a summer

Ira has had a busy summer. His garden is growing very well. We have harvested a lot of beans and squash, peas, a few peppers, lettuce. spinach beets, cucumbers,potatoes, kale, tons of onions, and a few other things. The sunflowers have been in full bloom and the HUGE one are starting to give their seed to the birds now. Our winter squash is doing very well, and we are looking forward to living on squash in the fall. Ira loves being in the garden with Shawn and eating all the fresh vegetables.

We also had a chance to pick pounds and pounds of blueberries this summer. Our freezer is packed! and I even made Blueberry syrup. The first time we went to pick Shawn found Ira laying on the ground under a bush, picking and eating berries at his pleasure. He absolutely LOVES berries frozen but especially fresh. I never had to worry about him when we went out picking. we could be out there for an hour and he wouldn't complain a bit.

Way back in June we took a family trip to the ranch. we got to see most of Shawns family and Ira got to enjoy his cousins. I am especially looking forward to our next adventure with Shawns sister in American Samoa. Ira is going to be his older cousins nanny for a month. and I even get to go to supervise. I am sure Dalley and Ira will be the best of friends by the time we have to leave the island. I finished booking all our flights and now just worrying about what to pack.

Ira is definitly growing up fast. He is a regular little boy these days. Playing in the dirt, chasing he chickens and making engine nosies when he plays with his trucks.  In the last month he has started to communicate very well. He now shakes his head yes when you guess right about what he wants. I didnt notice it at first because he doesnt really say yes..but if I ask him a question and the answer is yes he het a really big smile on his face, raises his eyebrows and nods his head up and down very purposefully.  It is so funny. So finally a slight breakthrough in communication. love it.

He also has had an interest in talking on the phone lately. He takes my cell phone and walks around the house jabbering. So the other day I called his grandma and he talked her ear off for over 5 minutes. I couldnt get the phone away from him, so I just yelled to her that it was Ira and he wanted to talk and that she could hang up anytime. It sounded like they had a great conversation..whatever it was he was telling her. He was sure excited.

Also in the last few months I have decided his new favorite thing/word is "water". He notices it everywhere. anything he drinks, milk, water or juice is water. If we are walking and he sees a sprinkler he points and says water. If someone is watering there garden same thing. During church when the pass the water he gets very excited about it. and especially everynight when its time for Shawn to water the garden he has to help. He likes to fill up the watering can and water a few plants the hose doesnt reach. He like to help me fill up the water for the chickens. He gets very sad when all the watering has been done for the day.

I need to do better at taking a few more pictures and posted something about what he does each week. He really is so fun to watch grow up and figure things out. Shawn and I find ourselves giggling often.

Here are a few shots from over the summer. The most recent are from the glof tournament Shawn played in last Saturday. I sent Ira with him for the first few holes so I could photograph the other golfers. He had so much fun riding around in the golf cart with me. though he is too smart so I had to put the key on the roof everytime I got out so he didnt drive off into a pond.

Sweet Pants

Golfing with Dad and Uncle Dennis.