Oh to be a Kid Again

We have had a fast but oh-so-fun summer!  The boys have thrived on being outside.  We've even gotten to spend a little time with cousin Stephen Ross.

While over at PaPa and Elley's a few days ago, John Paul found a frog!

He accidentally dropped the frog, so it became a challenge to get him back...

Peter did have clothes on that morning.

Caught again!

Seeing them play reminds me of doing the same things as a kid while not having a care in the world.  It was a time in my life when frogs weren't gross, when I enjoyed just laying in the sun's rays after an afternoon in our giant sandbox, and when nothing else really mattered.

My kids are at that point now, and will be for years to come, I hope!!

Case in point: PaPa and Elley set up a huge water slide in their yard and as it was going up, Carter said, "Hellllloooo Gorgeous.  Dat's what I'm talkin' 'bout!"  Then he slid down over and over again.

The summer has brought a little fun with some left over dry ice...creating our own witch's brew.

Stephen Ross got a taste of what it's like to have a sister around.

And, Carter and Peter found some "big big big bees" that I needed to take a picture of.

And a butterfly too!

They've also spent a lot of time in the sand box.  Duke, their protector, is never far away.  I love how they're all together yet are each doing their own thing.

Carter had been doing a little tractor work in his birthday suit and came in to tell me Peter had found a "tiny hiney" bug.  I think he meant teeny weeny.

That bug followed us to the restaurant we ate at that day and was lost in the car on the way home.

Before they shared popsicles in the nude (kind of a regular occurrence in the middle of nowhere), Carter hugged Peter, and Peter said, "You are my best friend the whole world."

They really are best friends.  All of them.  And, it couldn't make me a happier mom.  I would say it's been an amazing few months of just being kids.