(first and...) last days of summer

We enjoyed a full (almost) month of summer in August.  While we started school the last week and a half, no other activities had started yet.  It was our month of freedom!

David built globs of Lego structures--(surprise!)  He even spent one afternoon narrating Noah's ark on video camera with Elizabeth's help.

Elizabeth too built her own creations this month.

She also did a puzzle or two...

All three enjoyed a bit more "big pool" time.  David is swimming.  Not as comfortably as I would like yet, but well on his way.  Next year will hopefully cement this new skill.

David is constantly whistling these days. (and boy is he good!)  Maybe that's an indication he is a sailor?  or is it Gilligan?

The girls also modeled some hairpieces...

They dressed to match their babies.

...and painted their fingernails with...pens!  (I shut this down after it came off everywhere!)

Abigail continues to think that her left shoe is her right and vice versa.  In fact, it is a rare day that she puts them on correctly.  Could it be that I have not felt it necessary to correct her and so she learned them backward?

We took some crazy mirror shots.

Went to IHOP for dinner.

Summer was fun (all one month of it for us), but time moves on.  Back to school and responsibilities!

No child.

When did my long prayed-for son get so old?  Michael David turned 8 this year!  He is still quite sweet but he is no child anymore.  He is growing into a young man.  Even a friend today commented on his voice--which has deepened.  He is also a little more than 3/4 of my height now!

I love this boy!  He has such a sweet heart for the Lord.  He is kind and generous and always as eager to defend his sisters as he is to irritate them.  He excels with reading and his favorite book is his Bible.  Legos are his favorite toy but he is all boy and loves nerf guns, swords, and all weapons.  He is constantly frustrated by his sisters who don't want to fight swords with him.  He is very active but can sit for extended periods reading or creating lego scenes.  He also loves to play lego wii games.  He is my game boy and would play Monopoly or other games every day if he just had someone to play with all the time.  I count on this boy more than I ever imagined I would, and he is so kind and sensitive to me when I am having a bad day.  My dear son has stolen a special place in my heart!

We celebrated this birthday quietly at home in the morning and then had the fun of a double birthday celebration in the afternoon at his cousin's house.  Uncle Paul and David have birthdays only a few days apart.  Thanks to Aunt Susan for steak, cake, and lots of other yummy things!  David was in heaven after receiving a large lego Ninjago set from us, some books, a water bottle, nerf stuff, a touch lamp pad, some money from Gram and G Daddy, Adventures in Odyssey set from Grammy and Grandpa, cards from both that he can now read himself!, and then later in the afternoon 3 more lego sets from Omalu and Dudley, Cindy and Mark, and Aunt Susan and Uncle Paul and boys!  This boy loves legos!   And has discovered a love for audio books that runs almost as deep!  Favorites are Hardy Boys and Adventures in Odyssey.

While at Cole's house, the girls each got a flutterbyefairy for their belated birthdays too.