July Lookback

Oy. I've got to get better at this! July Lookback in September. I hang my head in shame.

As I try to remember what all exactly happened in July, I get the general feel of the freedom of summer and house projects and fun family outings.

And then I look through the pictures I took and that kind of sums it up.

I am so very thankful for the job that Paul has. He is in a career he loves and what God has gifted him for. It's a crazy 10 months of teaching, and he still gets up in the crazy 4AM hour to do school work even in the summer, but having him around the house is mighty fine indeed.

And so, without any further ado, our July....

One thing that was on my list of things to do was to take out the peninsula that separated the kitchen from out sitting room. Above is what the place looked like 3 years ago when we bought the place. And below is how it is looking nowadays.  Now, instead of the peninsula that couldn't be moved to accommodate guests, we have a kitchen table (no picture...I gotta get on that).

 A big part of this project was having to take up the flooring and piece it back together because the spot that had the peninsula was just bare concrete. Paul did it all by himself in one day.

 We spent a weekend up in Toledo with Paul's family. And took in a Med Hens game as well. They were playing a Reds affiliate so we had to dress accordingly....

 

 We had a decent garden this year, so there were always opportunities to pick and shell and can and freeze.  One morning I went to work and came home at noon to find that Paul and the kids had cooked down 3 bushels of apples and made it all into sauce for me! All of this was done outside over a campfire! All I had to do was the canning part. I felt so very loved by that act of service.

 We spent an evening with missionary friends on furlough from their service in Poland.

 Of course we had to take in the zoo a couple times and take well, um, interesting pictures.

 You can tell that Paul is the educator in this family. He is always looking for ways for the kids to keep learning. They spent an hour or so outside one afternoon taking turns reading a page out of a Harry Potter book.

 The girls wanted to paint a log that we sit on by the firepit. It kept them busy, they loved it, and it used up old paint. That's a win in my book.

 They loved making little people out of erasers and a boat out of a paint stick. Kept them occupied for quite some time. Ah, imagination.... And, oh, that's our "new" kitchen table. See, I did get a picture of it!

 Uncle Brian and Aunt Marcia wanted to treat us to Bagger Dave's. I was not going to argue.  But I don't think they were aware how much 5 Suvars can pack away.....