Ready, Set, Go!

It was a beautiful evening tonight so we went for a little bike ride down our road.
When you have 3 boys (well, 4 really when you count their dad) you can be guaranteed there will be a race involved.

Dad usually wins.  But as you could see, everyone enjoys the race.

Even Annie!

This is her happy face when she knows we are going for a bike ride or walk.

Wyat is an intense bike rider.  I love action shots! Even if they aren't in focus, they capture true emotion.

Since I was taking pictures while I was riding my bike I think they didn't turn out too badly. 

We enjoyed our evening, enjoyed the activity, enjoyed the outdoors (we even scared up a nice buck! at least a 6 maybe an 8 pointer), and we enjoyed each others company.

However, we won't be able to enjoy the evenings like this for much longer.  Fall is on it's way in.

I'd love to hear how your family likes to spend the summer evenings. Leave me a comment and let me know.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

Dinner Cookout

So by now you have probably figured that I am pretty behind in my blogging endeavors.
I'm sorry.
We don't lead a boring life, really.
I have lots of things to share.
It's just that we have been so busy and I fall into bed so tired. 
I can't think to type, I can't think of what to type.
So I just read and then go to sleep,
consequently letting down few all of the people who are interested in our life up here in the woods.

Here's something I was going to post awhile ago.
My parents came up for a visit at the beginning of the summer, before everything got crazy.

This is what relaxed looks like.

We decided to have a camp fire cookout for Tate's birthday dinner.

We had pudgy pies and hot dogs.

Of course there were s'mores too.

Other than being worried that Wyat would fall head first into the fire or burn his hand on the hot pudgy pie makers, it was a really relaxing night.
Even Mom had a good time.
Tee-hee! (she doesn't like it when I take her picture)

Hunky Hubby is a master at pudgy pie assembly, and fire building, and hot dog cooking, and marshmallow roasting! O.k., he's pretty much a master at everything.

Seth has a look of joyful expectation, doesn't he?

Who knew pudgy pies were so amazing?

They are amazing enough to get stuck on your teeth and make you look goofy when you smile!

Here's Poppa sipping on his sweet tea.

Hot dogs roasting and pudgy pies burning cooking.

Mmm, the smells of a hot camp fire.

Apparently the food was finger lickin' good!

It brought great joy to the people who consumed it. 

Just look how happy this kid is!

Of course someone had to teach the boys how to play 'chubby bunny' with the marshmallows.

I'm not sure who won. 

All I know is that I resisted the urge to join in.

Didn't want to show the boys up, you know?

I don't like crushing them in competitions.

They may not want to play anymore.

The other thing that just had to be done, was to put dead pine boughs on the fire and get it to climb higher and higher.  You know it is just natural for boys to want to burn things and make fires grow.  I'm not really sure how anyone taught boys to put out fires.  How did we ever get them to like putting out fires enough to actually create a career out of doing just that? When you think about it, it's a miracle we have firemen.  Now arson's on the other hand, it's not hard to figure out why there are those guys out there.  I'm kinda surprised there aren't more of them.

Can you hear them oohing as the flames are reflected in their eyes? And that smile of Seth's is a bit concerning, don't you think?

So is this expression. 

Can you say 'giddy', 'jubilant' or 'extatic'?

That's my boy!

This is my boy too. 

He likes to wear his food.

Saving it for later.

Or so I'm told.

This guy looks mesmerized as he stares into the flames.

Hunky Hubby likes playing with fire as much as the boys do.  But he also likes to have his picture taken as much as my Mom does.

However, I can usually get him to crack.

That's cause he loves me so much.

So, happy campfire dinners to you all too!

Thanks for stopping in,

Jana

Just an Average Evening at the Beaber House

Wyat walks up to me on his way to bed and says, "Mom, Dad said he would read me half the bible and a fake believe book before bed."
Me: "Great Wyat, what exactly is a 'fake believe' book?
Wyat: "You know, it's fake but it's believe."
Man I love this kid, he always cracks me up.

(Please excuse the bad photo quality on these pic's. I've got a nice camera, but I despise using the flash and evening indoor pic's just don't come out well. )
This scene is pretty typical for my oldest son. He is currently reading a series by one of my favorite musicians, Andrew Peterson. This kid is carrying on the love of reading that I inherited from my Grandmother and mom. He read 255 pages in a 28 hour period and that includes at least 9 hours of sleep and church service today. I love to see my son devour books.

Which is also what this guy does. He may not be reading novels like his brother, but for a second grader he's doing really great. He's read through a couple of Magic Tree House books and a few other small chapter books.  I would say that this is one area where wanting to be like his older brother has really paid off for him and me.
Wyat loves to be read to, so on an average evening you can find all of us curled up with a good book, or two, or three.
Happy reading!