really, really enjoying being a gardener. I am also enjoying the big fence Cody put up around the garden to keep things out, like this cute little baby bunny. I was also enjoying watching a few chipmunks run around the outside of the fence over and over.  Ha, we got you!

Pepper modeling our garden's progress.

These are mostly squash, cauliflower, cucumber, asparagus, peppers and an unknown plant in the back corner.

Something is happening to the squash plants. Not sure but they are still growing so I'm still hopeful.

I am not happy with the moth that has decided to devour my beautiful cauliflower plants.

Here's the tomatoes. Looking good!

The strawberries are also doing really well and we should have a good amount of ripe strawberries soon. The watermelon plant was not looking so good but it has bounce back and is now trying to break free from the fence.

The butternut squash has broken free, we'll see how that goes.

Guess who got two teeth?

We have restarted the summer tradition of going to Thursday morning storytime at the main library in downtown Akron. Love all the stories, music and craft activities.

Sorry, these are all blurry. Before Cody solved the problem.
 Last Thursday, our dear friends, Margy and Oliver, stopped by on their way to their new home in Syracuse. We were in the same ward in Harlem and we always loved hanging out with them. Margy said it best as they were leaving, "Isn't it great to have friends that no matter how much time passes, you can pick right up where you left off?" I completely agree, Margy. We loved seeing you, even if it was for a brief time and we can't wait to catch up again!

Morgan last saw Margy and Oliver when he was 2, but no one had a hard time warming up to them.

Enjoying some breakfast before heading out on the last leg of their cross-country journey. They were in Cali visiting family before heading to their new home.

A little photo shoot.

Margy and Oliver spent the last year in India where Margy was doing a fellowhip in public health. She was mainly working with expectant mothers, infants and toddlers in the slums. It was very hard and emotionally draining work. Margy said she was very excited to meet and hold a big, healthy baby again. Hazel did not mind in the least.

These two wanted our new friends to stay forever!

On Wednesday the 27th, we had to say good-bye to our great friends, the Pearsons. Chase had finished his dental residency and they were headed back home to Montana. On Sunday, we had them over for one last family dinner. These two friends from birth, had a great time playing on the floor together. I am sad we will not be able to watch these two continue to grow together in person but thank goodness for blogs and facebook!

Not the best shot of anyone but thought I'd include for memory sake. Tyler, Chase, Pepper and Cody in the family room.

Another shot of these two cuties.

Little Miss Sophie, your smile, enthusiasm and awesome run will all be missed!

Cody and Chase pretending to watch the kids while really watching Jim Gaffigan.

A blurry pic of everyone helping clean the playroom.

On Wednesday night, we got a babysitter so we could go out to dinner and say good-bye without the craziness of 7 kids running/crawling around. Krista and I have only known each other a year but I knew we were going to be great friends the moment we met. It was last summer during playgroup and we were both super pregnant and had little girls about the same age. Besides that, I think you are just destined to be friends for life with certain people and I'm just glad we got to spend the last year getting to know each other. Now, I will just have to make the trek out to Montana one of these days!

These two had a great bromance going on as well. Heehee, Cody and Chase hated when we called their boys-nights-out, man-dates. I don't think Jerry, appreciated it either but Becky, Krista and I thought these guys were too funny. It was so nice to have family friends where EVERYONE got along really well and wanted to hang out together.  One of the things I will have to catch up on when I finally develop the film is also saying good-bye to Becky, Jerry and the kids. Not my best couple weeks.

The kids have started gymnastics again this summer at a local gym. This place is the legit kind of gymnastics gym with trophies and whatnot. I really miss the Little Gym but the kids seem to really enjoy this place, Westside Gymnastics, and are doing very well.

Pepper's little class of 3/4 yr old girls has to be just about the cutest thing ever!

Here's a video of the Pepper doing a little obstacle course during class. It's pretty cute if you feel like watching:

Pepper asked me to take a picture of her like this. I saw no reason not to!
I think she just ate a popsicle.

While we were in Florida, Cody put this little lovely up. I love having a handy husband and the kids are loving this swing. As of now, they can all still enjoy it.

And finally, last Wednesday morning I took the two oldest Pearson kids and along with my own went raspberry picking at Rittman Orchards. This was a playgroup I set up and we all had a fantastic time. I'm pretty sure the kids ate twice the amount that made it into our buckets.

Some of the other moms and kids. I love the rolling hills in the background and how everyone is kind of lined up for no reason.

Hazel enjoyed trying to grab all the leaves while I leaned in for the berries. Another blurry shot, but I loved how it showed off her dimple.

After picking raspberries out in the hot sun, we headed back to the market for some yummy ice cream.

Pepper approved of her "pink" ice cream wholeheartedly.

Despite the fact that June meant having to say farewell to a lot of our friends, June was a pretty fun month. July is turning out to be pretty fun as well, extremely hot, but fun.

Here are two videos I just remembered. The first shows Hazel's new found ability to move. She has gotten much better since I shot this a few weeks ago. This girl is one the move! The second is a clip of Morgan playing with his super hero toys. He loves to make up songs to things or sing theme songs. I thought it was hysterical to watch. Sorry about all the background noise, I should have turned down the TV and taken the bag of wipes away from Hazel but I was too busy trying to capture a moment. Enjoy: