In Book News

 We recently visited a new library branch to hear one of our new favorite story tellers, Captain Book.  The kids loved exploring a new library and they were able to find some books that our library doesn't have, so it was fun!

Here's what we've listened/read lately.

Beck is loving the Gerinomo Stilton series.

And my mystery-lover just adores Encyclopedia Brown, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes.  

She has been listening to any she can get her hands (ears?) on!

 We also love Roald Dahl!!

 Q and I have been reading Boxcar Children books.  This was one we read together.  I read these as a kid, so it is fun to revisit them with Q!

 What??!!!  A new Magic Treehouse book!  She was thrilled to listen to it!

 This is Captain Hook and the kids, after the storytime.

 And Mama has to read, too!  This is my most recent read. It was SO.GOOD.  On so many levels.  I recommend it so very strongly!

 We listened to this on our Wyoming trip, and finished it here in Houston.  It is loooong but so very good.  The kids were riveted on the story and didn't stir a bit while they listened, and I was the same way!  A true classic when it can enchant such a broad age span!  We recommend this one heartily, though I will say we were slightly disappointed at the ending...we were expecting a bit more fanfare.  But still a great story!

 My bookworms love getting their reserves off the shelf.  It is almost as good as Christmas as they discover what Mama's reserved for them that week!!

Hawaii Misc...

Man we had so much fun snorkeling while in Hawaii....the fish and the coral and the dolphins and turtles....A-MAZING.  I will have more to say and more pictures on this, believe me!

These are what the roads in Hawaii look like.  curvy, swervy and roller-coastery!

And when you drive around the island it is amazing how much the topography changes from one minute to the next...lava fields to rainforesty-ness to ocean coast to grassy plains.....just crazy!  I loved it!

This is Sophia and me.

Eunice's kitchen....we breakfasted there together every morning.  One of my favorite parts of the day!

 Living room.  Isn't that coffee table amazing?  Their friend made it.

 The girls slept in the sunroom.

 And the poultry....these were the loudest roosters on the planet and they pretty much crowed at all hours.  I got used to them pretty quickly and slept right through em....

The girls, feeding the chickens scraps in the henhouse.

 George sweeps the driveway every morning, as it gets covered in eucalyptus leaves and flower blossoms!

 This is the view from their neighborhood--you can see South Point off in the distance--all the windmills.  The most southern point of all of the US.

 The have a lava tube on their property!  Pretty cool!

 The girls and Maisie.

Impact Back to School Night

A favorite summer night is Impact Back To School Night, where Bammel takes the Impact kiddos shopping for school supplies/clothes and shares dinner together.  We took two little girls this year (Quinn's choice).  First we went to the crazed Chick-fil-a, where every other person in the world was.  It was cra-cra!  But the kids loved it and had fun.  The Merediths went with us to, so that added another fun element this year!!  

We had to squeeze into a booth all together because there weren't other tables....but it was kinda fun that way!  

Quinn was large and in charge, "directing" our girls the whole night.  She was in her element, for sure!

 She was all business helping them choose their clothes and shoes and supplies, too....sometimes a little too much help.  :)  But she enjoyed herself and the girls did, too.  And I was very proud of her that she was able to put all her energy into helping them choose cool things she liked, too, but she was able to comprehend that it was a time to serve and not get stuff for herself.

Madi!

Just Beaux.

Beck

Beck loves to help Daddy with anything and everything.  He got to help change out the insides of a toilet, which thrilled him.  As they headed upstairs to work, he turned around to me and Quinn and said, "We'll have this fixed in no time."

 His favorite chore is taking out the trash.  He empties all the upstairs trashcans into one and then I help him pour that into a bag.  He takes it downstairs and I help him put it in the dumpster.

The 4th

We left Hawaii the evening of the 3rd, took the red eye and arrived in Houston around noon HTX time, 6 am Hawaii time.  The kids and Mimi met us at the airport and we were so excited to see them!  The rest of the 4th was pretty calm and slow for us....we unpacked and hung out with the kids, then we went out for Torchy's Tacos with Mimi, got some dessert at Whole Foods, and stopped by the fireworks stand for a pack of sparklers.  Matt and the kids did those, then we all went to bed!  We had a tired crew all around.