the latelies

...Getting back into blogging-groove has proved to be difficult over the past 2 months.  I am not succeeding in blogging regularly.  I haven't been taking many pictures, either.  Can I get away with the popular excuse: "well, it's summer."?
Anyway, here are some pictures of the "latelies" here at our house:  (note that these are not all on the same day.)

The owls have been around a lot recently.

Herding cows...again

Beautimus sis

Moriah in her post-bath outfit.

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My oldest sister, Sarah, had a conference to go to in which everyone going would exchange craft projects with each other.  Sarah thought making flowery headbands and the like would be cool...Only, she needed 600 made.  In an attempt to be good little sisters (of course with nothing else to do), Tirzah and I rounded up some friends and spent a week making flowers.  Thanks to a variety of people for helping us out!  =)

Once upon a time this craft room was clean...
Thankful for the out-of-the-way space here!

Some of our crew one morning.

Only a fraction of the flowers we made.

And this isn't even all of them...but most.  A whole week's work.

The headband gang on the first day.

Might I say that when that week was over, we hardly knew what to do with ourselves?  ;)

Raking and pitching hay for the neighbors.

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On June 19th Gideon replaced Ashnah as youngest in Caleb's family.  Tirzah and I got to meet him over a week later and spend a couple days at his house.  (Another nephew, Levi, was also born last weekend to my other brother, but we haven't gotten to meet him yet, so pictures should be coming by next week.)

We know how to wear 'em out.  ;)

A less than attractive picture of the Auntie and older brother and sister.

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Shortly after Gideon was born, one of our great friends, Ema Burt, came back from Thailand with her family!!  They are only here for one month, so we are making the most of it!  Ema's return has been long awaited for 2 years, so we are very glad to have her back.  (even though the time is too short.  We may have to stall her on the way to the airport.)

EMA!!!!

Johannah and Tirzah...

Gah!!  Ema!  So glad to get to see her in person now.

Out late on a mountain, we...

Squished the moon,

ate the moon, 

and loved the moon.

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There are advantages to babysitting,
and one is spiking the unsuspecting kid's hair however I want.

We're definitely going to have to do this one again.

Best 4th of July cake made by some friends!

After the babysitting and 4th of July were passed, we got a surprise visit from whom we suspect to be Eugene Meltzner, which was pretty sweet.

I'm pretty sure this picture is priceless.

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Lastly, and most recently, my Aunt Lois has been here for the weekend (and Uncle Joel today), which has been a lot of fun.  With them living in Florida, we don't get to see them very often.  So thankful they made the effort to come out and see us!

Aunt Lois' first time playing Jenga.  It was a surprisingly intense game.

Skyscraper Jenga.  We only got it a little higher than this before it crashed [on my turn].

This may be the only time that I blog on such a mix of things!  Hopefully I'll be able to pull myself together a little better after this...