How is it that time can pass at such different speeds? Sometimes there is a lackadaisical feel to the lapsing of time and other moments slip through so quickly that in a blink they have passed. It seems that Summer prefers to take on the later approach. This can create the need to sneak back in time and reclaim the lost moments so they do not disappear. This is the case with our Hurricane Almond Family reunion a few weeks ago, and I will get to that at the end of this post, but first I must capture the essence of what it is to be five years old and full of wonder. I think that our sweet Lindsey encapsulates this feeling perfectly.
Lindsey's Birthday
July third was finally the day that Miss Lindsey could officially say she was five! She has been counting down to that day consistently for the past nine months! Any given day of the month I could know what time of year it was in relation to the distance to this girl's birthday, and I could give you a pretty accurate day count for the past six months. For the fifteen days preceding the big day, without fail she would wake up and announce how many days were left. I don't think I have ever met a girl so excited to be five! Guess what the first words out of her mouth were on July 4th? "Guess what! I am almost SIX!" Speaking of passing time, this girl needs to slow down and enjoy right were she is!
In previous posts we have mentioned that birthdays around here seem to last forever! This one is no exception. Lindsey had a fun shared birthday party with the other late June/early July birthdays in the Almond family, then she had a grandma birthday party on the day of, and this week she had her official family birthday party. Also, wait for it, she will be having her first 'friend' birthday party this Saturday. Can I just say that Summer birthday parties are hard! We may be doing her friend birthday parties at the end of the school year for the sake of simplicity!
Lindsey does the five year old gig well! She has a charming personality and loves all of her BFF's at school, she is a social butterfly in any situation, and her smile can melt anyone's heart in a second flat! She loves it when her Dad comes home from work and she has a smile, cheer, and hug ready for him every day. Lindsey will ask for a bath multiple times a day and her playing with bath toys and singing will continue for extended periods of time. Lindsey loves playing dress up and has been known to have a new outfit for every event of the day. She can dress up and accessorize with the best of them.
One thing that stands out about Lindsey is her memory and attention to detail. I am constantly amazed at the small details that she remembers about things we do together. It is not uncommon for her to start talking about a memory and then go into detail about what she was wearing for the event! I think if I blindfolded her she could recall the exact outfit everyone was wearing at that moment. She is the first one to notice when I cut my hair, change my earrings, or have new shoes. We were walking around the boat dock today and she was examining all of the boats and issuing a running commentary on each. As we walked she made friends with all of the boat owners and she would point out all of the similarities and differences that their boats had in comparison to ours, plus she added a few compliments about what she liked on theirs. I enjoyed watching her walk down that dock like she owned it. She has an amazing confidence about her that I admire.
Do you remember how she counted down to her next birthday? She did the same thing with planning our next adventure in boat camping. Let me just say that mid November is not the best time to be planning a weekend boat outing. She could not comprehend the idea of waiting until Spring (whatever that means) to be able to go boating again. Every day that had any kind of sunshine that was warm was a perfect day to mention and plan her next adventure. This paired with her avid interest in different kinds of boats makes me think she will probably own one in the future.
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| The time for boat camping has finally arrived sweet girl! |
Continued Almond Reunion
Last week's post finished off with the official end of the Almond family reunion. Logan had to fly home and the reunion was over. However, there were a few days in between the Almond reunion and the Hurricane reunion that we simply could not let pass without playing a bit. Playing with the Almond family generally involves a boat, and if you throw a few tents in the mix and a group of crazy kids then you have a party!
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| Jack and Brandon made a marvelous boat captaining team |
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| The beach group made good use of the kayak we rented for the occasion |
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During the reunion we all worked together to make renovations on the playhouse that my dad built |
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| step 1; go to the park step. 2; find the highest point on the playground. step 3: create an imaginary game. Nailed it. |
Hurricane Reunion:
Rodeo
The first event of the reunion was a Stout Family Rodeo. The Stouts are all of the relatives on my dad's side of the family and their numbers are formidable! We had enough people to overflow the local rodeo grounds and then some. As we lined up for the pony rides I had the distinct feeling that my kids and I were the city folk visiting the country. I must say that I had fun introducing my kids to this memorable and distinct part of my childhood. I also had a fun time trying new things at the rodeo. We watched barrel racing and pole bending demonstrations and participated in a relay race (milking a goat, roping a steer, running obstacles, balancing an egg on a spoon), a cowboy boot race, and the kids all took turns riding a scary looking animal hide being pulled by a tractor, and I can't leave out the kids chicken chases! Oh my, now that is entertaining. To give you an idea of the size of the family, the under five group had 32 participants and the 6-10 age group had more than 50.
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| Obligatory city-kids-meet-the-country horse photos |
Saturday
Saturday morning was spent at a family auction that was raising money to do renovations on the family gathering home. We discovered that professional homemade cookies (package of 5) and fresh shelled pecans (a family tradition) were the winners going at over $100 each. A piggy back ride by Uncle John was also a hot item... I guess you just had to be there.
The kids all had fun, organized group activities, while the adults visited and caught up with each others lives. It was a lovely day with a group of fun people.
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| water games are always a hit |
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| We found a little cafe with a terrific balcony view |
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| Showing off the view |
My childhood
Walking around Hurricane brought back so many memories of my childhood. I loved sharing these with my kids!
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| Do not underestimate the joy that a well placed hallway mirror can bring! Oh the memories! |
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| This tree! |
Thank you for indulging me in this little blast from the past. We can continue now...
Logan's week:
Of course we all know that Logan isn't going to sit around all day moping while we are gone. One morning he woke up and decided to go and do many of the most difficult climbs in Q'emlin park back-to-back, because, why not? First thing in the morning he sent 8 climbs rated between 11a and 12c. Then he took himself out to breakfast because, why not?
Logan's week:
Of course we all know that Logan isn't going to sit around all day moping while we are gone. One morning he woke up and decided to go and do many of the most difficult climbs in Q'emlin park back-to-back, because, why not? First thing in the morning he sent 8 climbs rated between 11a and 12c. Then he took himself out to breakfast because, why not?
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| A morning well spent |
Have a good week!
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| Home again and out on the lake in our boat. Love it! |
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