Entrepreneurs

Some of our neighbors planned another neighborhood garage sale for this summer, and even though we didn't have a whole lot to put out, I decided to do it after the kids begged me to have one. They REALLY wanted to do their lemonade/cookie stand again. I scrounged up some toys, clothes, and items we weren't using anymore, and we were all set and ready to go Friday morning. With Grant another year older, I felt I could do it on my own with Greg at work.  I was right! We're on the cusp of a whole new world around here. :) A world without babies, a world with more independent children, a world in which we will have a child of babysitting age--oh, what a wonderful world that will be!

Friday's garage sale was a success. I sold almost all of the things I wanted to sell.  We weren't left with much for Saturday, but the kids wanted another day with their stand, so we did it for several hours. Greg was helping two different people move, so we didn't have anything else to do anyway. The kids made more than me that day, by far. In fact, they made almost as much as I did over all, thanks to grandparents, generous patrons like the Jeffries, and many others who said things like, "Keep the change" and "Here's some money, but I don't need the cookie. You can buy yourself one." They made $60! All the kids had a great time--hung out with their friends in the neighborhood, rode scooters up and down the sidewalk in between sales, did a little math, and had many opportunities to practice manners and being polite to strangers. The kids were generous with their neighborhood friends and any other friends who stopped by, too--started doing a promotion of free cookies for friends! I had to make more cookies Friday night because they ran out. They gave away (and ate) a lot, but they sold a lot, too. They priced their product to sell-- 25 cents for lemonade, 25 cents for a cookie or 2 mini-muffins--and they were pretty cute out there. For the whole first hour, all four sat at the table, sampling the goods and waiting for customers. Anyone who walked towards our driveway had four little pairs of eyes boring into them.

We divided the kids' money between them, with a smaller share for Grant, and they each made plans with their money. Kari used hers (and some other savings) to buy new roller blades. Joel bought a new video game for the Wii--Lego Star Wars III. Aubrey bought Kari's roller skates from her, at half price.  Good purchases all around. They also all had a lot more money than usual to put in the offering at church on Sunday!

Grant was being silly in all the photos.

Selling lemonade really takes it out of you. He came in from riding his scooter just before dinner at 5pm, sat down, and next thing we knew, he was out, helmet still on and everything.

 

Jake, Izzy, and Cubby

Grant has recently fallen in love with the Disney show "Jake and the Never Land Pirates." We discovered it on Netflix a couple weeks ago, and when we were in Sisters, we let him watch it during rest times, in the early mornings, and when he was sick. All that viewing time turned him into a Jake fanatic. He was going to have a dinosaur birthday party, but now it's got to be a "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" party. Joel and Aubrey like the show, too, and they have been playing their own "Jake" games at home. I love their imaginative play (even if it is based on a TV show). I had to take a picture that first day they came down the stairs all dressed up in costumes of their own design. It's especially funny considering it's been 85-90 degrees outside, and they are running around in jeans and boots.

"Jake" (Joel), "Cubby" (Grant), and "Izzy" (Aubrey)

see the resemblance?

signing the song together

 

Family Vacation in Sisters

We had a really good time in Sisters with a bunch of the Moffats over the fourth of July weekend, and we were finally able to meet the newest one--Bailey Sue, Ryan and Michelle's five-week-old baby girl. She did great with all of us overrunning her house for those few days. :)  For the last few summers, we've gone to Sunriver, but because we are all going to Disneyland together in November, we didn't do Sunriver this year. However, we still wanted to spend some time together this summer, so Ryan and Michelle offered to have everyone at their house in Sisters. Some friends of theirs in the neighborhood were out of town, so Mom and Dad and Grandpa and Grandma M. stayed at that house (and had peaceful evenings/nights!), while our family and Eric and Leah's family stayed at Ryan and Michelle's. It was a full house!

I took almost no pictures while we were there, so I don't have visuals of any of this, but we rode bikes, took walks, played at parks, went to a lake (loved the lake spot--beautiful!), ate yummy food, went to the Lava Caves, and just hung out together. The cousins were busy playing together every possible second. We also were able to get family photos taken while we were there. It was part of a Mother's Day/birthday present to Mom this year, something she's wanted for a while. The photo session went well! It's tricky to get that many people and kids together, coordinated, and looking in the right direction, and our photographer, Jerry, pulled it off. The sun was VERY bright, and a couple kids (Aubrey) had a hard time keeping their eyes open with the sun and wind in their faces, but they made it through with minimal tears. :) 

Grant came down with a fever--nothing else, just a fever--the last night we were there, and that was a bit of a bummer. Mom ended up staying back at the house with Grant so that Greg and I and the rest of the kids could go to Ryan and Michelle's church with them. It was good to be there, see where they go, meet some of their friends, and to hear Ryan speak. We were going to stay for the BBQ afterwards, but Grant's fever changed that plan, and we left right after church to go pick up Grant and head home. The kids were sad to leave their cousins. We reminded them, though, that they will get to see them in a month when they're all together for "cousins camp" in August, and that perked them up a bit. Grant's fever only lasted 24 hours, and no one else got sick. Who knows what it was!

I think this is such a sweet photo of two sweet cousins. Aubrey was very happy to get to hold the baby.  

whole family

G&G and all eleven grandkids

Great G&G with eleven of their great-grandkids

Just us!
 

Silly cousin picture. This was their reward for cooperating during all the other photos.

These are just some I took while we were there while the kids were running around while the adults got pictures taken.
It sure is a beautiful place!

rolling down the hill

typical Grant--running down the hill

July 3rd

We did our fireworks from Grandma on July 3rd instead of July 4th this year. We went over Sisters in central Oregon for the fourth, and because of the danger of wildfires there, they don't allow fireworks, so we had to do ours early while we were still home in lush, green Gresham. Our neighbors came out to watch with us, and the kids had a great time. Grant loved it all. He didn't remember last year's fireworks, so it was all very exciting for him! Next time I think I'll pull Aubrey's hair back when she does her sparklers. She was making me nervous. She looks nervous, too, in that middle picture. :)

 

Little Pool Time

90 degrees at 7:30pm.  Summer has arrived. The kids have been slip n' sliding and jumping in the little pool, and I am feeling oh-so-thankful for central air! It is wonderful to be able to bake muffins if I so desire, to not stick to our leather couches, and to feel comfortable when it's miserably hot outside. I admit I've had to don pajama pants, socks, and a sweatshirt in the evenings while we're watching TV or reading downstairs, because, in order to cool down the upstairs (where we sleep), we have to turn the AC to a lower temp than usual. It's a lot warmer upstairs. No complaining from me, though! I appreciate the luxury of air conditioning, after not having it for so many years. The hot, hot weather usually only lasts a few days at a time, so it's all good.