Lots Going On

Here are a couple pictures of some of what we've been up to this summer.

We had these cutie pies come visit. I loved that the kids had the time to get to know their cousins a little better, and spend some time playing with kittens, going on a picnic, riding 4 wheelers, playing in water, and other fun stuff.


Family reunion for Nate's family.

The highlight of the reunion for all the kids is always the rope swing.

Nate's Grandma Donna passed away on Father's Day. On the last day of school she had been diagnosed with cancer. It took her quickly. We feel that it was a blessing that she did not have to suffer for too long, and that she was able to enjoy many activities before the diagnosis. We miss her. It is interesting to watch how the little ones have been affected by this. We have shared many tears, and some very sad moments. Emma seems particularly interested in understanding where she is now, what happened to her body, and what will happen when she is resurrected. The day after the funeral, we had to stop by the cemetery to be sure she had been buried properly. We're still waiting for the stone. Most recently, she was disturbed by the comment I made about selling grandma's house. After about 10 minutes, she asked me..."If they sell grandma's house, then where is she going to live when she is resurrected?" Good question.

She also seems pretty sure that Jesus will be coming again soon because she really misses grandma. And since the resurrection will take place at the Second Coming, then that should happen sooner than later. When I think of Grandma Donna, I see in my mind the joy that she felt when her grandchildren were around, the laughter that seemed to bubble up inside of her when she told a story about the family she loves so much, and her kindness. Miss you....

{P.S. My kids have two grandma donnas...grandma dickerson {Nate's}, and grandma gaskell {Mine}. Next month we celebrate grandma gaskell's 95th birthday.}

For Father's Day, Nate got a tool set. Amelia decided that she needed to borrow them. She asked Nate if she could use them...

Why?

I need to take my training wheels off.

Well, you have to get the right size.

I already found the one that fits. It's right here.

OK...just make sure you put it back.

5 minutes later, Amelia comes in the house and tells me that Sam is going to help her learn how to ride her bike. {I'm going dishes}

OK...

I finished the dishes pretty quickly and thought I ought to go out and take a picture of the process...maybe see if she needed some help.

She was riding her bike sans training wheels.

That girl took the training wheels off of her bike, had Sam hold the seat to steady her, and then yelled at him to let go so that she could ride. In less than 5 minutes, she was riding her bike solo. I just about missed the whole thing. What a girl!!! Way to make her daddy proud.

There is more, but this is just a sample...it's past my bedtime.