Summer Snippets

        Fall is almost upon us.  Where did the time go?  Despite laying low for awhile after the baby was born, we still managed to have a very busy summer.  Our oldest loves working with children and enjoyed volunteering with our church's Vacation Bible School.  Both she and our oldest son also joined the weekly "Game Night" outreach that our church organized for the children who live in the neighborhood around the church.
        Our oldest son's little garden was fruitful this summer.  He harvested more raspberries, lettuce, and green peppers this year than last.  New this year were tomatoes, carrots and blueberries.  Not sure what happened to the carrots and the birds got all of the blueberries, so we'll have to wait until next year to taste those.   Much to his delight, he also learned how to mow the lawn this summer.
        When Tom's sister and nephew came to visit, Tom and the children went to the Illinois Railway Museum with their aunt and cousin where they were able to look at and climb aboard all kinds of trains including the 1936 Nebraska Zephyr.  With four birthday celebrations, summer reading club, swim lessons, several attacks of poison ivy, and the birth of our youngest, time flew so fast that we almost forgot about our summer snowballs.
        Every winter, we fill a few Ziploc bags full of snowballs and store them in our deep freezer for the summertime.   Around the Fourth of July, we usually bring them out for some cold and refreshing fun.  But this Fourth of July came and went without a thought of the snowballs.   It was a very recent hot, humid day that reminded us to put them to good use.  There aren't many more warm days left this year so we are doing our best to enjoy the last of it.  Here are some photo snippets of our summer.

Making S'mores

A good harvest

The largest sweet pepper this year

Salad from the garden

Awwww--brother and sister!

1936 Nebraska Zephyr engine

In first class aboard the Zephyr

Don't know what this is, but it's cute!

Cousins!

Family bike ride

Tom and Son Landscaping

Every once in awhile Dad needs to step in

Ready with snowballs

Set....

Go!

Direct cooling

Dividing up the last of the snowballs

All gone!  Just like summer...