and so it goes, and we go for a walk

after last month with Tim's endoscopy and that not telling us much, it's been an emotional jumble for the both of us - really ALL of us, but the kids move on with things much quicker than the grown-ups since we're the ones who have to deal with all the serious stuff.  Tim's been unhappy in ways I can't totally understand but at the same time I do.  He's been on a liquid diet since the middle of July.  after a month and a couple more doctor appointments he's still on a specialized diet and still no answers as to what and why and when for him.

so in the mean time I'm still Ugly, and the kids are still on each other's nerves and mine, too.  SO we went for a walk.  this was a couple of weeks ago now - so I'm doing better about updating the blog :)
Timothy was with his friend doing other stuff and so he's not in the pictures - and Tim doesn't like to have pictures taken of him (I don't know why... at least he still looks wonderful after having 6 kids)

 Kellan and Connor were busy dropping things through the decking at the nature center.

 Emma was ... I'm not really sure what she was up to there.

Ronan kept trying to sneak down under the deck.  we kept having to get after him because Kellan tries to do every single thing that Ronan ever does, so under the deck was a bad idea

 and Kellan was busy having the time of his life: dropping things through the deck, throwing things through the railing, running down the path that lead up to the deck, he was just all over the place. 

and well, this is just a pretty bug we saw on our way back to the car.
I still have to look up just what kind of beetle it is, but I love that pretty, shiny, metalic green