Welcome back. Has it been that long?!

Well, let's see what the family has been up to...

We took a long camping trip. We left, Tuesday, July 3rd and headed to our favorite Anacortes. We were there until Sunday, July 8th. It was a nice long trip, great weather. We saw deer everyday, including the Mother and Fawn that we saw in May. It was nice to see little bambi growing and getting along well. Caleb and I even got to creep up on bambi and got about 20 feet from him. It was special and amazing. It made a big impression on Caleb, so that everytime I spotted a deer but he didn't get a chance to see it he was a little sad.

True to form, our boys were boys and played in the rocks, dirt, sticks and tried to poke the fire. It was a challenge to keep them out of the fire or from adding extra things to the flames, but in the end, they were satisfied with Mom and Dad cooking the special jam and butter biscuit treats...as long as we kept them coming! Marshmallows have food color, so we use ready made biscuits pressed over the end of stick which is covered in tin foil. It takes a little while longer to cook that a quick to burn marshmallow, but when it is finally toasty brown it is delicious to pull off the stick and coat the inside with butter and jam. Caleb doesn't even know that he is missing out on something, probably because he's not.

We went on quite a few walks, visited the park, threw rocks at the beach. We drove to the dog park, attended the Farmer's Market. Visited a few thrift store, luck Joshy got size 6 shoes for .75 cents... because I couldn't find his shoes, he had been crammed into 5 1/2s for the first few days! Mike and I both picked up a little something to read. Mike liked the idea because it meant that he relaxed and slowed down enough to read. We watched movies to wind down each night. It was great family time and a great price... movies are free this month due to one of mommy's "jobs". The other major thing: Caleb is showing all signs of being a little shutter bug, like mommy! He is really into taking pictures and then seeing what they look like. He wants to look around and capture certain things. Of course, his interests are bowed by being a boy, so he thinks bum shots are entertaining. But he took some great shots of me and Joshy. I was actually shocked and impressed, and grateful since I don't often pictures of me with the kids. I'm always the one behind the camera, but if Caleb is going to start showing interest and skill in photography, I think that is great! I wonder if he would like to enter a picture into the contest at the fair?! I'll have to ask. I'll try to post some of the pictures Caleb took here so that you can take a look for yourself.

Caleb took these:

We arrived home safely, and just in time for a hot week. Caleb got to spend the mornings of this week at VBS at Cascade Church. Next week it will be VBS at Peace Luthern/Little Doves Preschool. He likes keeping busy and doing all the crafts etc. He needs time independent of Joshy (and me I think too) and yet he is always so great at excitedly greeting me when I pick him up. Joshy also gets to have one-on-one time with me. We read, chat, and do errands. He doesn't have to fight over toys either which is a plus. Joshy says "I'm cold" and does a little fake shiver, so cute. He also says "I'm cute", "I did it", "Hot".... and ones I'm not so proud of "poop" and "more coke", oh, and the near constant "NO". It was just two weeks ago that I was hoping he would stop saying poop non-stop, but now that he has exchanged that word for NO... What was I thinking?! This is something amazing about Joshy: He is learning the sounds of his letters and the alpahbet song. He of course is not exact and has no understanding of it's significants, but he is doing both with weekly improvement! Caleb is also skyrocketing with his alphabet. He can name 90% of the letters and their sounds, and from there we sound out words together; he is truly doing awesome!

Tomorrow is the last VBS this week. I am a mom-helper tomorrow, sigh. I like my kids, but a gaggle of strange children seems daunting. But I have to do what I have to do. We don't have plans until next week where we plunge into the next VBS week. I guess we will have to occupy ourselves with having a good time in the great weather, which is easier to do since Daddy brought home and help set up the bouncy house in the back yard. That has been a daily treat for most of the week. I am so pleased with the joy BOTH boys get out of this apparatus. Joshy has shocked me that he can get in all by himself without help... which is a miracle since I don't have the endurance to stand in the sun for an hour helping to lift him in each time. And they play so well in the bouncy house, and I am so grateful for the foresight of buying one with a slide included. That is 50% of their fun. Daddy even snuck into the bouncy house with Joshy today!

Well, it's late. I will try to attach a couple pictures of the camping trip. Good Night.

The following pictures I took, but they are only the second part of the trip.

Mike is howling, Tigger joins in, Caleb is whacking everything insight with the bottle, and Joshy is bare-bummed. I sit calming in the back.

Joshy, our little pink pirate. Head wear made from an imfamous "Shirt".

And, Our boys, of course, with sticks:

Note: Caleb's summer SHORT haircut. I'll try to get a better shot soon.