Summer memories

I'm playing a bit of catch up on my pictures this week. Lately, every time I try to post pictures it fails on me. Today it worked! As I looked through my pictures, I'm always reminded of my childhood and what summer was to us. We spent most of our time outside getting dirty!

We spend 4th of July each year at Marcy and Sean's house doing fireworks and drinking beer(the guys anyway). The kids LOVE the fireworks and since we can't do them in the county we live in we are fortunate to have this tradition.

Boy, the sparklers really suck now. When we were kids we had the grey ones with metal handles that really sparked. I think I even have a picture of when we'd "write" names with them in the air. Then someone complained or sued since they got to something like 800 degrees on the tip and kids were burning themselves...us kids didn't...maybe we knew not to touch the glowing end...dummies...what's next? Make flaming marshmallows illegal?

Here is Amber enjoying the 4th as well. Nothing like bellying up to a bag of BBQ chips. I'd have done it too but someone needed to take the picture...

They enjoyed some water fun while waiting for it to get dark. Remember asking when you could start? It seemed like the longest day ever!!! I remember when we got some illegal fireworks in Wyoming on a road trip we took with our parents as kids. Who said bottle rockets were unsafe? Um, they are kinda scary. I think we waited until New Year's to light them off. They were cool! Did I mention my brother was somewhat of a pyro as a kid? Must be a boy thing. Evan's eyes were glazed over the entire evening and was running around with a lighter lighting anything that had a fuse on it. It was too funny!

Another part of my childhood was having purple hands for a couple of months. Every time we'd walk past the blackberry bushes we'd stop and pick. Nature's candy! Yum! Never mind the road grime and spider webs. We'd eat it anyway. My parent's road used to be dirt so you can imagine the added "flavor" they had. The kids and I went with grandma this week to do some picking. Of course the first thing we made with them was blackberry pancakes. My fav! Now, you can't get me to use maple syrup on said pancakes. Talk about wrong. We made blackberry syrup to go with them.

If there is one thing I learned from Grammie Crabtree, there isn't anything better to cook your pancakes in than a biggo dollop of butter. I, of course, usually spray a light coating of Pam on my griddle. With berry pancakes, all healthy thoughts go out the window. The only thing that keeps these babies from sticking is butter, and lots of it!!!! Talk about golden brown and flavorful! YUM!

Guess what the best part of the homemade syrup is? Wait for it, wait for it...today I smashed the rest of the berries up and mixed them in the syrup. Now we're off to the store to get the fixins for some homemade blackberry ice cream. I'm using my Daddy's recipe and there's none better. So many memories. It really takes me back to standing in the kitchen after listening to the ice cream maker turn and turn on the back deck, waiting for the paddle to come out of the can so we could lick it off, dripping all over the place. I have a feeling I'll be mopping later today. But first...showering! Have a great weekend everyone!

Oh, a few more thing. Sheesh I downloaded a lot of pictures today.


Here, in the garage, we have a fridge that is waiting for a new electrical outlet so it can be plugged in. I guess Chris is going to have to hurry and get this done on his vacation next week.

And you say, "Why is this so important?"

This is why. About 4am I heard a major bang out in the kitchen. Here is soda can #2, blown up in my fridge on Tuesday morning. He tried to get huffy at me and say that he set the oven timer so when it went off I could remind him to take it out. Hello! I was with the kids over at grandma's house swimming Monday evening so I never HEARD it go off!!!! Here's a thought...put soda in the fridge when you take the last one out and you won't have a problem!!! He is now banished to the garage fridge. Annoyingly, it is Friday and I still have stalactites and stalagmites in my freezer. Hello, we have a deep freeze that he could transfer the stuff to so he could clean it. He is obviously waiting to see if I'll clean it. I'm slowing wearing down. He has more patience with filth than I. Hey, it does get annoying when I take things out of the freezer and frozen bits of soda fall on the floor and melt into little sticky droplets. Since I'm grocery shopping today I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet. And he's going to have to climb in the attic. I clean, he wires.

What's this? The kids got my camera. Yet another Webkinz to add to their collections. This is the Grey Arabian they bought with their own money. Actually, Amanda bought Evan's for him with her money. She said it was his birthday present. Does that mean I don't have to buy him one?

Since Amanda is obsessed with horses she's hired the cat to practice on. Are they bored or what? Talk about memories...Marcy and I used to catch my cat and stick her in the oven I had and sit out in front of the door singing, "For he's a jolly good fellow" over and over again. Then she'd shoot out and we'd do it again. Poor cat! I can't remember what cartoon we got it from, but I remember a group of men catching a tiger or something and carrying it on a pole hanging upside down, all the while singing that song on their way back to camp. It seemed like a fun idea at the time...

Here is Molly, all saddled up and looking like she's ready to buck.

She didn't really get too annoyed until Amanda tried to put the bridle on her. That was more committment then she was ready for. Goofy cat.

Ok, now I'm done. Caught up for the most part. Have a great weekend!!!