Late August at the microfarm

We've been back two and a half weeks now and have been enjoying hanging around the farm. It has been hot here, high 80's (something we're completely unused to in CA, since Ventura was rarely above 72 degrees in any month of the year), and we've been doing pool time and water play as much as possible to keep occupied. Highlights worth sharing...

Goose started swim lessons with our beloved Miss Lynn:

We caught a rat in a back yard trap, erected primarily by HF and the proud monkey:

Last weekend we celebrated the 3rd and 5th birthdays of Goose and Roo. We did a joint backyard birthday party with homemade pizza from the brick oven, a pinata, and cake and ice cream. Attendees were the lovely farm neighbor families + the Scherreis. Great success!

Summer in New England

This summer we got to spend 5+ weeks in New England. It was fantastic. HF came for just under three weeks; the kids and I preceded his arrival by several days and stayed a fortnight beyond his departure. I'd never flown with all four by myself before, and happily it went better than I had anticipated. My biggest fear was the Mouse, and the potential for her to be unhappy and shriek for more or less the whole flight. [I find ages 11 - 22 months to be the most difficult age for flying littles.] Happily, she proved on both flights that so long as she was continuously fed an assortment of carbs from takeoff to landing, she could stay content. And I am only barely exaggerating!

We were all over the place - in northern CT, Westport MA, Rome ME, Rollinsford NH, Cape Cod, and places in between. I won't even try to recount the wonderful and fulfilling experiences with family and friends we had over nearly six weeks in a beautiful area of the country that's dearly beloved to us. Suffice it to say that it was a tremendous blessing to be able to spend so much time enjoying and being enjoyed.

I'll leave it at some photo evidence of (primarily) the young members of our traveling crew:

Grandpa's 90th birthday party!

Goose and Roo among the flowers

Monkey dock-jumping

Roo at the beach

Goose helping Grandpa garden

Mouse in her cute wetsuit

Goose at our farm in NH with friend (and resident) Jessie