Summer Loves

I have not been doing a very good job of regularly posting on this blog.  Life has been busy with tasks that aren't fun to photograph, like painting stairway walls, waxing wood floors, shoveling landscaping rock and running errands.  Chlorophyll borophyll.  Here are a few pics of recent summer loves that were taken between episodes of mundane taskery.

Yessss!  We have our first pet monarch butterfly of the season!  His name is Juan Pinon (long story.)  We (meaning us girls in the family) LOVE raising monarchs each summer!  So far we have Juan and his sister, Jessie.  I'm hoping the dry conditions will have no effect on our ability to find many more caterpillars.  Last year I think we raised eight.  We're looking to top that number this year. 

Dang it, sideways picture!  Drives me nuts.  Anyway, another major summer love this year has been Grandpa L. and Grandma L's kittens.  This little, yellow fellow, Sandy, has been a particularly friendly and wonderful kitten.  Ainsley cannot get enough of him!  Poor Bennett has had to steer a little bit clear due to her major cat allergy, but she's enjoyed them from a distance. 

We have loved some aspects of the weather...good for swimming, pretty sunsets and on the above occasion some amazing sunlight spilling through multiple breaks in the clouds.  The picture does it no justice!

We've also loved summer fun with cousins!  We are so glad that A. and L. moved closer to us...so great to see them a little more often.  And little S. always keeps us entertained and on our toes!  New this summer, all the cousins have enjoyed rides in Great Grandma E's Model T that Grandpa C. restored.  Great Grandma E. drove this car when she was a teenager.  Super cool!