Some things never change! Nightly trips to the ice cream store are definitely my favorite and I don't think anyone else complains about them either.
Biggest cousin helping his little cousin choose his ice cream!
Mule rides are always the highlight of the day. Anytime there's a job to be done--or just a joy ride-- kids come out of the woodwork to pile on the mule. They're all small enough right now that everyone can fit at one time but pretty soon we won't be able to strap these two into the same seatbelt!
The men replaced the front porch steps this year so the kids "helped" bring lumber over in the mule. Its an important job to keep that lumber company on the drive!
Reid's newest adventure this year was to ride his bike in circles upon circles around the house, resulting in a nice bullseye on his forehead early on in the week. You know it didn't phase him for long though!
The very last day we were there was unseasonably cool and gorgeous, but the rest of the week was as hot as expected for July. This inflatable pool has surprisingly held up for a few years now against kids rolling and jumping on the sides as they dive in over and over again. Aunt Courtney's contribution of little fish kept the little boys (and Ryker) pretty entertained this year!
Helping Grandad beat the heat!
It was a little too early in the season for tomatoes and other crops but the kids grabbed snap peas from the vine to snack on throughout the day (the best!) and Grandad showed Jake and Joel how to find hidden treasure-- potatoes!
Fourth of July tie-dye! I just want to squeeze all three of them. Cutest cousins ever.
There were a few new experiences this year! Grandad rented an excavator for the week so the men could dig out stumps in the orchard. All the guys--grown ones and young ones-- had a blast. Dad made me try it on the last day and trying to figure out that machine is definitely not my thing! We made lots of trips to the orchard to check on progress and let the kids take turns on the excavator.
We don't have trees to climb around us so Jake got some good practice on the trees in the orchard while waiting for his turns on the excavator!
Fishing for the first time! Jake and Reid got poles for their birthdays earlier this summer but we didn't get a chance to try them out until we got to Port Hope. Uncle Tim got everyone set up down at the lake and we gave it a shot but no one had any luck-- except Reid, who hooked the back of my knee and was then relieved from fishing duty. ;)
^^Keeping little guys away from lines and hooks!
But then the Fairs took their crew, Jake and Joel to a different spot and had so much luck they called the rest of us out to come see. Before we got there, Jake had already caught nine fish! It was unreal how quick the kids were reeling them in. Jake was over the moon about it and had so much fun!
Going through all these photos makes me want to beeline back to Port Hope (this time with cooler weather, bonus!). I'm so grateful for the time we get with all of our family and I'm already excited for next year, with baby Reagan along for the first time!
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