July 31

"Mom, we're so bored...What can we do?"
Well, how about a roadside stand?
Dustin was totally disgusted with the idea, but he watched from afar
as Josie and Reuben patiently sat there as car after truck after car drove past. 

But when the customers started shopping...
and the $$money started adding up in the pot...

all of a sudden Dustin thought it was a pretty cool idea.
But with selling cookies at 25 cents a piece,
he thought the money didn't add up fast enough...
so he found a cooler and stocked it with pop!
They even had repeat customers!

July 30

A ride complete with sound effects!
And you can almost feel the spit flying.

July 29

This girl is loving every minute of summer.
Fishing is her current favorite pastime.
She caught a second leech on Saturday...and again, it got away.
It was in a glass jar with a lid that had some holes in it.
I'm thinking that the holes were a tad too big!
At least this time it wasn't on the deck like last time.

July 28

Rich and I went to Harrison Hot Springs
this evening to celebrate our anniversary.
It is so gorgeous there!

July 27

Ever go to the Superstore and get a shopping cart with wonky wheels?
Once your cart is 1/2 loaded it's almost impossible to maneuver?
Not anymore! (at least for a while)
This morning early (like 6:30am!) when I came to the Superstore
I found them giving ALL their shopping carts an overhaul!
The carts were pressure washed and they were in the process
of replacing all the wheels.  Pushing my cart was a breeze...
and going that early I had the store almost to myself!
And to top it all off, I got $90 free groceries!!  (PC points)
It was a great start to my day.

July 26

'Pink Poodle' Echinacea

Fly on 'Gooseneck Loosetrife'
- just in case you wondered ;)

July 25

Corn on the cob.
When I mentioned to the kids this morning that I saw the
Sparkes Corn Barn when I was in town last night,
they begged me to make a trip in to town this morning for our first dozen.
The kids and I have made a deal...I buy the corn, they shuck it!
So tonight we have corn on the cob.
Everyone's happy!

July 24

Oh man, the 'phone' is ringing again.
Better pick it up.  I think I have to push this button.
Click, click.. 

Hello? Hello? 

Hi Papa!
You coming in for supper soon?

July 23

Watermelon munching at its best!

July 22

Easy...Yummy...Healthy!
With all the fresh fruit available now, try this great recipe!

1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 or 2 apples cut up
500 ml plain yogurt
500 ml Cool Whip

Mix together and chill for 1 hour.  Enjoy!
Note: I froze the raspberries before adding them so they didn't turn to mush!

July 21

A few weeks ago, the kids went to Cheam Wetlands
for a Young Naturalists Club outing.  They must have learned something
because today Josie was sure she saw a leech in our slough and was
determined to prove that she was right.  And right she was!!
She was so excited to show the boys her catch...
but when they went outside to see what she had found, it wasn't in the bucket!!
(which was right outside the back door...think shoes, coats, and other stuff.)
I am a little terrified at the moment...where is this thing?
We looked all over the deck but we couldn't find it.
Do you know...can a leech live out of water?
-shivers-

July 20

Last night we went for a drive after supper.
We spotted a bear...TWICE...on the same stretch of Prairie Central...
an hour apart.  Same bear?  Different bear?  We don't know.

July 19

Perfect summer fun!

July 18

Josie and Reuben are taking a Chefs in Training cooking class this week.
Everyday they come home with 3 yummy dishes each
- an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert.
So far this week they've made 9 different things including
a noodle casserole, cheddar bruschetta, apple pizza, cookies & fluff,
some sort of salad, and banana marshmallow pie.
(Reuben was signed up for Tiny Cooks, a cooking class for 3-5 year olds
but it was cancelled due to lack of interest.  He was so happy when he found out
that he was allowed to go in the older group with Josie.)

July 17

Another shot of our butterfly encounter
from last week.

July 16

Reuben was totally enthralled with this little snail.
When he was done checking it out, he put it back where he found it.
"It's so happy to be back on land" he said!

July 15

Pretty pinks and whites today!
The flower gardens in summer are my favorite.
I love wandering outside with my camera, seeing what's blooming today...
Only to be instantly attacked by hordes of mosquitoes!!!!!!!!
WOW! we've never had THIS many mosquitoes before...
Do you have more than usual by your place this year too??

July 14

Dustin came in the house excitedly carrying this Western Tiger Swallowtail.
We took it outside and let it go on this straw flower plant.
It happily sat there while we took lots of pictures.  So gorgeous!!

July 13

Loving my flower pots this year.
Red, white and blue

July 12

You never know what (or who) you might
find in your flower gardens!!

July 11

A wonderful sunny summer day.
The Shasta Daisy is so pretty you hardly notice the robin. 

July 10

Last week, Dustin was determined to build a tree fort for himself.
He spent hours working on it.  He happily sits up there,
trying not to wriggle too much, lest it crashes to the ground.
When I took this picture yesterday, I couldn't convince him to come outside
and sit in it.  The mosquitoes kept the kids hiding inside most of the day.

July 9

Fishing...a favorite summer pastime.