Wordless Wednesday {5 Incredible Boys, 1 Gorgeous Park}

Third Farm's a Charm

Two days ago, we visited a dairy farm.  But they weren't milking when we were there.

One day ago, we visited a dairy farm.  But they weren't milking when we were there.

Today, we visited a dairy farm.

And they were milking!!  :)

 Erick had expressed a significant interest in seeing the process of milking, so my dad arranged with a nearby farmer for us to go early this evening while they were milking.  After watching for a while, Erick asked if he could use my camera, so I handed it over and he took quite a few pictures, including the following two:  :)

I am grateful for my dad coordinating this, for friendly farmers who don't mind extra youngsters around during milking time, for the opportunity to live in the country and share those simple delights with Erick this week...

...and for cows that make such yummy milk!  :)

Cold Never Stopped These Boys

Our recent temperatures have been abnormally cool for August; and my local pregnant friends are giving thanks that we've avoided the hot, humid weather that so often comes this time of year.  :)  I personally, not being pregnant, wish it would be a tiny bit warmer--mostly because water play would be more enjoyable with temps in the 80s or 90s, not the 70s! 

But these boys don't seem to mind.  They're always eager to play in our own little pool at our house or swim in someone else's pool (like we did this evening at a great Fresh Air Fund event).  

Even when their teeth are chattering and their bodies shivering, they jump right in.

Little fish.  :)

Cuteness

 ~ Erick holding one of our soft little chicks

~ Jeff holding Moriah at the top of Mole Hill during our Saturday evening hike

Here's a Peek...

...at the boy who's filling our days with extra special activity!  :)

 More to come later...  :)

Taking the Adventure that Is Sent Us

Those of you who are ardent Narnia fans may recognize the title as coming from the words of Prince Rilian before he and Puddleglum and Eustace and Jill leave the home of the witch underground and head towards the surface.

For the rest of you, the title may mean nothing more than this: our Fresh Air boy is on the way to us right now!!!  :)

About an hour ago, I posted this on Facebook:
We're just hours away from meeting our Fresh Air boy (although Tobin keeps mixing up the words and calling him our Air Freshener boy! "Fresh Air, Tobin...FRESH AIR!...or better yet, just call him Erick...but please DON'T call him our Air Freshener boy!!!").  Excitement is running high, for sure!! 

The house is clean from top to bottom.  Well, as clean as it gets around here, because just as soon as I think everything is relatively spick-and-span, someone goes outside and comes back in, and then there's a leaf and a half dozen pieces of grass on the floor.  Oh, well.  It's happy dirt.  :)

The kitchen table has had leaves added to it and an extra chair brought out.

A bed upstairs is freshly made, and on the wall beside it is this decoration done by my boys:

We are so excited to welcome Erick!!  :)

What They Have in Common

Our boys seem to think it's time for us to have another baby, because they keep talking about what we should name a new baby.  Ummm...guys?...isn't it a little premature to be thinking about that??  ;-)

In the process of discussion however, they've noticed some patterns that we--unintentionally--have going.  For example, the first vowel in Josiah's name is "o."  The first one in David's name is "a."  For Tobin, it's "o."  For Shav, it's "a."  Moriah is, of course, an "o."  So clearly the name of the next child we have must have "a" as the first vowel!  According to the logic of my boys anyhow...  :)

Also, they were quick to point out the other day that Josiah's name has 3 syllables...David's has 2...Tobin's has 2...Shav's has 1.  And then we start over again with the pattern because Moriah's has 3.  The obvious assumption is that our next baby should have a 2-syllable name.  Duh!  ;-)

Lastly, they discussed how we have used a different beginning consonant for each child's name, so whatever name we choose for our next baby can't begin with "J," "D," "T," "S," or "M."

When they had come up with a name that fit those criteria (I actually don't even remember what name it was!...you can tell I'm taking these name discussions *very* seriously)  ;-)  and presented it to Jeff, he vetoed it because it didn't have a biblical connection.  Back to the drawing board for my little thinkers...

A 2-syllable name that has "a" as its first vowel but not "J," "D," "T," "S," or "M" for its first letter and comes from the Bible but isn't too common (maybe you've noticed how much I prefer unusual names?)  ;-)  -- well, I don't know if there are too many of those names around!  It's a good thing we don't need one now.  :)

At any rate, listening to them talk made me think about these two...

...and some similarities they have.  Besides the "av" combination in their names...

They're the only even-numbered children in our family (#2 and #4).

They're the only people born in odd years (2005 and 2009); all the rest of us, including Jeff and I, were born in even ones.

They're the blonde boys; Josiah, Tobin, and Moriah have darker hair.

I personally think they most resemble the Fisher side of the family (even though Jeff would be quick to point out that Shav gets his hairline, with its indomitable cowlick, from my side).  :)

At meals, they sit beside each other on the north side of our table; Josiah and Tobin sit beside each other on the south side.

I notice a quick wit in both of them.  Their sharp minds and speedy tongues have produced hearty laughter in our family on multiple occasions.

Perhaps there are more similarities, but I'm too tired now to think of them.  I'm not too tired, however, to thank God once again for the gift of my David and my Shav!  :)