When June approaches, my heart changes. I just want to be outside. I hate that my kids have to be in school. Homework in June seems criminal! I have a hard time making the kids do homework, because the weather is gorgeous and we all long to be outside. Thankfully, June wasn't too packed with events.
Meeting Old Friends
In May, a friend from our Riyadh days sent me a message saying she was going to be in New York and would love to meet us for a few hours. It took some planning, but we found a date and place to meet. Our friend, Alana, lived in Riyadh around the same time we did. She came as a teacher at a women's university. Her experience was quite different from ours because she lived in an apartment building with other teachers. Because she was single, her movements were restricted in a different way from our family. Alana is one of the most adventurous women I know. She is very intelligent and also quite optimistic. She found a way to live happily within the restrictions she faced. I loved spending time with her. Sometimes she would come to our house and spend the day swimming and just hanging outside sans abaya.
She moved back to the U.S. and stayed in Utah to work. We were delighted when we met her in NYC following church. We met up at the Natural History Museum. Alana and I spent the few hours together talking and catching up. I am SO grateful for the friends we have made in different places over the years. We've gained so much from our travels.
We also got to meet the Karumo family--friends who lived in New York before we moved to Riyadh. They were a Finnish family living in NY for a couple years. It was so fun to catch up with them.
Breakfast with the Little Ones
Our morning schedule is staggered. Brent takes Walter to Seminary around 5:30 a.m. Trent and Josef get on the bus around 7:20 a.m. Brooke and Jonathan go to school around 8:55. I find this schedule suits me so much more. I am less stressed because I have time to help one or two children. Once I get Trent and Josef out the door, I really enjoy the time spent with Brooke, Jonathan, and Winter. Winter has gotten the hang of eating with utensils and enjoys eating like a big girl.
Deer in our Backyard
Most people living in the west have no idea that New York is crawling with wildlife. Once you leave the confines of New York City, New York state is actually pretty rural. Our home is surrounded by many trees. It's beautiful. We also have a lot of wildlife visiting us. I often see squirrels and chipmunks running around the trees. Birds of all kinds--the Red and Blue robins are my favorite--enjoy our birdbath and bird feeders. Raccoon, foxes, groundhogs, and even coyotes hang out in the woods. They are afraid of people so I don't see them very often. Although one time a raccoon wandered into our garage. We also get a lot of deer-which are terrible pests and eat all our plants. The deer are very over-populated and with extremely restricted hunting laws this is not likely to change. I think the deer are beautiful, but they also frustrate me because they eat my roses and love my vegetable garden. Our garden is fenced but sometimes they get in there and mow their way through our vegetables. One day, I found several deer hanging out in our backyard. I just had to snap a few pictures.
Barn Dance
Our friends, Peter and Christie, invited us to a Barn Dance in Garrison. It was a nice chance to get out and smell cow manure (and I mean that sincerely) and tromp around in fields. When I do that, my country girl roots come roaring back to me!
We enjoyed some yummy food, pony rides, and a barn dance.
Wacky Day at School
Brooke and Jonathan had a wacky day at school. They dressed in silly clothes and we did Brooke's hair in a funny way. I think they looked pretty cute.
Last Day of School
Hooray! School's out!
Hitting the Water
The weather has been absolutely gorgeous and our favorite lake and beach are now open. We invited some friends to enjoy playing in the water and sand.
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Meeting Old Friends
In May, a friend from our Riyadh days sent me a message saying she was going to be in New York and would love to meet us for a few hours. It took some planning, but we found a date and place to meet. Our friend, Alana, lived in Riyadh around the same time we did. She came as a teacher at a women's university. Her experience was quite different from ours because she lived in an apartment building with other teachers. Because she was single, her movements were restricted in a different way from our family. Alana is one of the most adventurous women I know. She is very intelligent and also quite optimistic. She found a way to live happily within the restrictions she faced. I loved spending time with her. Sometimes she would come to our house and spend the day swimming and just hanging outside sans abaya.
She moved back to the U.S. and stayed in Utah to work. We were delighted when we met her in NYC following church. We met up at the Natural History Museum. Alana and I spent the few hours together talking and catching up. I am SO grateful for the friends we have made in different places over the years. We've gained so much from our travels.
We also got to meet the Karumo family--friends who lived in New York before we moved to Riyadh. They were a Finnish family living in NY for a couple years. It was so fun to catch up with them.
Breakfast with the Little Ones
Our morning schedule is staggered. Brent takes Walter to Seminary around 5:30 a.m. Trent and Josef get on the bus around 7:20 a.m. Brooke and Jonathan go to school around 8:55. I find this schedule suits me so much more. I am less stressed because I have time to help one or two children. Once I get Trent and Josef out the door, I really enjoy the time spent with Brooke, Jonathan, and Winter. Winter has gotten the hang of eating with utensils and enjoys eating like a big girl.
Deer in our Backyard
Most people living in the west have no idea that New York is crawling with wildlife. Once you leave the confines of New York City, New York state is actually pretty rural. Our home is surrounded by many trees. It's beautiful. We also have a lot of wildlife visiting us. I often see squirrels and chipmunks running around the trees. Birds of all kinds--the Red and Blue robins are my favorite--enjoy our birdbath and bird feeders. Raccoon, foxes, groundhogs, and even coyotes hang out in the woods. They are afraid of people so I don't see them very often. Although one time a raccoon wandered into our garage. We also get a lot of deer-which are terrible pests and eat all our plants. The deer are very over-populated and with extremely restricted hunting laws this is not likely to change. I think the deer are beautiful, but they also frustrate me because they eat my roses and love my vegetable garden. Our garden is fenced but sometimes they get in there and mow their way through our vegetables. One day, I found several deer hanging out in our backyard. I just had to snap a few pictures.
Don't we have a pretty and lush backyard? I love it!
Winter's Hair
Ok, I know this is totally silly and very shallow, but I just love it when my girls start to get hair. Winter's hair has always been pretty thin and wispy. I was so excited when I finally was able to put it into a teeny ponytail. I think she looks darling!
Our friends, Peter and Christie, invited us to a Barn Dance in Garrison. It was a nice chance to get out and smell cow manure (and I mean that sincerely) and tromp around in fields. When I do that, my country girl roots come roaring back to me!
We enjoyed some yummy food, pony rides, and a barn dance.
Brooke and Jonathan had a wacky day at school. They dressed in silly clothes and we did Brooke's hair in a funny way. I think they looked pretty cute.
Last Day of School
Hooray! School's out!
Hitting the Water
The weather has been absolutely gorgeous and our favorite lake and beach are now open. We invited some friends to enjoy playing in the water and sand.
1 comment:
I love your backyard, and Winter's ponytails are adorable! You are such a good mom.
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