Oh, Beautiful Day!

It has felt like a PERFECT fall-like day today--but it's the middle of July!  The kids and I have thoroughly enjoyed playing outside today.  We weeded and watered the garden this morning while the kids played with some "new to them" toys we inherited from some friends down the road who are moving (and we hate to see them leave the neighborhood!)

 Sean had to hold Brilee with his foot to keep her from coming towards me trying to get the camera!

 enjoying her new ride!

Sean said while they were playing, "It's a good thing Jesus didn't bring out the sun today!"  I love how he thinks and remembers that God is in control of everything!

Our sunflower was looking pretty droopy and the leaves were falling off around it, so I looked up when to harvest the sunflowers.  I found a website that spoke all about how/when to harvest them.  It gave two options--1) leave the flower on the plant to dry, but you have to fight against birds getting to the seeds first or 2) cut the flower when the petals turn brown and fall off and dry it yourself.   I decided to go the 2nd route1.  It said to cut the flower off and keep it inside a paper bag to dry in a warm, dry place.  The kids enjoyed playing with the little flower ends that were still sticking to the seeds.  I'm thinking it might have still been a tad early to cut it off, but it was really leaning over the fence into the neighbors's yard and I just wanted to get it over with.  Here's the kids enjoying inspecting the sunflower (inside Sean's wheelbarrow)

They were having so much fun I hated to leave to do our usual Friday grocery shopping after Brilee woke up from her morning nap.  We rushed through that trip and came home to have a picnic lunch.  Sean got upset when it started sprinkling rain while I was making the PB&Js.  At first I thought he had hurt himself outside because he came in screaming with tears down his face!  When I figured out he wasn't hurt but that he was worried we wouldn't have our picnic lunch I thought, "How sweet that my little guy looks SO forward to just a simple thing like lunch outside."  I hope he's always this easy to please!

I promised him the sprinkles would end soon and we could still eat outside and that dried up his tears quickly.  They enjoyed their outside lunch then played some more.  So glad they're enjoying good naps now so we can play some more outside this afternoon!  I am soaking in this weather while it lasts for the weekend because it's supposed to be back into the high 90s next week :/