Lakes, pies, and fireworks.

I had planned about 10 posts in my head this week. It seems like getting an actual free minute or two to write a post is not at the top of my priority list right now. Making pies is pretty high on that list though. We had a great 4th of July, celebrated with family, friends and a great firework show at a friend's farm. It was perfection! I didn't take a picture of anything except the pie. That shows you the priority level of such things. Our early apple tree is covered in apples that I need to pick. I will see what I can get this weekend, and then perhaps I will open our tree to anyone who wants to come get them...

Nick and I went out for our anniversary to Can Can Brasserie in Carytown (Richmond) on Sunday, and it was delicious. Can Can is a neat little french restaurant done in a vintage, 1930s feel. It was yummy, and a nice trip back in time. Our anniversary is over a week away but it just seems that it takes the stars aligning in just a certain way during a full moon on a Sunday while one of us is holding our mouth just right, for us to get out on a date. Alone. This has been our first date without Kieran in his entire little life. It was so weird. In a good way. Suddenly we were young and carefree again... and it is sad to think it will be another 17 or so years before the carefree part becomes "normal" for us... and then we won't be so young anymore. But then I found we talked a lot about our kids while we were out... and we went into all the toy and kid clothing stores in Carytown. So I guess, even though we enjoyed a night out, we kind of missed our lovely babies deep down inside. Quiet must get old after awhile, right? I forget.

We also took a little trip into The Jefferson Hotel. We had considered dinner there after our first 2 options didn't work out. For me, if the title of a dish is a paragraph long, it probably isn't going to be much of a meal by the time they put it on a plate. So, that is how we ended up at CanCan.

I made another dish-drain quilt the other day and I think it is entirely cute. I hope to make 2-3 more so they won't be missed when they take a trip to the washer. Overally, my counter is much cuter and they seem to be working well!

= Last week we went day-camping. We spent a day with my parents while they were camping, and we went home afterwards and slept in our own comfy beds. We were able to roast marshmallows around a campfire, swim in a lake and grill out, without having to toss and turn uncomfortably in a hot tent while getting eaten alive by misquitos. haha, and I do love camping. Right now in our life though, day-camping is a much better alternative. If anyone would like to give me a pop-up camper, that would solve a lot of problems. :)

Here was the lake. Isn't it lovely? It is a place called the Cove. I have never been there. It was pretty much in the middle of a place called Nowhere. Kieran is such a little beach bum. He loves splashing. And then he likes to stick his head into the water and drink it. He thinks pond scum is yummy. He is cute at least. Even if he is crazy. Isabel is our little fish. She has taken to the water that was a bit scary to her last year. It is funny, sad and beautiful how children change, and grow. Anastasia is our little social-bug. She makes friends wherever she goes and it really melts my heart, and reminds me that she will have friends who love her, wherever life takes her. All I have to say about this baby and bulldozer picture is that Boys will be boys. Okay, that isn't all I have to say, because just a few posts ago I was annoyed at the dumb bulldozers and dumptrucks on baby clothes. I like to keep things simple, sweet and less industrialized for my boy. Nick tells me I am turning Kieran into a gnome. He says I need to applique chain saws and guns onto onesies for him. So, at the campground, a giant bulldozer drove by us and Kieran was beside himself with joy, kicking and screaming in bliss as this loud monstrosity nearly ran us over. He loved it and I can't deny it. I thought he was too young for such machinery, but I have not seen anything compare to the effect of the bulldozer. I guess Nick wins. My baby is still my baby for now, but he is all boy just the same.

We swam in a little pond last week too with our playgroup at a farm. It was another lovely day in our "best summer ever" log. I do love Summer. Especially now that I have kids... and can live childhood all over again!