Summer Happenings

The last few weeks have been packed full of summer happenings, with lots of time spent having fun and very little time spent at home. Here are some highlights.

We went camping the weekend before my birthday with our friends, the Knoblauchs. We camped at a little private campground near Duluth that we stumbled upon, and it was great. Each campsite was like a group site at a state park campground. I didn't get many pictures because when you camp with seven kids and three dogs, there are lots of photo opportunities, but not many opportunities to grab your camera!

Ruby, Shiloh & Isaac eating s'mores.

Poor Rosie...can you see that her right eye is swollen almost all the way shut in this picture? She got some sort of a bug bite on her eye that caused the whole thing to swell up horribly. She was as happy as can be, just looked terrible. Every time I looked at her, all I could think of was Sloth from the "The Goonies" -- HEY YOU GUYS!!!

Two days after my birthday, my friend Erin came out to our home for a visit. It's always nice when people are willing to make the long trip out to our place, because I love hosting. We spent the afternoon eating, talking and doing a whole lot of nothing. It was wonderful. :)

On Friday night, JP's parents took all three kids overnight so he and I could go out to celebrate my birthday. Unfortunately, JP wasn't feeling well, so instead of dinner out, I picked up Noodles & Co. on the way home from dropping the kids off, then later when he was feeling better we went to a movie. I got to sleep in the next morning (heaven!), then meet my friend Bethany at Caribou for breakfast. Bethany is in town from TX with her new baby girl, Emma, and it was so exciting to get to meet her!

This photo makes me laugh because I think we both look so "30-year-old-momish" in it. :) 

On Monday, another dear friend named Kathy came out to my house to help me re-upholster our kitchen table chairs. Our tables was given to us after JP's grandma passed away (Larry's mother), so it is sentimental to us both. However, the fabric on the seats was terribly stained and very much NOT kid friendly. It soaked in every chocolate milk spill and dropped paint brush like a sponge. I knew for this chapter of life I needed something easy to wipe down, so I chose a very plain, dark blue vinyl off of clearance rack (I got all I needed for $12). It doesn't fit with the style of the table/chairs, but it's what we need at this stage of life. In ten years, I'll purchase a nice, high-quality, appropriate fabric; but for now, this is perfect. :) 

Before & After

On Thursday, the girls had their first swimming lesson. JP's step-mom, Margie, has a student who is also a swim instructor. They are paying her to come to their new home (with a pool) and do private lessons with the kids. They did great. Rae is coming along very well in her aqua-confidence. Ruby is still a lot more hesitant, but willing to try. Rosie is completely fearless in the water. It's scary. She has to have a life jacket on at all times because you never know when she'll just jump right in. Here is a video of Rosie going down a little slide into the water. If I tried to hold out my hands to catch her, she would say, "No, I SELF!"

She pops back up out of the water happy and laughing. This child is going to give my gray hairs before my time! 

[Side note: if you are wondering who "Pee Pee" is, that's JP. :) When Ava was little, she pronounced his name "PP," and it stuck...so now all of the cousins on that side of the family call him Uncle PP.]

Amid all of these happenings, my brother Micah and his family came into town for a visit! I have plenty of cute pictures and stories to share from their time here, but that is for another post after I'm done editing the photos. :) 

Coming up this month: a baby shower for my brother's wife, Becky (yay!) and hopefully some kids room remodeling. Bring it on, summer!