Another catch-up - water fun!!

 Warning: lots of bare skin in this post!

Durham finally got some hot, humid days towards the end of July, so the cousins did enjoy some water fun together (while moms sipped iced tea on the sidelines). One afternoon, Rachel let Asher and Gemma use the water hose to cool down. It was hilarious!

Asher had the hose - and very good aim! Much to Gemma's delight.

On another humid morning, we took a trip to the Museum of Life & Science "one last time" to see our favorite exhibits and say good-bye before the move. We already miss this museum A LOT. Gemma asks almost daily, "And are we going to find a new museum in Colorado?"

One of the most amazing & creative exhibits is the outdoor exhibit on mist. There are small sprinklers that come up out of the ground and spray a fine mist, and kids can run through them freely. It's like a child's dream come true!

We didn't capture it very well on camera (it was crowded inside), but Gemma of course wanted to see the astronauts and lunar exhibits one more time. It was because of this exhibit that she has become fascinated by astronauts and the moon and planets. Here she is with Jim in front of the lunar module (an authentic lunar lander prototype used in Apollo 15 preparations - so cool!).

Another favorite place in Durham is Duke Gardens, so we took a farewell trip one morning along with a picnic. (See, isn't it great, all the family stuff we can do when Jim isn't working?! What a terrific way to close out our months of "what is next???"). The Gardens are extensive and we could happily spend years there, learning all the plants and seeing them change throughout the seasons. Being summer, there were plenty of beautiful flowers blooming (but, being summer, it was hard to photograph them in the bright sun) on this visit.

Jim & Gemma crossing over a little creek

One more photo - and it's Timo, who has learned how to pull up in the crib! And anything else he can grab! (I think it is quite apt that the "Ethiopia, 13 months of Sunshine" poster is behind Timo, as we prepare shortly to move to "Colorful Colorado, 300 days of Sunshine a Year".)