It's Sunday...

and Johnny and I are justing hanging out, listening to a little Sinatra. It's actually bath time, but the stinker wanted mandarin oranges and chocolate milk, so we're having a little snack first.

He threw quite the fit today when Brian left, with Galina, to go and do some Home Teaching. He's coming into the separation anxiety stage...well, he's well into it.

Figured I'd post some happy pictures since that's probably not really how we're feeling here. Anxious. We're waiting for Brian's promotion news, namely whether or not he's getting promoted. We really really really want him to, but what will be, will be.

While Mom was here we went to The Concord Museum. This was a replica of Ralph Waldo Emerson's study. I believe everything but the actual location is original. I love it!

 Especially the bookcases! Books, books, books = a happy Katie.

Loved this shirt in the gift shop, but not the price. Maybe as a going away present for myself when we leave Mass.

I bought a tent for $15. It's a four person and we've already used it twice. Brian slept out back with Galina one night and then the Relief Society had a mother/daughter campout at a family's home in New Hampshire. The drive was about 45 minutes, but I can just imagine how beautiful it will be in the fall when the leaves change!

I don't think I fully appreciated Walden Pond when Mom and Kerriann (+girls) were here last year, but this year I absolutely loved it. I've been reading a lot of books lately where the heroins are always going out to swim in a lake before breakfast and then spending their days at them. I wish I could a) swim and b) vacation at a lake. But we did the next best thing - visited twice while Mom was here. We also visited another lake, but I like Walden Pond better. Can I call it a lake if it's actually named Pond? 

 Galina loved swimming with Granny!

 Johnny loved snacking with me. Win-win!

 It was a bit chilly once you got out of the water though!

Galina was equally as happy to build a dam on the shore though, and Johnny...well, he wasn't what you'd call helpful, but Galina was patient and much faster than him :)

 The night before Granny left, I guess I was feeling a little homesick already because I didn't want to leave the house, but she loves this little eatery in the mall called ShotCakes. It's basically a cupcake with ice cream in the center and icing on the top. They are yummy - but me in my mood decided we would stay home and make our own. So, one yellow cake, plus chocolate icing and thin mint icecream and we had our own. I've also, on top of being moody, depressed, angry and lazy, been a crummy photographer. These are all phone pictures. Can't remember the last time I got my real camera out.

Since I've been taking pictures with my phone and it was just me and Mom most days, I didn't have any pictures of me with Mom. I had grand visions of a great, frame worthy photo. Sorry Mom, if we cut me out, it's definitely frame worthy! Good job saving the picture for the very last minute, literally - I'm dropping Mom off at the airport. Crying will do this to your face, you know...

The day after she left I bought Johnny a used train table with a bunch of trains included. He was excited, Galina too. If it buys me 15 minutes here and there, totally worth it!

Galina has the most adorable little curls all around her face after swimming. I hope it stays that way. She may deplore it one day, but maybe not. Notice Johnny working out? We start them young. :)

Just in case you were wondering, this is how a Princess walks...

Some pictures of this beautiful girl.

 Around about now she started saying things like, "Mommy, wouldn't it be great if you could take some pictures of Johnny too?" Love her. 

See? I love Walden. Made Brian go with me and the kids. Ice cold. Ice. Ice I tell ya!

Speaking of books! I know we weren't, but I'm always able to bring a conversation back to them somehow...a family in our ward moved from Mass to Utah. They did it kind of quick and didn't take a lot of their stuff, so they were trying to let ward members have it. I asked if they had any bookcases (because like the genius I am I bought about 400 kids books from an x-elementary school teacher, but only had one measly little 3-shelf bookcase) and they gave us all three of these PLUS two more tall ones (but they have doors instead of the two bottom shelves - so they are happily providing storage in the garage) and one other five shelf that was just a bit smaller than these, so it's all by its lonesome in the front living room. Look at all the books I can buy now!!! Just kidding! Kind of.

Even though we are homeschooling, I wanted Galina to have a backpack and I just happened to find this one, with a lunch box, for $10. She is probably more of a Merida fan these days, but still has a soft spot for Rapunzel, luckily!

My $4 find. "It came with the frame." 

He does have some shockingly blue eyes, I think it's the brown hair that sets them off so well. They aren't deep blue either, it's a white/blue. If that makes sense.

Johnny kept hanging on this, then dropping, then climbing back up and hanging - he did it for about 15 minutes. Love these two monkeys.

Trying to keep Johnny quiet during sacrament meeting today, I was letting him look at the pictures on my phone and :( he deleted a few. They were of the mother/daughter campout that Galina and I enjoyed. This is her roasting marshmallows. She had already been swimming and running around chasing glow sticks that were being launched out of some hydraulic shooter that the owner of the property had. He's a father of one of the women in the ward. Her parents were totally sweet and I think I'll suggest that next time everyone brings a roll of toilet paper to leave at the house when we leave :)

It got cold. I'm sorry, I'm from southeastern NC and also just spent four years in constant 80 degrees. So, 60 degrees was cold. COLD. My nose was like ice all night. This little girl, though, she didn't complain once - well, she wanted to go to bed at 9 whereas a lot of the women wanted to stay up and chat around the fire. I would have too, but I'll admit bed sounded great. She wanted them to be quiet, but I had some handy technology so she got to watch Hercules on my phone until she was too tired to keep her eyes open. We were the first ones up, and the first to leave after breakfast, but we did have a good time. We just had things to do!

Like taking pony rides at the Middlesex 4-H Fair! Johnny's first and, while the picture may not look like it, he LOVED it! Laughed and smiled the whole time. That sweet little blind pony...they're so patient.

Galina loved her ride too - she's determined to be an accomplished equestrian some day, or, in other words, "ride horses!" I'm finding that I'm determined she will not share the same fears as me. Fears = horses, swimming, talking to people in general...

We always enjoy the chickens. I can't help it. I do love farm animals.

A tortoise isn't exactly a farm animal, but the kids liked petting this one, her name was Anastasia and she was a teenager. In fact, the majority of the horses and sheep were older than the kids. The cows were young (poor babies don't make it too far = slaughter) and the pigs too.

Johnny thought the sheep were pretty hilarious :)

Welp, that's it. Hope you enjoyed the past few weeks with us...