September 2013...Laura-Lise's birthday

Happening on September 19th, Laura-Lise's birthday is the day after mine.

We celebrated a couple days later, on the Saturday with a fun Native American theme! 
(with horses, of course!)

For the big treat for all 2013 birthdays (the birthdays in our family, at least), 

we went canoeing!!! 

Water! Sunshine! Fun! 

It was, as meant to be, one of the best times of the year!

doll in Indian costume: normal and sepia. :)

Of course the theme from Spirit is absolutely appropriate music:
                                      

the birthday girl, with her owl cake

no broken pinky this year! :) 

and as for the canoe day....it was beautiful! 
We were able to not only bring along cameras and other gear,  
but a packed cooler-full of lunch which we enjoyed on a sandy bit of shore along our route! We took turns riding in the canoes or the big raft. 
(which contrary to two certain imaginable damsel's imagination was not made of wood but of air-filled plastic)

Some video from the fun day...of course it doesn't do the atmosphere justice!

   To make the day even more perfect, we were able to splash and swim around a bit in the cold water! If there's something we all love, it's water fun!

Near the end of the time, we stopped to enjoy our lunch, which had miraculously managed to stay fairly dry and intact.

Our family....the last fun memory of a delightful summer!

    

A (YELLOW) Smiley-face birthday for a 7-year old 2013

Our youngest's 7th birthday was near the end of August...since her real birthday was on a Monday, of course we didn't have time to decorate properly the night before, so she got a ''simple table'' on the Monday, and a ''real theme'' a day later. The youngest in a family gets certain privileges...just think: this is the last 7-year old birthday for our clan! :(

smile face birthday table

the birthday lass

Summertime:

how Sam spent his summer- studying in the sun! I'm serious.

how we ladies spent the summer. If anyone wants to donate a more...advanced size of pool, just leave a comment below. 
And wasn't serious about the entire summer. :)