The Growing Gant Family...

Over the last year or so, William discovered pomegranates.  He loves them.  He also loves the work of dissecting and picking out the seeds.  He's definitely more patient than some!

This little guy loves soccer.  It's been fun to watch his skill grow from last Fall till this one.  He's a fast little runner and is starting to catch onto the rules of the game (as much as a 6yr old can understand).  It's neat watching him have so much fun while playing. 

We have been so blessed with the Thy's coming to visit us in the Fall over the years.  I know it's a sacrifice for them and they don't even now how much I appreciate it.  With nieces this young, they grow so much month to month that it just about kills me not to see them more than a few times a year.  But, I am thankful for every time I get to snuggle them.  This time was no different.  Here are just a few of my faves from our time together.  I cried after dropping them off at the airport.   Little Ru (15mo) wanting to do all the big things Z always has fun doing all the "farm" things with the boys Our traditional Halloween Costume Pic. A Pirate, Ninjago Lloyd and Little Bo Peep and her sheep.   Ain't that just the cutest little sheep you've ever seen?! We always hit up at least one Pumpkin patch.  What a seasoned goat feeder. We need to keep creating this picture to measure just how much they've all grown year by year.

There's just something about your kid being honored as student of the month that makes you feel so proud inside.  Especially when it has to do with the Fruits of the Spirit!  The boy's school focuses on a different fruit of the spirit each month and this month Calvin was honored for his example of Love. Mrs. Silbernagel spoke about how Calvin always pays attention to other students when they are hurt or upset while in PE.  Keep it up Calvin!   Man he looks little here against all the big kids! His proud self with Mrs. Silbernagel

We always really look forward to our trip to Lost Lake with the Brown Family.  If memory serves me correctly, this year was our 10th year camping here.  Such great memories over the years and of course, it changes each Summer as the boys grow older.  We had a few firsts this year... This was the first year without any of the Brown kids! Still fun, just definitely different now that they only have Lauren at home. We also thought we'd try the dogs in the kayaks this year.  Rags is getting older and can't endure a walk around the lake.  Why not try a float!  It went surprisingly better than we thought it would! Camping just won't be the same when he's gone...  This was the first year the boys decided on their own to go into the lake at our favorite swimming spot without life jackets on.  Their becoming slightly more confident in their swimming abilities. There were some special moments the boys had with Sean and Cheri all to themselves. This was

We had the opportunity to be with Grandma Kim during her siblings week at Beckett Point in WA.  What a fun time we had.  I had only been to Darren and Lisa's house at Beckett Point once before and what an incredible place with an even more incredible view.  Not only was the stay amazing, the time with family was even better.  It's only once in a blue moon that almost all of my mom's siblings are able to be together at one time.  It was truly a treat.  Here are some  of the pics (there were a billion). Crabbin' with Uncle Dave (who paid them each $10 to call him their favorite) ANY chance to get in the water, they will. Grandma, Aunt Linda and the boys Aunt Linda had a few favorites during our visit. Both the boys LOVED kayaking in the ocean. Love these two to pieces. More crabbin' with Uncle Dave  Hiking hurricane ridge

Slow. Down. Time. The Kindergarten milestone is upon us. Calvin was soooo fortunate to have Mrs. Vey and Mrs. Starkey as his teachers.  They're incredible.  Not only do they have a passion for teaching, they have a passion for the Lord and it shows what they teach as well as how they interact with the kids. Next school year, we're moving onto the big grades!

Oh how visits like these make me long to be closer to my family.  It wasn't that long ago that our boys were babies and yet it feels like a million years ago in some ways.  In the blink of an eye.  I know it's going to go by even more quickly with nieces and nephews I only get to see infrequently! So, it's visits like this one that I cherish.  I am thankful for the sacrifice of travel so that we can spend time together. Oh how full my heart is just looking back through the moments captured in pictures... Honestly, can he be more cute?!  Ugh. I just love watching how attentive the boys are with someone even this little.   Doin' a little Silver Falls hike in the beautiful June Oregon weather...with our warm jackets and hoods on.

I can't say I would've thought of doing something like this, but leave it to Curtis to come up with a super fun idea for the boys.  We spent our tax money on a pool this year.  Mark Teeter brought his excavator over to help us level a portion of our field that would fit it.  I  can't say it was an easy feat, but I'm sure all of the fun days of swimming to come will more than make up for it.  Next, paying for at least half of it to be filled by a water truck so we don't drain our well!

The long awaited baby chicks!  The boys have been asking for new chickens since we moved in.  So when the day arrived, they were a bit excited to say the least.  We decided on five and each of the boys got to pick out one they would call their own.  We ended up with a Buff Brahma, White Leghorn, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Easter Egger Ameraucana and a Novogen.  I have to say...the little chick chirp is pretty darn cute.  Now to build a coop... So proud!  He's gotten a lot more brave to hold them from when we last had chickens. Who's more cute?! Having animals=life lessons.  His little Leghorn that he named 'Pickle' ended up dying the next day.  He was sad, but quickly got over it when he found out we could get another one at the store (o;