Poppy's Birthday Celebration

It is hard to believe Dad's 70th was six weeks ago. I can't believe Labor day is just around the corner. What a summer it has been. Kenyon turned two, Sara is showing major signs of growing up and hitting puberty (Those of you with teens feel free to give some advice). My favorite Uncle passed away, Dad turned 70, we started house hunting, and managed to get a romantic weekend away sans kid. Whew....no wonder we are tired.

I could not have asked for a better party for Dad. Almost all the extended family was there, we missed Uncle L's family but we know grieving must take place. We had cake, a ton of food as only an Estes party can, and saw some fireworks. Here are a few pictures that captured the moments.

On Sunday morning Poppy made us all a huge Southern breakfast complete with homemade biscuits, thick sliced bacon and all the trimmings that made Pop the heart patient that he is today.

The weekend reminded me of the celebrations from my childhood, when no one was a stranger, there was always hot food off the grill, and the kids played outside until the fireflies came out. As I get older I wish for more of those moments for my own kids. With age you realize that these are the moments that sustain you in the hard times, give you a soft place to fall, and without even knowing it a true definition of what home and family really are.


So to my family I say I love you and miss all of you, especially you Uncle RL. May you rest in peace, Sailor.

Here's Looking at You

Back in June Amy & Jules came for a visit. The girls had a great time wearing the potato head accessories. They are becoming good friends. Kenyon gets so excited when you tell her Jules is coming over. We were looking at pictures and she saw one of Jules and yelled"JULES!"

Such excitement in a two year old's life.

Go Climb a Tree

If you ask Poppy he will only be too happy to tell the story how I got stuck in a tree. As the story goes, to my recollection, Mom & Dad couldn't find me (I wasn't even 5 probably). They looked everywhere. Well, they finally found me pretty high in the chinaberry tree. So it is told, Dad had to get the ladder and climb up to get me.





That story lays the ground work for the following pictures...Kenyon has discovered the beauty of sitting in a tree. The perspective that being in a tree provides to one's view to the world. Sara discovered this and now Hank is passing it on to Kenyon.

I still appreciate a good climbing tree. With age you realize it isn't as easy to get down as it used to be and I don't have my dad with a ladder to rescue me. Does it make me want to revisit that hidden desire to live in a tree, just like Miss Suzy did in my favorite kids book? You betcha!

Ice Cream. You Scream

This is a little girl who won't eat her dinner. This is a little girl, however, that WILL eat her ice cream. With Sprinkles Please.

On her birthday we took her to get custard and she leaned over and kissed everyone and said she loved us, then leaned down and kissed her ice cream and told it she loved it. A girl after my own heart.