Catch up—odd n ends

 

Grant was kinda wanting some tank tops for band practice/band camp this summer.  I found this one at Target and really wanted to bring it home to him, but an X Small was not gonna work no how so I just had to take a picture of it. 

He went shopping on his own at Goodwill and with some scissors, this number became his band camp shirt.  For two weeks he wore this.

  

   

Only memories ~and maybe this pic~ remain of my longer hair.  By mid-July, I was all ‘please cut this off ’

Marshmallow mouth stuffing contest with neighbor.  No pictures were taken of the kool aid hair dyeing incident, however.

At the Vera Bradley outlet, we found the Barbara and the Caroline bags right together!  Caroline had already gotten a Caroline for her birthday.

We thought Uncle Neil might like to see these on Grant. This was from our day at the West County outlet.

 

Our living room with the addition of Ross’ recliner

Last of the old house

 

At Cracker Barrel with Harrell cousins for Cathy’s 50th birthday

Wish I had a pic of all the cousins that were there!  Lots of us and lots of yakking and laughing of course

  

Kids with my mom and Grandpa at Duke’s.  He’s 90 now.

 

Sam at scout camp in July, 81 years younger than my Grandpa

Catch up seems to be the only way I operate—Boundary Waters

 

So many days have passed.  So many pictures to share.  I don’t know why I get so behind in everything.  I vow to get back to the blog at least a little each week.  I don’t want to have huge regret once the kids are grown and out and there’s these big gaps in what all was going on in their lives at this time.  So, for a start, here’s what the big boys and Gary did in July:  a week long canoeing trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Ontario.  They had rough weather and tough conditions, but I think all would say they are glad they went. 

 

Gary’s boot failed a few hours into the trip.  Uh oh. An extra lace wrapped somehow around his leg to the toes allowed him to manage to go on.   That was minor compared to his burnt eyeball, terrible storms, hyperextended knee, and the stress of being in charge of keeping everyone safe in some pretty harrowing situations.  

  

Look at those shades of blue, would ya!   Just wish his eyes were in the pic, too

 

Hieroglyphs on cliffs along one of the lakes—so cool the boys got to see these

 

An experience of a lifetime between father and sons and so thankful every one came back home safely.

Another birthday partay

So Jack turned 16 and can I tell you I hardly believe I have a kid that age.  But anywho, it was a good day.  The DMV was uncharacteristically well-run and even pleasant that day, and he got his license and insurance and application for a parking pass at high school all taken care of by noon. 

Then in the afternoon, he drove the truck to pick up Grant from his summer class, I already like this!, and then was treated to his birthday meal of choice, beef Manhattan, which he shared with Megan, just the two of them. 

I had never fixed a beef Manhattan before, but I definitely have made my share of mashed potatoes, beef and gravy so it was easy.  I let him take care of the layering so it’d be just like he likes ‘em. 

He definitely liked it!

Here below he’s opening one of his gifts, a case of Diet Ski.  The pricey parking pass was his main gift.  Gary also gave him a vintage box which was a former carburetor kit thing that he picked up and knew Jack would love with its sturdiness, old metal patina, and cool latches.  He was right.  I shoulda taken a picture of that.

No after dinner omelets for this guy, but also no traditional birthday cake.  He wanted a coconut pie.  This was taken after a few hours of sweaty marching band practice and attending a scout committee meeting so we just skipped the candles and got into the pie somewhere after 10 p.m.   

Never too late to celebrate our sweet sixteen.

A license and a smile

Happy 16th, Jack!

Bacon partay and OA

So, now we are full into our run of kid birthdays as we are every summer.  Grant turned 14 on Sunday.  All he asked for was cash and food.  Kinda makes it sound like food is something special.  Poor thing probably never has any, huh?

Yeah, right.  But that is all the kid asked for -- no party with friends, no going somewhere, no other presents, so we did our best to give him what he wanted. 

I started with 3.5 pounds of bacon. He smiled when he was handed that but really beamed once it was cooked.  Add in 6 scrambled eggs and several giant sized pancakes and you have his breakfast. 

 

Then I don’t even know what he had for lunch. I didn’t figure he needed lunch.

Then a large Blizzard for the afternoon snack.

I just looked up this info on caloriecount.com.  Oy!

Oreo Cookies Blizzard Large

Grade:  D+   

Calories: 1,010

I told Gary that with the Blizzard, I was sure I wouldn’t need to start cooking supper until 7pm.  Yep, at 6pm, guess who shows up asking “When is supper?”

!!

I grilled cheeseburgers as requested and put them on Hawaiian buns.  Bacon was there in case anyone wanted to add that, too.  French fries and slaw and corn on the cob also, but all Grant wanted were the bacon cheeseburgers and fries.  I didn’t keep count, but left the table when I started feeling sick from watching how much he was eating. 

And instead of a cake, he said he wanted After Dinner Omelets.  Well, of course.  Who doesn’t?

I refused but Gary cooked them up for him. 

I think he had a very happy birthday. 

And you know what, the kid asks for very little so we indulged.  If a day of gluttonous food consumption is his biggest wish, so be it.  He’s really a pretty fine boy all the other 364 days.  In fact…

Jack and Gary were at scout camp all last week but Grant wasn’t due to having a summer class at the high school.  But Wednesday evening was Family Night and Gary planted a bug that Grant and I should probably come up.  I got Ross to keep the other two kiddos and we took off for Pana. 

This year, Grant was the lone scout out of his troop’s fifty boys to be chosen for Order of the Arrow, an honor society in Boy Scouts determined solely by the vote of his scout peers.  You might remember my excitement the year Jack was selected. 

This one was a solemn ceremony of Native American influence, not quite as intense as Jack’s, but very enjoyable nonetheless.  Darn the modern lights in the top picture, but beyond that, you can see a teepee up a very steep hill lined with torches.  And here in the second picture you can see what became a huge bonfire on that rock structure.  After dark, Grant stood in front of it along with the other boys and men that had been called out from all the different troops.  It was cool!

We are proud of our fourteen year old.

Birthday swim partay

Big day, big fun

Over the bridge downtown

 

is where I drew some blood.  Ha, j/k. Name that tune.

No, finally the kids and I used it, the new I-70 bridge, only four months late since it opened in February.  This was the day we were on a search for size 14 jungle boots for wide feet at a bargain price.  Found them in St. Peters at this place.

From what I’ve heard and now witnessed myself, it’s not a real high traffic bridge.  Good to know for going to the airport, I guess.

Funny boys

One might think this looks like a set-up picture with Ross in the Snuggie next to a walker.  But no, he actually owns the walker and was cold sitting out in our driveway one evening.

And then he got much hipper and cooler the next day standing here with his new wheels.

Our Six Flags day 

Not everyone wears their goggles all day long on every ride.  But some do.