A Girl and Her Boys.

Three little boys all lying on the bed ~
Along comes their sister - who jumps on all their heads!

One little girl with her three Hoolie boys ~
Lying side by side - they look like three Hoolie TOYS!

They're focused on their show, they're just barely alive ~
She sees her chance is NOW, and she takes a big dive!

She rides them all like horsies, and she flops across their backs ~
They hardly even notice her {not so} stealthy attacks.

She gives each one some "love-ies" and she pulls on all their hair ~
Surprisingly, they barely move - they're hardly aware.

She pokes them, and she prods them - she's a wee whirling dervish ~

As her Mama's looking on, she's feeling just a wee bit nervous....

'Cause the "WILD" is growing stronger, and the "CRAZY's" getting.....MORE...

I'm reminded, I thought "girly girls" were all a big bore....

This one, she's crazy daring - and she's impy, tough, and loud ~

And I kinda' must admit, that she makes her Mama proud!

But....give me grace, dear Lord......I have a feeling I shall need it.

August 1.

We've done so much gallivanting as of late, I can't remember the last honest-to-goodness Family Day we have had where there has been an entire day with no agenda to just go and conquer or explore something like we so love to do.

So...when Friday rolled around with the promise of sunny skies and an 80 degree day, I done gone went and declared it to be a "Mama's Choice Day."  

Meaning:  No fishing poles today, boys.  Sorry to break the harsh, cold truth to you.  Today there shall indeed be water...but the fish shall stay alive.

Enter one of our most favorite spots in the world - (when they can get brooks and streams and trouties and bass out of their minds):  Bar Harbor.  Specifically, the little secret back trail that gets you in to Sand Beach for free!

On your way into the park - instead of turning right to go through and pay the rangers for the park pass to the entire parkloop road area - take a left.  When you get to a four-way intersection, turn right and follow the signs to the parking lot for the Great Trail Head.  Park your car in the parking lot, watch out for the poison ivy at the very beginning of the trail, and get ready for the tiniest bit of a hike....

Go right, and you get to the far end of Sand Beach.
Go left, and you can explore the Great Trail Head with the (non-swimming) "beach" that has tons of smooth, round rocks.

I recommend doing both.

Bubble Rock.
Super fun, fairly easy, and a decently quick mountain to conquer.
Our boys are almost at the age to be able to do this, although I still fear for their lives a bit.
A couple of my children have yet to acquire a healthy fear for some things.....
It makes a beautiful backdrop for Sand Beach....mucho happiness.

And the little streams that flow from the ocean into the little outlet here (inlet?) are super warm....and contain lots of baby eels that my boys love to catch.  Methinks that all of the ladies that were basking in the warm waters here were blissfully unaware of this little tidbit of knowledge....

Fifteen years of marriage, Eight moves, Four babies, and One year of engagement ago, right on those rocks to the far left of Sand Beach was where Kevy proposed to me.  Here's how it went down:  It was raining, he wrote me a song, the last line went "will you marry me?", I thought he was kidding.  When I realized he wasn't - I burst into tears because I thought for sure he hadn't asked my Dad, so I said: "But, did you ask my DAD??!!"  He looked taken aback, then he said: "Uh, yes, I did....and he said yes....um...what do YOU say?!"  And then I cried some more, and I said: "Yes," and then we had someone take our picture, and I'm pretty sure they thought we were fighting because I was crying, so then I blurted out that I was REALLY happy because I had just gotten proposed to but I had no idea and I really don't like surprises even though that was a really great one....

And here we are - along with a couple of fellow photo bombers - Fifteen years and four Hoolies later.
And that's one of the reasons why I love this spot so much..

And all my boys do, too.
I just have to remind them sometimes that there is life outside of fishing.
To which Jesse declared from the waves:  "Best day EVER!!"
Agreed, my Love....

See?  How fun is this?
Getting pounded by the surf...and eating your fill of sand...and having it fill every crevice of your body...
It's super fun!

On our way back to the car we scooted down the path towards the Great Trail Head.
We didn't go all the way to the end of it, we just short-cutted our way down a little side trail...

And all of a sudden, you are away from the crowds of Sand Beach, and you are all alone on this far more rugged coastline with waves crashing all around you, huge rocks to climb and explore, and wide open spaces of wildness.

It's breathtaking.

And it's a beautiful contrast.
There are little tidal pools everywhere, there are piles of smooth, round rocks, and there are zero people.
Good for smooching.

Indeed it was a beautiful start to our lovely month of August.

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn...” 
― Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

OffLine...

This entire month of July has been Insanity.
Blissy, Adventurous Insanity.....but Cah-razy Town, nonetheless.

Rock jumping at Smalls' Falls

Since the 4th of July, we have literally been living out of our suitcases, and I do declare that when we arrived home just the other day, I could write my name on every surface of every room.

Evenings with Ransom while the big boys fished...

But...oh goodness, me.... these days have been amazing.
We kicked off the month with our annual family vacation to my father-in-law's itty bitty slice of Heaven that resides on this itty bitty slice of island... and we called this place Home for one solid week.

Bliss, Baby.
Closest thing to Heaven on Earth, in my book.

I mean, seriously.... this is our "view" for the week:

Oh....and sometimes this:
Both, equally delicious....

We are so SO thankful for this place of retreat where we can literally go offline and just "be" for a few days.
And offline I did indeed go when on Day #1, I dropped my phone and smashed its' screen all to peices.  Texts still merrily made their way across the sound waves with a happy little "ding" to notify me that I had a message waiting...however, there was nary a thing that I could do about it for the entire week of our stay!  That drove me just a wee bit bonkers, but there honestly is some freedom and peace that comes with completely checking out for a few days. ...  Even if it wasn't entirely by choice!

The "Height of Land."

Each year out here, the look of our vacation takes on a different flavor.  Last year we had a newborn, which came with its own set of challenges, but she was at least completely immobile.  This year, we had a toddler on our hands who was a fearless whirling dervish of a water baby.  I looked forward to naptimes with eager anticipation of being able to let my guard down and not have to worry about near drownings every five minutes.

An early evening Bog adventure

This girl, she loves her water.
But, she's not a fan of her life jacket.
And she is completely mobile now, yet she walks like a raging drunkard, so she is as tipsy as all getout.
So, to keep us all sane and happy - if she wasn't in her swing or her exersaucer and completely contained, I would simply bring the lake to her....

Seriously, how cute is this?

The old metal tub.
Used for crayfish, frogs, chubs, and minnows.
Also good for bathing wee baby girls and for giving them their very own "pool."
It's all good.
Redneck roughing it....

This year, there were also three little boys who share varying degrees of whatever-the-word-is-that-makes-them-not-be-able-to-think-about-anything-else, love with their Daddy when it comes to all things fishing. Pretty much, no matter what we did, it always and without question involved bringing a fishing pole.  Or ten.

Big Daddy Chub.

We ate a lot of fish that week.
And all four of my boys were in Fishy Heaven.

Trouties from Cascade Stream.

And I said that I was going to hide all of the poles when we got home.

Coos Canyon.  A wee bit treacherous for London.

And London said that when she gets older she and I are going to stay back at camp and sit on the dock.

But we were Troopers and went along for the ride.
Because we like our boys.

Big Daddy Trout.

And often it involved an iced coffee.  Or an ice cream.
But I still think that I deserve a reward.

A salmon....with his half eaten lunch.

 There. Was. A. Lot. of. Fishing.

Smalls' Falls.

But, there was also a lot of Beauty wherever we went.
And scenery that allowed for lots of deep, cleansing breathes.
And just a whole lot of at-one-ness with Creation and its' Creator.
This, I love.

And I love that while the boys can lap the entire island in the span of two minutes, they are never, ever bored.  They never once ask for video game time or mention that they're missing their Saturday morning cartoons.

They are peaceful, and they are at their happiest.

They wake up with the sun, and they sleep like puppies at night.  They swim, they fish, they lay on the dock and skip rocks.  They catch frogs and canoe. They build fires, and they play.  They bathe in the lake, and they live in their swim trunks.

And the sweet, simple loves of my childhood are once again re-lived in my children.
It is indeed the happiest week of our Summer.

Imperfect Perfection.

The glory of Summer!

...of declaring school to be finally DONE!....even though we didn't finish everything.
...of being okay with this "less than perfect" year of schooling.
...and of packing everything away, anyway, - to start things afresh and anew....

Later.

Here's to days of "imperfect perfection."

Days where kids run wild and free...and days where they far outnumber the adults.
Days where "vacation" doesn't necessarily mean "relaxation"....

...but where it's all so very good, anyway.

 Here's to early mornings spent berrying in the fields...

And then coming home to "jam" in the kitchen.

Days where we start early to "get ahead" while the baby sleeps...and days where all of that rushing ended in nothing because we forgot one very important step.

Days of deep, cleansing breaths while we start everything over.
And days of walking deep with others while they try to start over, as well.

Days of very imperfect Perfection....

Here's to little mini jam jars for my little mini Hoolies...

Here's to rainy 4th of July's where we kick it to The Great Unknown far away from all the crowds and the chaos.
...Except for our own.

Which is a lot, by the way...

 Days where work is forgotten.
And where Friends love like Family.

 Days of sweet simplicity.
And days where "play is indeed the work of childhood."

Here's to days...and times...and moments...
that we will miss if we blink.

And that we can't possibly savor if we don't.  slow...  down.....

Even if the Crazy far outweighs the Calm.
And Even if the only "me time" in this season of Now consists of...well...sleeping.

These days are fleeting.
And I'm Choosing to See...

Here's to seeing it all through their eyes....
Eyes that live life FULL - no matter what and in spite of all our flaws.
And eyes that don't have to be taught to take it all in.

Eyes that just know...
And eyes that teach their Mama to see.

All of this Imperfect Perfection.

And here's to crashing hard at the end of every day.....
For Sanity restored....

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~ Henry James.