Summer so far

I would love to say that this summer has been filled with boating and swimming, hiking and camping. But, alas, it has been full of sore throats, snot, and sneezes. (lovely thought, isnt it?) Since the weather has turned warm, we have been battling sickness upon sickness. Ja`el is on her 3rd cold in the last 4 wks! In the midst of that, Jon got strep throat and I have been miserable with allergies. (Why did I move to a house that is surrounded by fescue?! Not very smart.) I cannot complain too much though. While people back in my hometown are dealing with 110+ degree weather, we have been consistantly in the 80s, with cool, sweet smelling breezes off the lake. We have gotten out and done a little hiking and playing in the lake, and we have been seeing lots of wildlife, right here in our yard--turkeys, deer, elk, moose, eagles, etc! So, although this summer hasnt been my ideal, we have had alot of fun. We got to play with cousins and family, and a few visits to the lake (so far).

Ja`el and me hiking up on top of Schweitzer.

Ja`el and cousins out on Lake Pend Orielle.

Show offs! (no we werent moving!)

Aside from all the sickness, though, we have been blessed. My Grammy from California has come to stay with us this summer and she will be here more the best part of 2 months. Oh how Ja`el has been enjoying her here! They have been playing the piano together, singing songs, and Grammy has introduced her to waterpainting. It is so cute seeing them in deep concentration, side by side, with the same determined look on their faces, only 3 generations apart. I am so glad Ja`el has had this time with her Grammy. She has certainly been a blessing for me too!
Grammy and Ja`el piano duet.
One thing I am excited about lately is all the locally grown produce, dairy and eggs I have found. I have this crazy strong desire to have a small little farm of my own, but, truth be told, I dont want to take care of it! I love the idea of having chickens and geese, a dairy cow and lovely garden, but I dont love the idea of all the work it would entail. So, instead, I have a modest garden (that I tend to resent when I have to water it) and friends and neighbors with hormone and antibiotic free livestock! I am especially excited about a new friend who sells me fresh-from-the-cow milk! You even have to shake it to mix up the cream! Delicious! So, although my romantic compulsions for farmlife go unfullfilled, at least my family and I can eat like they are!

No interesting photo of a cow being milked or chickens laying eggs here. Sorry.

And the big news: Jon turned 30 and Jael turned 3!!! Ja`el is finally wearing 2t clothing. She knows her ABC's (can recognize about 75-80% of them) and can count to 18 (can recognize numbers 1-10). She loves to be doing anything that involves outside and has mastered the tricycle. Jonathan is actively cycling and running. He completed his first triatholon last Fall and is looking forward to doing more in the coming years. He has beenworking really hard at the bank and at home, finishing building the front deck (which looks amazing!) and various other wood working projects.

I am excited to see what the rest of the summer will bring us. I am hoping it will extend into September, since we really didnt start getting good weather until early July. But, it is hard not to welcome the reds, oranges and yellows of Autumn too. I guess I am just a four season kind of girl.