Summer lovin

Wow, we have a lot to catch up on! Our second summer has gone very well, including lots of fun times with family and friends. The boys start pre-school in a month, so we're trying to squeeze in as much summer lovin as we can.



This was an especially great day spent with cousin Kyliegh and her fam. They have horses, four-wheelers and a trampoline that kept us very well entertained. It was the first time on horses for the boys, and first time on ATVs for Mummy and Daddy!



Cousins Jake and Jack sent us lots of very cool hand-me-downs. Above, you see the great hunter giving a big squeeze to the great businessman. The boys are really growing, at close to 40lbs and just over 40 inches. Conner has Carson by a pound and an inch (or two.)



Sidewalk chalking at its finest! Conner wouldn't tell us whether this was a self-portrait or one of the McDonald's Fry Guys.



Is it cruel to post this one? Yes, that is Elmo peeking out of Carson's pants. On this day, he had the unfortunate combination of shorts that were too big for him and an obsession with a tree branch that was just out of reach. Elmo love Carson's underwear!



We had another awesome Kras Connection this month. The boys went to see the trains at the Lawrence Visitors Center, then played bigtime at the park. Here they are above, saying das vadanya with a super Kras squeeze.



This is the inside page of a small bible that was given to the first CNM one hundred years ago. You can see that it was handed down to all the subsequent CNMs until coming to us this year. Conner and Carson are the fifth and sixth CNMs in the Marsh family. Here's the full story. Their Daddy was very proud to introduce them to the Marsh lake house in Pennsylvania this month. The house was built by the first CNM and has hosted six generations.



The boys loved the lake. Conner swam back and forth from dock to dock, and they both took flying leaps into the water. They slept very, very well each night. It was the first time they had been on a plane since coming here from Russia. Thankfully, it was a very smooth experience, and they seem to remember nothing of the first flight.



Good thing it is a big lake and a big house. At one point in the week, there were twelve Kansas Marshes and seven New York Marshes, plus the beloved matriarch, Gamilee, who held us all together. The boys enjoyed a front seat view of July 4th fireworks over the lake.



Our little Guitar Heros! No, they didn't play the video game, they just strapped on the guitars long enough for the photo opp. Please disregard the miniature paper airplanes stuck to the fireplace grate...



With as many as 20 people at the dinner table, it was important to have good table manners. Both boys passed that test with flying colors. Above, Conner shows cousin Spencer how to patiently wait for cookies and ice cream. There are so many other great pics of our summer activities, so hopefully we can pull another entry together soon. We hope you are having a fabulous summer with as much ice cream as possible!!