::Our Wildflower Hunt::

I have mentioned Morris Island before. August is almost over, and my kids will be back in school soon. The weather was perfect, so I jumped at the chance to take them all out for a Nature Walk together. The kids found a few snakes, but only their mom was brave enough to hold one. They turned over rocks to find angry swarms of ants. And with the help of our Wildflower Fandex we actually learned a few things:

::Burnstown::

Moving from the city to the country was not the easiest transition for me, mostly because I like to have easy access to the places I love. Out here, I have settled into a different pattern of living: we stay close to home more often, but when we do explore, we have to commit to being gone most of the day. In this way, I have found quite a few treasure troves. Burnstown is one of them. I discovered it a few years ago, but that was back when I had two fewer children. We finally found our way back there thanks to Karin, who mentioned there was a great beach. The Fosters have been our most faithful day trip companions. They are always willing to join in the craziness of our life. This trip was no exception.
Such a beautiful place. Small, but full of good things. While the kids played in the water, and on the fortress-of-a-play structure, Kar and I got to explore. {I made the mistake of trying out that slide, and scraped the skin off of several parts of my body.} Burnstown revolves around their art community. There are several galleries along the main strip. Now, there is also a coffee shop called Neat that roasts it's own beans. They also hosts live music a few times a month. We will be back!

::Sweet Maria's::

Aidan has been checking the mailbox every day for two weeks. He finally received his Sampler of green beans from Sweet Maria's. Twelve different types of bean. It will be fun to roast and taste them all. Bonus: A pretty and informative postcard regarding coffee cherries.

::Turning 30::

{A gluten-free gift}

Thirty years. Blissful, really.

{Dinner with Aidan at the new place in town: Back Lane Cafe}

{Mango Cream Puffs}

{Pita-Chip Bruschetta}

{Homemade Lantern Workshop}

:: Ewan ::

Our newest: Ewan. A third brother. Fourth nephew. Seventh grandson. Ninth grandchild.
Little one, welcome.

{A few more of Daniel and Brayden}

:: Sarah's Camera::

{::Sledding at Aunty Sarah's::}

As many pictures as I take, I still rely on others to get the shots I miss. Sarah is a great resource. She takes so many pictures. She and I have often observed that while I wait and wait for the perfect shot, she takes hundreds in between. Here are a few from this summer, along with one from a year ago.

{::Swimming etc. at Aunty Sarah's::}

{::More photos from our Triple Birthday Party::}

Thanks Sarah!