Traditions

So, for the past few August long weekends, we've been making a tradition of heading to Vanessa, where Greg's family's cousins own a ginseng farm. They've a gorgeous property and, when the weather cooperates, we're fortunate to enjoy the time to use their pool (especially as we're nowhere near being able to afford one for our backyard any time soon). They've actually got the perfect backyard set up - though were we to have the same thing, we'd have no grass area elsewhere as what they have in pool and gardens alone is the extent of our entire lot. Anyhow, as I said, they've the ideal pool area (and hopefully one day so will we, particularly as - unless year-round schooling settles into our board too - the boys and I will be able to use it every day of summer holidays... or unless it's a summer much like this that is rainy, dreary, and cooler than I'd like most days).



Isaiah was very interested in swimming and I think I'll be getting my money's worth when he begins lessons Monday. He had to be coerced into using the floatie, though - necessary when we all tired of helping him swim or when I had both boys to myself - but otherwise wanted to be swimming - mostly independently if he had his way. Hopefully the lessons help teach him to swim by himself fairly well because he is a pretty stubborn boy when it comes to wanting to be in the water. His lips were blue half the time - despite the 89 degree bath-like water - because he refused to come out of the pool and dry off for awhile in the sun.

Braylon, on the other hand - and much like everything else, had to be coerced into swimming itself, though eventually he took a liking to it. Isaiah and his cousin Mateo were "swimming" in the fountain at first, but Braylon was content to amuse himself while they sorted rocks and caught the falling water in the trucks. Once we were in the big pool, though, Braylon enjoyed lounging in his floatie, safe amongst the many aunts and uncles lounging on their pool noodles. Yes, I think we'll have to invest in a pool at some point... our efforts to convince my in-laws to put one in are fairly pointless, I think! So one day...

Anyhow, we didn't just swim and sun bathe... there was much entertaining to be had. It's nice, despite my lack of having caught on to Portuguese, to just sit around and enjoy one another's company. Quite a few of Greg's aunts and uncles go up (and usually so do their kids, though this year was slightly different), so there's plenty of conversing to be had. And there's always an abundance of food to be consumed... even if it takes 8 hours for the lunch spread to appear on the table (I shouldn't complain - and I'm not really, I'm more noting a fact - as I don't yet help much in the way of food preparation). And they've beautiful grounds, as I've mentioned.



And so marked the middle of our summer holidays, which are passing rather too quickly (though at least I'm not returning to work come fall). Already another weekend half-over and, with the anticipation of the arrival of our third son, I'm assuming the rest of August will fly by as well. Hopefully we keep busy and I can post our adventures in blogs to come!