Mmmmm...

     Rich and Ethan went red raspberry picking this morning.  They brought home  five pounds of fresh berries and I promptly transformed  them in 24 jars of fresh jam.

     Can't wait to have some over vanilla ice cream tonight.  Mmmm...

     My annual marinara canning spree was also earlier this week.  I made up 22 1/2 quarts of homemade goodness and easy dinners for the next year.  Yay!

Summer Activity Forms

Just posting some local summer activity sign up forms for family here.  No gymnastics forms yet.   Gymnastics form near the bottom.

You should be able to click on these individually and then print them.

 

DARE graduation

Ethan had his DARE graduation Thursday night. Way to go! We are proud of you and your classmates!

Reality Mother's Day

Sunday morning in the Hays kitchen:

Boys: Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Ethan: Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I really love you.

Me: Thank you, sweetheart. I love you too.

Ethan: Here is a gift for you.

In the gift bag is a tootsie pop sucker, a pack of fun dip, and a chocolate covered peep ( repurposed from Easter and the candy bowl.)

Me: (hugs and kisses) Thank you - how sweet!

Wesley : (grumpy look). Ethan! That's my peep! (grumble, grumble)

Rich : Wesley, wasn't it nice of your brother to include you in the gift?

Julie : (just smiling and holding her laughter inside and thinking how funny it is sometimes to be the mother of boys.)

Happy Mother's Day all!!!

Mustache, part 2

     I went back out with Ethan and then my mustache fell off!  Then I was walking around some more and I got some big, bulgy eyeballs.  I couldn't see very well and I kept running into trees.  Then I fell in the lake! Then my eyeballs fell off too.

     by Wesley

Mustache

     I was out with Ethan, who was hunting turtles, and I decided to grow a mustache. A big grey one like a rock. And it felt really uncomfortable. It was like having a rock permanently stuck on my face!

By Wesley

My first poppy of the season

     One of  my first posts when I started this blog last year was about poppies.  Guess what?  They're back again!  Poppies are one of my favorite flowers, reminding me of my childhood.  I think the boys are as excited about them as I am this year.  Ethan has already counted nearly 40 blooms, miracles in tiny oblong packages waiting patiently to explode into beauty.  Yay!!!