Backpacking

I was so excited to take the boys backpacking.  Robert has such fond memories of going with his family when he was growing up.  We love listening to his stories from the trips they took.  I had never gone before and Robert took me after we married.  I loved it.  Such a wonderful way to experience the outdoors, it gives you the opportunity to take in every little detail.  And it is such an awesome feeling to conquer a mountain!  We've hiked the same trail in New Mexico several times.  We even hiked it while I was pregnant with Asher.  Flooding had changed the trail so much and we could only recognize bits and pieces. 

Addison enjoys his cup of hot chocolate...love the smudge on his face.  Dirty camping boy!  Me cracking up because Asher picked up a stick leaned on it and said..."I'm Yoga"  (yoda)

the boys spent a good amount of time whittling sticks into spears.  Then practicing their aim...hoping that the local chip munk would stick his head out and we could have squirrel for dinner.  I love the little blessings you can find along a hike...like this little heart shape in the moss.  And Asher found this huge crystal rock...made his trip complete.  Addison enjoyed chopping wood with the axe and being the leader as we hiked.

as we were walking along the trail we would have to climb over large trees that had fallen down.  all the sudden we heard a loud crash, and just behind us a tree fell on the trail.  it was a little scary to think about how close we were to getting smushed!  The elk bugled during the night and that is an amazing sound!  We even inched our way along the edge of a drop off of about 30ft.  It was terrifying to watch my children stumble and slip....but we were so proud how brave they were.

The boys did such a good job, we were so proud of them.  They each carried about 15lbs.  and we hiked about 4 miles in and then 4 miles out in the rain. 

weekend preparations....

tennis

hours of fun for two boys.....

i get asked all the time what there is to do in such a small town.....well, not much. the other day the boys caught a locust, tied fishing line to it and played with it for hours. it was pretty funny how it flew round and round in circles, then would land on their shoulder. it was like a pet kite.

disclaimers:: these are just some snaps for the grandparents, not any fabulous photography....and the boys totally dressed themselves, and i have no idea where they got their sense of fashion, and also it appears that asher forgot his glasses for the day and obviously his mother didn't notice either, and to me this seemed like good clean boy fun and the bug was not harmed (much).

Asher:::bird whisperer

my mom took these pictures when she was keeping the boys for a weekend for me a while back. she said asher sat so still and patiently waiting for the hummers to get used to him. one of the hummers flew up and looked right into his glasses then tried to drink from his nose. how many people can say they had their nose picked by a hummingbird. i love that they make such precious memories every time they are with their mema!

boys golf tournament

Fowlkes boys take first and third

so glad Robert could get away from work for long enough to come coach the boys. asher was extremely serious and competitive (so surprising i know). i don't know much about golf, but his swing looks beautiful, so fluid, so effortless....

in the top right pic, Addi is laughing because when he was getting ready to hit a fish jumped, loved his expressions when he was hitting...giving it his all. but his favorite part of the game...washing his ball, every hole, every time he got a chance....he was quite proud of his shiny ball. only thing better was getting a shiny medal to go along with it.

headed out of town for a few days again....so camp pics when i return.

i'm so ashamed....

i really can't believe how long i've gone without blogging. it's not that i don't have anything to blog about, or even that i don't have any time, and you know that i have got oodles of pictures....i just haven't been feeling it lately. so now i'm in the mood and have lots to share....completely out of order and random and unorganized, i really don't know what has gotten into me. crazy summer days i suppose.

so first up---church camp sweeties---

my favorite picture from the whole week....it melts my soul, she's looks like an angel....she is an angel
"ya'unt beans..."

my sil and my great niece....she loves her Grammie, I love her piggies

and her metalic eyes, so pretty!

my oldest brother....who still calls me little sis and i love it....love him, miss him, so happy to spend time with him.....a man everyone should know! weird to say, but i'm so glad he had cancer, he lives life to the fullest everyday and is such an inspiration to me. (and yes, i'll give him my kidney if he needs it!)

father/daughter tea party....love that we drink tea out of a trash barrel that has been mixed with a big 'ole stick!

the most luscious lips ever belong to my great nephew Jake...so smoochable!

ok, enough for tonight...more camp fun, painting the bell and slip and slide. and some of Asher and Addi playing in a golf tournament. but the boys need to be tucked in and tuckered out! i promise to come back soon.

I get a little jealous....

....when i am photographing a mother and her child/children. I WANT pictures of me and my boys, snugglin, laughing, goofing off. but i find too many excuses usually to take action and get them. Robert wanted to have a little fun and be the photographer for the night at the boys baseball games. so even though i wish i had on more makeup and my hair was fixed and not in a cap....i'm so excited to have a few pictures of asher and i. i know how fun it is to play with and love on my big boy....and now i get to see how sweet it really is. These pictures really inspire me and i am excited to get some more....

inflatable day

they have a day towards the end of school where they fill the playground with all kinds of inflatable fun. Asher didn't think it was so cool to have his own little paparazzi, so not very many pictures of him...I think he was trying to lose me.