August is already in the double digit numbers and the weather has been SO HOT! Last week was in the 90's a lot and it was just too hot to get me motivated to do much outside. One thing is for sure, the tomatoes are loving it! We are blessed to keep getting rains and then the sun shines and it's like a greenhouse out there! The garden is thriving and the corn in the surrounding fields is so tall!
One summer treat that the kids have been begging for often is ice cream! We have some good options around us and Fox Meadows Creamery opened up a new store near by and so we made a family stop and tried some different flavors! Our favorite might have been the lavender flavor!!!!
Every few days we go to the garden and pick more tomatoes. Normally, the tomatoes we plant we use for fresh eating, sandwiches, etc. but usually buy the tomatoes I need for canning because we use so many in the recipes I use. Not this year!!!! We have an abundance of these red fruits and I was able to make a double batch of salsa the other day!!!!
August is the official month for our friends to complete and finalize the adoption of Emmerson!!!! We are so proud of this Lapp family and they are making a difference in our world by loving on two adopted children now!!!! Congratulations!!!!
My family is getting spoiled with sourdough bread on family night!!!! I decided to make extra loaves to give away, freeze and eat on the spot!!!! This time I made two cinnamon swirl and two with fresh herbs!
We celebrated our employees the other day at the park and the weather was perfect!!!! After very hot days the beginning of the week, it was much more comfortable by Thursday and for the weekend! The kids always love the face paints and ice cream and food trucks!
This year there was a reptile show and this was another hit for the little people. I hate snacks but this was a very interesting show and we learned some new facts about these kinds of animals.
There is so much green, lush plants and colors around us! The crepe Myrtle is in full bloom and gorgeous! We had a rain shower yesterday morning and because of the blooms, it made the branches extra heavy a one branch broke off. I trimmed up the blooms and stuck them in a vase and now we have the pretty branches outside and inside!
Elephant ears are living up to their size!!!! So huge!
I bought a new water sprinkler for the garden and it's awesome! We've got lots of green beans, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and new lettuce plants growing in the garden! We picked a watermelon too.
I love garden fresh lettuce and so our beds are being restocked with these young lettuce plants and I'm hoping to enjoy these in the fall!
Mike said yes to helping in a ball tournament in State College on Saturday and we decided to have just him and I go. I was the driver and it was a gorgeous day to sit and watch some games.
Lost game one. Won game two. Lost game three. Time to head back to the kids at home and we made a stop at Red Rabbit for a late lunch.
This is such a fun place to eat!
Sit in your car to order, eat and leave!!!
Yesterday, we had a rainy start to the day and as I look out the bathroom window, I was struck at the beauty! There's a fire place that we sit around as a family a lot! There's a tree house that Matthew and his friends started and never completed. There's a barn with yellow doors where we used to have five chickens and now is storing old furniture that Matthew thought he would put in the tree house. The gazebo is a place to hold our snacks and be pretty in the back yard. So much happens in this space! Lot's of memories were and are held right here!
I told the kids that this is the last full week of summer vacation because next week, school begins. They were both not impressed but Ashlyn is excited to have more volleyball practices at school each afternoon. Seeing her school friends and getting to go to school soon again will be exciting the day it arrives. Until then, we are still in summer mode!!!!!
August is warm. It's hot some days. Too hot some days for my liking. We are still in summer vacation mode with lazy mornings and late nights.
Stay cool! My favorite season is just around the corner!!!!
