Summer Fun!

Homemade strawberry jam, swimming and new pretty flowers in the yard what more could you ask for in summer:) Here is Roman already to go swimming at a pool I go to quite often. He loves to wear "seagulls" a.k.a. goggles. I don't know why he calls them seagulls but it's quite funny. Can you tell he loves the pool:)

Last fall the last week the local greenhouse was open I popped in to check out their awesome clearance. I bought a flat of carnations for around $1.00 and stuck them in the ground. Lo and behold they came up this year and are just gorgeous. I love them they smell soooo good. Quite a good deal!
And here we have strawberry jam I spent three hours making it today. Glad that work is done! It's such a treat in the middle of winter to pull out all the goodies I put away during the summer. Strawberry jam being one of our favorites I do a lot. I also freeze some strawberries and we make smoothies with them...yummy! I feel like such a pioneer women or something of that sort when I make jam and "put up" goodies from the garden:)

Summer chore list

Since today is the official first day of summer I decided to make up my "to do" list of summer projects I want to get done. I never complete my list nor sometimes even come close to it. But I figure if I make a list at least I'll get some things done on it. Plus posting it on here I have no excuse for losing it and I'm more likely to get more done on it if everyone knows I'm working on it. So here it is and yes some of them my hubby will be doing and I'll also be adding to the list in the next few weeks I'm sure.

Summer Projects:

Power wash the house
Power wash the deck
Stain the deck
Paint the trim around the windows outside
Replace the garage service doors
Install a closet organizer in downstairs closet
Install a closet organizer in our room
Paint the older boys room
Finish the bathroom
Steam clean all carpets in the house
Wash all windows

There ya have it the list so far I actually already did a few things I didn't put on it. Now let's see how many I (we) can get done:)

Movies

In light of all the new movies that have come out for summer I've been reviewing them online to see which ones would be appropriate for my kiddo's. I've generally gone to www.christiananswers.net for my research. However, Lori has listed some great websites for even better review. One of them I was quite impressed with and thought I'd share the sight as well on my blog. It's called Kids In Mind . It gives a very detailed review of everything in the movie from sexual, to language to violence and rates them. Thank you again Lori for the great websites!

School Book Shopping

Every Year there is a huge homeschool book sale by us. Many good deals are to be had almost all books are used but I did happen to find two new books this year. This is the pile I came home with yesterday brand new $187.75 what I paid $57.00. I was very excited by what I found I still have to order some of the boys workbooks but I'm mostly done. I always try and keep the school books to $150.00 or less but as Lucas gets older more subjects are required. This year I'll be almost to the penny. I even found a little arts and crafts book for Roman he is very excited about his "schoolbook". I did this book with Lucas when he was four and he really enjoyed it. Something to keep the little one semi entertained while school is in session:)

pretties from my yard...

My front yard is just gorgeous right now with all these flowers blooming. The first three pictures are all iris's I also have a deep purple one that bloomed the day after I took these three.
This flower is from a snowball bush I'm not sure if there's a real name or not for the bush but the flowers do look like snowballs.
Here is one of my favorite's it's a miniature lilac bush that I planted right by my front door. Lilac is one of my most favorite smells.
Here is a lone little rose on my carpet rose bush there are a million buds on it so hopefully this one will have some company soon. I also have a pink one right next to it.

These two bushes are both wigelia's just different types. My favorite is the one above the foliage on it is so pretty.
And lastly this is one of my other favorite flowers a peony I have white and pink ones. I plan to add some other colored ones for next year. These I cut and put them all over my house they look so pretty and also smell really good.

Don't know what you got till it's gone...(singing)

Yes losing your very one and only shower in the house for three days makes you really appreciate it when it's working again. Friday night Kaleb went to take a shower and after just resting his hand on the tile in our 40 some year old bathroom his hand went right through the tile. He was a little freaked out to say the least. The tile just eventually rotted and what Ben thought would be an easy fix for now turned into remodeling the entire area. We have intended to completely gut the bathroom but just not so soon. So Sunday after church Ben started in and worked all day plus Monday and then Tuesday he finally finished it. Plus working in Concrete he was pretty exhausted when it was all said and done. But my honey worked tirelessly to get it done and it looks sooooo much better. We still have to drywall a lot of areas and gut the rest of the bathroom sometime this summer but oh how sweet it is to have a shower again.
Quite a difference eh:)

5K Race for the boys

My in-laws live in a very nice neighborhood where a school sponsers a 5K race and also a 1 mile fun run for kids. The boys did the race last year and really enjoyed it they asked again this year to do it. Kaleb did the 1 mile fun run as you can see him below getting ready to start racing. Isn't he cute!
Here is Kaleb running toward the finish line he did so good I was so proud of him. He finished first or second in his age group and around 12th overall the boys. He beat some Jr. High and high school boys. He did a 6:50 mile I think he would've beat me..:) He sure is quick.
Here is Lucas getting ready for his race he decided to do the 5K. As he was lining up he found a few of his friends were also racing in it.
And my little guy finished last although I was later told by my mother in law there was one or two people after him. After the race was all said and done I found out that while he was running a lady right behind him starting puking and then collapsed. He stopped running to help her up and brought her to a police man who brought her to get some water. While tending to this lady he ended up getting passed by everyone and finished almost last with a police escort as you can see. He didn't mind one little bit I was so proud of him that he helped that lady and didn't care about finishing with a good time. I wouldn't have even known if some lady hadn't come up to me when he finished and told me that she thought it was so nice he helped that lady on the course. I asked him about it when we were in the car on the way home and that's when he told me what happened. Oh my I almost started crying! To him it was just what anyone should do I am so proud of him for how he handled that!