camping w/nana & pops

 nana and pops rent a camp site at beaver brook campground each summer and invite the grandchildren to stay.  spencer didn't spend the night, but he did take a nice nap in the tent.

ben had a blast playing with cousin gracie, roasting marshmallows, and staying up late.  :)  i heard rumors that he's a bed hog (which is not news to me), and i DID warn pops that he might want to zip ben right up in his sleeping bag for a better chance at having some space in the tent...

our tiger lilies that we transplanted a year (or two?) ago.

a little behind...

 Here are some miscellaneous summer scenes.  the boys on the boat.

boy 2.0 on his "wheeler"...

 the big boy in his scrubs...

reid state park

 here's ben getting ready for our trip to the beach.  cool dude.  notice the ipod in his hand too...

at the beach:

ben was so happy to be at the ocean that he was doing cartwheels and running in circles as soon as we got there.  spencer was a little slower to warm up to the water, but he loved to run in the sand and play (and watch big brother ride the waves)...

Hiking Mount Pisgah

We went for a hike a couple of weeks ago.  I was certain that Spencer would need to be carried in the backpack the whole way, but he spent very little time in it.  When we got to the top, he was the first one climbing to the top of the tower.  I got up one level and decided that was enough.  "Scared?" my boys asked.  Yeah, kinda. 

Five Islands

The boys love Five Islands, and playing with the lobsters.

It was hot today, without too much of a breeze, which was new for us.  But we found shade and Ben loved exploring in the woods...

And this guy...

...still rocks.  and is really funny!

13 years of marriage

These guys got married 13 years ago yesterday.  And the weather was exactly the same.

Pretty cool.

big brother ben

This almost-six-year-old is growing like a weed.  He's as tall as my armpits and growing daily...

Ben has become even more of a water bug this summer, if that's possible, and is learning to dive in swim lessons.  He recently swam out to the "middle" of the lake with his Bronson cousins and enjoys every minute of his summer fun.

We made "Pumpkin Head" the scarecrow for our garden during one of these recent rainy days.

Ben has also become more interested in "helping"-- cleaning his room and cooking, specifically.

spencer's summer so far

Spencer has been enjoying himself so far this summer...  He's found a love of kayaking, playing in the water, and watching his brother do swim lessons at the town beach (Spencer eats through most of the swim lessons.  Somehow he's identified going to the beach = eating, so we take lots of snacks).

This boy is very happy and spirited, and is certainly able to let you know when he wants something.  His language is blossoming and is very animated when he "tells stories".

Oh, and he wants to do everything big brother does...

me

This is a recent, funkified, picture of me before my good friend Karyn's wedding. I know these posts are most always about the boys (you're welcome), I thought I'd give a quick update on ME since I can't remember what I've told who (whom?).

I've had some neck pain/issues for quite some time and in January had an "accident" that really left me in pain-- a shower curtain rod fell down on Spencer and I, and I moved quickly to get Spence out of the way.  Anyway, it was painful and I suffered for quite some time.  I finally decided to see my primary care doctor, who referred me for an MRI last month.  The MRI revealed a herniated disc in my cervical spine and landed me a referral to a neurosurgeon.  That appointment went better than expected, though during the neurological exam there was some question about issues with my ulnar nerves (I've had numbness/tingling in my arms for a while).  The herniation is very minor, and towards the back of my neck so it isn't affecting any nerves.  IE: NO SURGERY required.  The neurosurgeon (who was really the Dr. House of Neurosurgery with his lack of bed-side manner) referred me for an EMG (electromyogram) test to see what was going on with the nerves in my arms.  That appointment was not a fun one, with electrical shocks sent through various nerves in my arms, followed by needles being inserted into various muscles in my arms.  However, the neurologist who did the exam didn't see anything "major", and I will find out more with my follow-up with the neurosurgeon.  

Phew.

So, I still have days where my neck is really sore.  And my arms still get numb and tingle sometimes.  But it does seem to be improving with yoga, massage, stretching, and more general awareness of body mechanics.  

Though now that gardening season is here, I need to be more aware of my stretching and taking general care of myself.

There.  Now you have the low-down on that...

why it's called sunsetpass

There is no tampering of any kind with these two photos- taken the other night in front of our house.

This is one of the reasons I love where I live...

a day in the life

 The boys have been out on the boat already this season, but this was my first ride.  It was a beautiful day, though a little windy.  I had my boys close by.

Here is Ben making a puppet show of Cat in the Hat- it was really cool to see how creative he was with using coffee cup handles as the base.  I only helped with the Cat's hat...

scenes at the lake

 One of Spencer's favorite things to do is throw rocks in the water.  Ben likes to make weapons out of tree limbs (and whatever else he can find)...  Gilbert likes to, well... chill out...

 This little guy was found in the water table.  He put up with us for a while then disappeared...

I *heart* boys

spring is in the air

We have definitely been spending more time outdoors.  Ben loves to play hopscotch, so we often have a chalk-drawn hopscotch on our driveway.  Spencer still loves to push his trucks around, and with his big dump truck will collect all sorts of items and transport them...

Ben and his Daddy...

I love nap time...

T-Ball season has begun

As with so many things, Ben takes a bit of time to warm up when it comes to change. Though he struggled with the first few minutes of T-Ball (he said he was "nervous", which I can totally understand), he did great. He's got quite an arm and can really hit the ball... Here's to the beginning of another season!

Picnic

I packed a picnic lunch for me and the boys & we headed to our favorite spot in the woods. Gilbert followed us and was rewarded with some cheese. He and Spencer came and went, nibbling a little, but mostly playing together. Ben was hungry after his T-ball game this morning, so we sat and chatted... It was a beautiful afternoon for a picnic.

Peas are planted!

It's a beautiful day here and following T-Ball and a picnic in the woods (where I had to pick a tick off Ben!!), I decided to plant the peas. The boys were a big help and we got a bit overzealous with the pea seeds, so it'll be interesting to see how they come up this year. The boys really loved playing in the dirt and, subsequently, water (ok, mud really). I can see the bathing-every-night season approaching. Hopefully that also means the sleeping-really-well-at-night season is also upon us. Someone should really tell Spencer about that. He hasn't gotten the memo.

Spring is in the air

The boys enjoyed walking outside in their bare feet this afternoon. It got a little chilly, but they enjoyed playing in the dirt and throwing rocks in the water...
Spencer has discovered that he really enjoys playing with shaving cream in the bath tub...
He's also discovered that his favorite word is "no". He'll use it as an automatic response to just about any request. Or statement. Or glance, really...