when i pulled up to the kiddos' summer daycare after work on Friday
(Jaden's bday), it was pouring down rain! we've been without rain for
weeks now! that, mixed with the outrageous temps we've been having = drought!
our grass is brown & crunchy...i've been having to water our garden with the hose every night...& i'm sure the local farmers were starting to really worry!
we got home
(only about 7miles away) & found out that not a drop had fallen in our neck of the woods yet...so the kiddos & i did a little rain dance ;0)
the sky was gloomy & the breeze was blowing pretty good...so we had a feeling the rain was on it's way...but i was fearful that it was going to go around us & we wouldn't end up getting any
while we waited, the girls got out Gab's
butterfly identification book & started trying to figure out what kind of moth they'd just found...
& in the process we found this...
i wish i'd put something by it, to show the scale in this pic...cause this bee had to have been 3 or 4 inches long! it was pretty scary looking!
i also checked out the garden while we waited...& look what i found!
now, it wasn't exactly ripe all the way...but i couldn't help myself! i
had to go ahead & taste that first tomato out of our garden...& boy was it good! ;0)
anyway, about an hour later, the skies finally did open up on us...the kiddos were so excited - & so was i! we all played in the rain for a while...
it felt so good after going so long without...& the drop in temp was even nicer...goodbye 100 degree days! well, at least for this week ;0)
thank u Lord for this rain! it poured down again yesterday...& it's getting ready to storm again right now...i'm so thankful for the rain...the thunder & lightning is a bonus! ;0)
Saturday was Jaden's 10th birthday party...we had the immediate family over for pizza, presents,
cake & ice cream
my sis got Jaden a real gumball machine...& u could say he kinda liked it ~lol~
uncle Joe got him a huge sketch pad...a really great gift for Jaden! Joe noticed last time he was over, that Jaden was taping pieces of paper together so he'd have one big sheet to draw on...super thoughtful gift brah!
(of course, from the fellow artist)& of course, Jaden got Legos...
from Nana & from us...Bionicles & Atlantis sets - his fav!
after the party, we all headed to the movies...Jaden couldn't wait to see
Despicable Me! it was a really cute movie too...highly recommended!
(btw, for those wondering - we didn't go 3D...since my sis knew she'd have trouble with it...& cause i'm always trying to save a buck ~wink~)that evening, Jaden drew in his sketch pad & built with Legos until bed time...& he told me that he'd had "the best birthday party day ever!"...although i think he says that every year ;0)
(the girls are doing a craft here - painting wooden picture frames i picked up from Michael's for $1...score!)the rest of the weekend was spent relaxing
(daddy worked, of course)...we took lots of walks & spent a good bit of our time outside, enjoying the cooler weather
the girls left for part of the afternoon on Sunday to play at their friends' house...Jaden really enjoyed that alone time with Ma...then we took a family trip to 7-11 for free Slurpees!
Sunday was
7-11's birthday...get it? ...7/11
did u make it out to try one? i had the sugar-free peach mango...yum!
our grass is brown & crunchy...i've been having to water our garden with the hose every night...& i'm sure the local farmers were starting to really worry!
the sky was gloomy & the breeze was blowing pretty good...so we had a feeling the rain was on it's way...but i was fearful that it was going to go around us & we wouldn't end up getting any
& in the process we found this...
i wish i'd put something by it, to show the scale in this pic...cause this bee had to have been 3 or 4 inches long! it was pretty scary looking!
now, it wasn't exactly ripe all the way...but i couldn't help myself! i had to go ahead & taste that first tomato out of our garden...& boy was it good! ;0)
it felt so good after going so long without...& the drop in temp was even nicer...goodbye 100 degree days! well, at least for this week ;0)
my sis got Jaden a real gumball machine...& u could say he kinda liked it ~lol~
uncle Joe got him a huge sketch pad...a really great gift for Jaden! Joe noticed last time he was over, that Jaden was taping pieces of paper together so he'd have one big sheet to draw on...super thoughtful gift brah! (of course, from the fellow artist)
from Nana & from us...Bionicles & Atlantis sets - his fav!
after the party, we all headed to the movies...Jaden couldn't wait to see Despicable Me! it was a really cute movie too...highly recommended!
(btw, for those wondering - we didn't go 3D...since my sis knew she'd have trouble with it...& cause i'm always trying to save a buck ~wink~)
(the girls are doing a craft here - painting wooden picture frames i picked up from Michael's for $1...score!)
the girls left for part of the afternoon on Sunday to play at their friends' house...Jaden really enjoyed that alone time with Ma...then we took a family trip to 7-11 for free Slurpees!
Sunday was 7-11's birthday...get it? ...7/11
& 1 1/2 dozen rooting for Team Jacob (the wolf)...
her small cake will come next month...she also wants that in plaid...i've done plaid on a few cakes already, using strips of fondant...i hope to do something cute for Alyx too
he's been asking for a sand castle cake since his 9th birthday party was over last year ;0)
& he took it really easy on me...wanting only a door & single window included...he requested that he (as Jaden fish-boy) be peeking out the window...then he said he's actually shouting out the window to his sand dragon - "coming Sand!" ~lol~
he didn't want water, seashells or any other details added...just the simple sand castle - with 7 towers - & he must be looking out the window of the tallest tower ;0)
it was funfetti cake, iced in buttercream & covered in a brown sugar/graham cracker "sand" mixture...& Jaden said it was "just perfect"...that's all i could ask for!
& get this...he's already busy planning next year's vampire cake (not influenced by any of the latest vampire craze tho...he's clueless about the whole Twilight thing)...he sure doesn't waste any time with getting his order in to Ma! ;0)
(this morning, when we woke Jaden up with his birthday cupcake...yearly tradition)
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daddy had to work, but the kiddos & i (& my bro, my sis, & her son) sat at our usual spot for the New Market show...the Shenvalee golf course!
the kiddos have a great time playing on the greens & looking for frogs in the water hazards while we wait for the fun to begin...
the show was a little disappointing for me...especially when the field caught on fire & they had to stop for a break half way thru (yikes!)...but the kiddos are easy to please & thought the fireworks were great...then we went home & set off the ones we picked up earlier, plus a few my sister had recently gotten in TN...they may or may not have been illegal ;0)
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whew!
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