Skype-saver

How good is it that these kids can be goofy 

and loud with their cousins on Skype! 

Sypke the lifesaver. 

Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but look at those 7 cousins - on the other 

side of the world and they could all put their silly faces into 

the same screen and mess around with my three on this side of the world, showing their exchanged Christmas pressies, pulling monkey faces, smiling cutely, and whatever else could fit in the screen.

And so for a few precious [crazy] minutes, 10 cousins were staying in touch. 

Bang, Skype-saver.

2 adults, 8 kids

All these people stayed at our house a few weekends ago!

Well... minus the dads [mostly] because they had a boys weekend... 

...so that makes 2 adults and 8 kids.

And thanks to

- a treehouse

- great weather

- sprinklers

- junk food

- 4 pairs of same-age kids

These 2 adults actually had quality time together! 

Amazing, isn't it. :)

School x3

How fun to have Grandma and Grandpa here for the first week of school.
Not sure why we didn't get a picture with them and the kids to prove they were here!!!

Dad making pancakes on the first day of school. Go Andrew!

Nick looking too grown up, off to his first year of school. 

3 full days a week. Sheesh.

No Nick isn't a midget, just a goofball!

He's taken to carrying backpacks for the others.

Here he has all three.

Such an enthusiastic smile, gotta love him being the big kinder kid.

Nick said to me today, "Now that I"m at school I have to follow all the rules cause it's my school too." Like which ones? "Like no shouting or spitting." Yep, that'd be a good start!

Grandpastreehouseisawesome

Yes it's awesome. Awesome the way Americans say it [aaaahhh-some], not the way Aussies say it [or-some], because Grandpa built it of course!

Before the kids cut their windows.

Inside

Windows being cut

Love the branch coming out

Complete with little mushroom-picnic table out the front

Do you think they love it?!!

Thank you Grandpa for all your hard work and 43 trips to the hardware store to buy things we should've had and communicate with Australians who didn't understand you and tie things to the roof of the van with the cool knots that I really should have learned to do too. :)

And thank you Mom for all your help around the house and taking care of C for me so much and watching the kids while Dad and I made another trip to the hardware store. It was a lovely break and I miss making you more cups of tea than you could drink!

Mom and Dad I loved having you here and wish you could hang out here and do life with us more. But then I'm the one who moved away and you're the ones who have to come all this way, and you do it more often than I would have ever thought you would. So thank you.

Hello!

Hi, long time no see! 

We're just enjoying the end of summer, 

too much sun to come inside and blog... :)

Well, too much laundry and all the rest as well, 

but let's just say it's the summer sun that's responsible!