but still we remain, side by side

The boys really did step up their game for the wedding last weekend.....I interrupted them while they were checking to see what the rain was doing to the cows and horses at their grandparents' house before leaving....

and Harry tried his best smile before realizing....

that goofy sad faces might be the way to go!
Jack was in a playful mood all afternoon, but Harry wasn't falling for most of his tricks.

They posed a lot that day

and waited pretty patiently.

Not sure if it was the attire or the setting, but I kept thinking I should start a file of pix for any future presidency runs ;-) They stuck together through thick and thin.....

...even during the tough times!

Martin and Lewis's Side By Side

If that ain't what it's all about

The boys have been tagging along with me on several projects this summer. Jack has been especially helpful, and it makes me so proud to watch him loving the work!

He's lifting his own body weight there - he helps me bag the food, put about 20 bags in the car, and unload it at the local free clinic. He loves to organize the shelves, pack the bags as efficiently as possible, and do more than his fair share....Harry, otoh, just likes to look pretty and take credit for all Jack's hard work when the ladies praise them ;-)

Amy Grant's Helping Hand

The sun will shine

My bonus nephew got married last weekend at Santillane, a historic bed and breakfast near Roanoke, Virginia. Despite a soggy beginning, the rain cleared and it was beautiful.

There were drenched family poses

silly dad poses for little shutter bugssweet moments with boys and grandmas

one very proud set of parents wishing their second son the joys of a long, happy marriage (they've been together for over 30 years!)

one adorable couple

(notice those cute bobble heads on the cake - big hit with the boys!)

boys finding ways to entertain themselves while waiting

fountain-loving Harry posing

and posing

and posing some more - how fake is that?!

firefly hunts

After dancing lessons with one rockin' grand-aunt Iris,

Harry cut a rug with the amazing Aunt Deb,

and Jack did not like it!

The Shirelles' Going To The Chapel

But when I’m big I’ll still know what to do

Looking through all the wedding pix, I noticed Jack was everywhere, learning how to do everything, including flirt with the ladies like his mom and Aunt Iris. He was often in the middle of the men, figuring out how to be a guy after a few obligatory poses.

He also got some much-needed Daddy Time, asking Dean to make sure he looked nice a few times, wrestling, and deciding he was too cool to watch Dean grooving it (I guess that's not the first time we'll embarrass him and have him covering his eyes). Let's hope the perp walk is a passing phase! There were fireflies galore, and he and Aunt Iris got to experience a little summer magic.

Rodney Atkins' Watching You

(Salt! Salt! Salt!)

Harry loves salt and sour. This is the ritual he goes thru whenever he can convince someone to give him their lemon.....even at a wedding

I'm okay as long as we wait a while for the tequilla!

JB's Margaritaville (duet with ZBB)

Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Somehow we ended up with three lazy-minded people in a house, waiting on a repair man....not a bad way to start the summer...
why, yes, those are his feet hitting the foot rest of the recliner...and, yes, that is the same one pictured to his left, wherein you cannot see either of the arms of the chair despite the fact that two little ones are sitting comfortably.....:sniff:

Not exactly sure if this smile is as pure as he'd like me to believe, or he's planning some boyish prank. Betting on the latter ;-)

The Kinks' Sunny Afternoon

Coz' every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man

The boys are getting all decked out for their cousin's wedding this weekend....

ZZTop's Sharp Dressed Man

A secret that only he knows

Jack and one of his best buds have been scheming and trying to keep a secret of their summer plans....he's not quite ready for the CIA
He found a great resource at the library, and spilled the beans to everyone

The boys have been practicing their camp skills the last two nites

JB's Ho Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Rum

In the garden of happiness

This is what it looks like when a mom has an idea about getting her boys to pose ala

American Gothic

Ziggy Marley's Garden

You've got to try

The boys have started a few projects this spring....it seems they plant a seed at school every year, and this year something may actually come of them! Harry loves to eat lemons and has wanted to plant a tree from the seeds of a restaurant lemon for what seems like forever....if this doesn't work, the local nursery sells little trees for a chunk of change ;-) They also finally planted those sweet potatoes that they started in boy scouts. Can't wait to see what comes of their projects!

JB's Love and Luck

It's been TWO weekS

Bare Naked Ladies' One Week

Every day it grows a little more

We probably should have researched Three Sisters Gardening a bit more before starting, but hopefully the guide at the boys' field trip knew what she was talking about when describing this technique. Will keep updating and hope to be able to use some of the information in the article in the fall and for next year's garden.
James Taylor's It's Growing

Plowing these fields in the hot summer sun

We planted our first family garden over the Memorial Day weekend. There was lots of planning, lots of dirt, lots of sweat, lots of pride! It's a first for me, so I'm especially excited to see what happens with all of our little seeds....

Kenny Chesney's She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy