She's got her hands full!

with 7 GRAND kids!

 
Wayne - age 5
Weston - age 3
Madelyn - 3 in 2 days
Wyatt - age 2
Treven - age 2
Kallen - 4 months
Taylin - 2 months

Cousin Time

While the Dad's were gone fishing up in Canada, we spent quite a bit of time with the cousins.  Weston is quite fond of baby Kallen - he looks out for him quite a bit, and if anyone else wants to mess with Kallen, (including his brother) they are going to have to get through Weston first!

 We headed up to the Nooksack Elementary playground to try it out.  We only lasted about 45 minutes before deciding that it was too big for most of our peeps.  Well, correction.  Too tall!

 The Jailbird buddies.  They can always be found within about 5 feet of each other.  Sometimes getting along, and sometimes not!

 Oh, there's Weston giving Kallen some lovin's again.

We finally settled down to dinner, after play, play playing!  Each mom packed dinner for their kids...  I brought PBJ sandwiches, chips, a cupcake, and Breanne brought Treven's and Tara brought Madelyn's.  And mom brought dinner for Tara, Breanne, and me!  :-)  And not a PBJ either, no sirree!  It was no less than Ina's "dinner out" with chicken salad croissants, Greek salad with homemade croutons (it had a fancy name, I can't remember) and a 3x3" nanaimo bar, chips, and a Fresca.  And a matching napkin and bag!  SO cute!

 The water fountain provided GREAT, clean entertainment.

Such a fun summer night!  The kids were DIRTY when I got them home - it was straight to baths, books, and BED!  And a VERY quiet night for me after that!

The Fair: 2011

It's not really summer, and not yet time for fall, until THE FAIR has come and gone.  I am always amazed at how the quiet and quaint little town of Lynden gets turned upside down for 1 week, as folks come from near and far to enjoy it all!  Wayne was more than ready to take the Fair on this year, remembering all the fun he had last year.  In fact, we've been counting down to this day for 364 days!  :-)  "Are the rides back yet Mom?"

Weston LOVES the Lego display, and the animals.  The Lego's aren't protected by a cage, so I was too busy protecting them myself to use my camera, but the chickens ARE behind wire, so I could snap away!

Wyatt WAS NOT impressed with the chickens.

This year was also a GAME CHANGING event.... We DID NOT take the double stroller!!!  Since Weston's birth, 3 1/2 years ago, we have ALWAYS taken the double stroller for BIG DAYS.  Nope, not this time.  Tyler thought I was crazy, but in the end he said I was RIGHT!  Weston did amazing all day, staying close and following "the rules."

A little boy on a BIG tractor!

Two little boys, on two big mowers...

Weston loved the cow barns - I love that sweet smile on his face!

I helped my cousin Brenna design this sign for her 4-H group... pretty cute!  The font name is...  Duality, I think.

For documentation sake.....  I paid $18 for ride passes for the boys, the ADVANCED price.  Tickets at the gate were $30!!!!

Waiting in line for the roller coaster...  so much fun and excitement!  This was the first time that the boys could go on rides together, and they ran from one to the next.  It took Wayne a few times to realize that he had to help out Weston a bit, but eventually he started to remember on his own.  I was surprised, because normally Wayne is so good about that, but he was completely distracted by all the rides!

After riding for a long time, it was time for a break... at the Farm Friends tent!  Wayne milked forever, and then we hit up the Bedlington potato display and scored some sweet freebies!

Wyatt was getting tired after lunch, so I took him for a walk to put him to sleep, and the boys went on rides SOME MORE! 

It reminded me that Wyatt is still the baby - and he gets tired faster than his big brothers!  Two years from now, Tyler and I are going to be the ones that need a nap by the afternoon, and these 3 will be going strong! 

Oh shoot.... Two years from now, and Wayne will be wanting to go on the BIG rides!

Picking... fruit.

For the life of me I can't remember what this fruit is called, but it's like a cherry and a plum, all in one!  We had fun picking them anyway!

Poor Breanne...  Kallen is getting to be a BIG boy!  :-)

Madelyn... your swimsuit looks familiar!  Kind of like last year, and the year before that, and the year...

Wayne was rocking the boots and boxers look, not to mention the shopping bag over his shoulder as an accessory!

Dad was lecturing Wyatt to spit out the pit.  Dad was getting a little frantic, and Wyatt just kept grinning and smiling. I wasn't one bit concerned... what goes in, must come out (and 2 days later, it did!)

Wayne and Weston's "School" pictures

With school just around the corner, it was high time we get the big boys' pictures taken care of, before it gets too busy around here!  They are each so precious and adorable, and I am SO grateful that I am able to take their pictures myself, and capture all the little expressions that I love.  Now the ongoing dilemma... which ones do I order?

Hiking to the Creek

As I sit down to type this...  I can't really remember how this whole afternoon came to be.  All I know is that in 5 minutes I had the boys in the car, snacks packed, and we were headed up the hill to go for a hike down to the creek!  Breanne, Treven and Kallen were coming too, and Tara Madelyn and Taylin were coming as soon as Madelyn was up from her nap.  With Grandpa AND Grandma home, it was one of those impromptu gatherings that make family, FAMILY!  :-)

Mom and Dad have a creek that runs through the back part of their property.  It is BEAUTIFUL and quiet and so much fun to explore.  And it is a HIKE to get there, and a BIGGER hike to get back!  Oh well...  Live in the moment!  The hike up the hill will be there when we are done, but until it's time to go home, let's play, play, play!

 It was fun to watch Wayne be the "big" kid.  He was MUCH more adventurous, and creative in his play and exploration.  That's an educated way of saying the boy has no fear and isn't grossed out by anything!  :-)

 And no family bonding would be complete without cheap snacks from Mom/Auntie's coupon cupboards!

 "Mom, do I look like Tarzan?"

 How many ribs can you count?  You'd never know this boy eats NONSTOP!  So much so, that his Dad calls him Porky!

 Trev and his Mommy.  This little dude is HILARIOUS.  He is so cute, sweet, and silly.  And he LOVES his Auntie!

 And baby Taylin LOVES her Mommy too!

 "Three little cousins, sitting on a log..."

 And you thought Wyatt had a lot of rib bone showing... checkout Wayne!

 "Look Mom!  It's a boot AND a bucket!"  Wayne Silves - age 5, size 2

 Chilly Willy!

 Just when we thought the kids were getting too restless and we needed to head back....  We decided to distract them with the world's best entertainment ever..... FIRE!  We gathered sticks, and cardboard from our cookies and juice, added a little lighter and WALAH!  FIRE!

Such a fun time, we love our cousins!