Summer's in bloom...

We always know Summer is here when our backyard Strawberry Patch is brimming with red, juicy berries and the sweet peas are as tall as I am. Well today I saw my first luscious, red Herald of Summer's Arrival! And the sweet peas are shoulder height. These pictures, however, were taken a couple of weeks ago at a local Strawberry Farm in Carlsbad.

The boys ate so many berries they barely had room for dinner that night!

Here are a couple of pictures of what's in bloom in my little (very little) garden...

Of course loads of Summer fun is always in full bloom around here!

Chubaka taking a swim

As Brody looked down into the water I positioned my camera to take a sentimental picture of my boy deep in thought. Just as I was about to snap the photo he looked up and cried "I see Chubaka swimming in the Ocean!" This picture if of that very moment! As it turns out, what Brody saw was a large, brown clump of seaweed floating below the Oceanside pier.

Brody had so many questions for each fisherman on the pier that day... "did you catch any fish, where are they? Can I touch their eyeballs? That one's small, can I feed him to the pelican?... This particular fisherman let Brody squish his little fish' eyeball and then toss him to the large pelican staring at us from the railing.

Jedi Training

We began our Summer Vacation with a trip to Disneyland. The Highlight for our big guys was being chosen for Jedi Training. The force, indeed, is strong with these younglings. Asher went into hysterics when he wasn't chosen, crying out, "I want to be a Padawan! I want to be a Padawan!!!" Of course he changed his tune when Darth Mal came out to battle the Young Jedi Warriors. He leapt into His Daddy's Arms faster than you can say "Death Star!"

Almost done with 1st grade

Caleb's school year is almost over.

He'll be a second grader before we blink twice.

I've heard it said that with little ones underfoot the days are long but the years fly by. I agree. Each of our days this year seemed long and full and loud and busy and messy with my two young ones at home, but Caleb's year in first grade flew by. He enjoyed wonderful friends and an amazing teacher, and learned so much I nearly fell over some days.

Now with only 6 more days of school left until Summer break I am growing increasingly sentimental. And rightly so! For the next time my boys head back to school not only will Caleb be in 2nd grade, but Brody will be starting Kindergarten and Asher Preschool! Oh, those two little ones are beside themselves with excitement. And that makes me so happy.

But first we have a Summer to fill with popsicles and sprinklers, trips to the lake and days at the beach, home made ice cream, strawberries picked straight from the backyard, and sun kissed little boy skin.

creative at the lake house

This is all a little too Lord of the Flies for me... actually the whole raising boys thing baffles and exhausts me most every day. On this particular day I was enjoying a few quiet moments when I suddenly realized, something must be wrong. I went outside to find the boys thusly outfitted.

Try to guess who started this game?

That's right... Brody... which perfectly segues me into another highlight of our time at the lake house. For a couple of months now Brody has been asking his Nana in Texas to make him a Mummy costume. The day after Easter a package arrived for him.

Easter at the lake

While I love this first picture with all my heart, I feel it's slightly misleading to post it. For it makes Matt's three boys appear little angles as he reads to them the Easter Story from the Bible on Easter morning. This is possibly the third time in our family history where all three have been able to settle down and focus in at one time. So it's a miracle in and of itself that I was there with camera in hand, ready for the historic and blessed moment.

Matt is actually reading from Caleb's new "Action Bible" that he got in his Easter Basket only moments before. It's spectacularly illustrated and packed with thrilling Bible tales of courage and God's mighty power. And it's all done in comic book format! Which may be the reason all three boys came in for that morning's read about Jesus' resurrection.

Here is Matt and his beard. He was outside watching Caleb run around the porch collecting his Easter eggs. We had to divide the boys' baskets and give them each their own turn hunting for treats. Caleb is like a tornado and collects them all in only a few crazy moments. While my two blonds love to find one, open it, maybe eat it, maybe save it for later, and then move on to the next. But here's Matt, early this Resurrection Day!

Old decorative water-skis are a perfectly marvelous

hiding place for Easter Eggs!

The day before Easter we received a knock at the door. The boys ran to see who might be coming for a visit and found a special delivery from their Nana and Papa. Three GLORIOUS Easter Baskets chalked full of peeps and pez, chocolate bunnies, bubble gum, bubbles, play dough, markers, crayons, and coloring books! O, the joy!

This picture below is of Caleb's basket, torn open just enough to get to the chocolate! Beside it are the eggs we had dyed the night before. Oh, and don't miss the left over donut holes I served for breakfast, not knowing that this sweet, sugary surprise was on it's way!

Caleb's basket included a doodle pad, so after shoving a few pieces of candy in his 7 year old mouth, he set to work on this beauty.

This was Asher's first Easter really getting into all the fun. The eggs, the candy, the crafts, resurrection eggs and resurrection buns... we had at least one craft, baking project, and Easter story every day all week long. And he loved every moment of it.

Easter it my favorite day of the year and I have every hope that they will inherit a passion for this marvelous day as well. And not just for the chocolate bunnies! "He is risen, indeed!"