It’s been a crazy eight days, but we’re back home and looking forward to crashing in our own beds tonight. I’ll share more photos once we’ve unpacked and recovered from the non-stop excitement, family time, and late nights.
For now, here’s a fun family photo of us in Winter Park, CO. To say it was beautiful just doesn’t do it justice.
Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of days, but we’ve been *a bit* busy.
Weddings are the best. And the one yesterday between my brother and his bride definitely lived up to my [high] expectations. The ceremony was perfect (I laughed. I cried—a lot. I loved every second of it.)! And the reception afterwards was just so much fun (and the food, the dancing, and the cocktails, were spot on). These two really do know how to throw a good party.
MY TOP FIVE MOMENTS OF THE DAY (in no particular order):
Listening to my brother’s vows. I loved hearing him confess his undying love for this woman.
Rocking out to my nieces’ and sister inlaw’s performance of Seasons of Love. I’ll post a video if I ever get one. It was beyond incredible.
Seeing the boys all dressed up. Nothing cuter than little boys in bow ties.
The pampering. It turns out having your make up done and hair fancied-up is really lovely. I’m thinking about doing it every weekend now.
The family and friend time. What’s better than being in a room with a ton of your favorite people, you know?
With all of these amazing takeaways, can you believe I have practically zero photos?!? I’m so annoyed with myself. I did snap this selfie with me and the boys, though. That’s something! Hopefully more to come as others share some of theirs.
I’m beyond happy to welcome my new sister in law into our family. And I’m beyond grateful to have been asked to be a part of her bridal party. I felt so honored to be standing by her side.
Congrats again, Matt and Marisa!
We made it to Denver. Let the wedding festivities begin!
What do you do the day before you leave for a family wedding—get haircuts, obviously. All four of us, for the first time ever, got haircuts today. Impressive, right? Aside from Robbe’s *unique* style request, we all got really good cuts. Check!
One night of packing before we hit the road (and then the skies). Wish me luck!
This guy’s losing more teeth right in time for sweet corn season. Talk about poor planning.
We’re a bit behind on this year’s summer bucket list. With a quiet Saturday on the docket, we decided to knock a few of the items off the list. Mini golfing: check! A bike ride through the sculpture tour: check! Homemade ice cream (in a bag…who knew?): check!
Go fishing — done!
Go mini golfing — done!
Go swimming — done!
Catch frogs — done!
Look for new animals
Playdate with Malcolm — done!
Attend a baseball game — done!
Go bowling
Make a movie
Make homemade ice cream — done!
Lots of playdates with Edwin — done!
A Fairfax Pool trip — done!
Go camping
Bike to get ice cream — done!
Go to a family wedding — next week!
Attend Chalkfest — done!
Sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa’s — done!
Attend Harry Potter’s Birthday at the public library — done!
Go tubing down the river by our house
Walk/bike the sculpture tour — done!
Attend a summer concert (at least one)
Practice stand up paddle boarding
Read three new chapter books — done!
Take a Mississippi River day trip
Visit the Upper Peninsula
Go strawberry picking — done!
Go blueberry picking — done!
In March, I signed the boys up for two back-to-back sessions of swim lessons. That’s four weeks of Monday-Thursday lessons. No joke if you know me and my fear of over-scheduling my [our] life. Swim lessons seemed like a necessity, though, so I bit the bullet and signed four weeks of our summer away.
It turned out to be the right choice—no question! Chase’s transformation has been incredible to say the least. He’s jumping off the diving board into the deep end with no floaty and no hesitation. He’s working on all the strokes and learning to dive. I think he might have surpassed my swimming abilities at this point! And both boys are really enjoying the time in the pool. There has been no complaining at all. Can you believe it? Me neither.
I think Legos might be the best toy of all time. And we’ve been exposed to a fair amount of toys. It’s no exaggeration to say that the boys have filled hours and hours of their play time discovering new ways to play with the same kits and pieces over and over. It’s pretty amazing.
Here’s a quick video from today’s adventures with Legos. Aren’t they the cutest?
It’s August and that means blueberry picking! The weather was a bit hot and the boys weren’t totally engaged, but we got tons of berries to eat and freeze and the adults all enjoyed it. All in all a lovely way to spend a summer morning.
Today was as a really good day. Low-key but productive with a side of fun and summer. We wrapped up the day with a bike ride right before bedtime. The temperature was perfect, the company was the best, and the moment was one I hope I’ll remember forever.
They just lounge around the house all day, you know?
Yesterday was Harry Potter’s Birthday, I guess. The celebration at the library was one of the few “must dos” on the boys’ list this summer. And it didn’t disappoint. The library did a great job: tons of games, yummy treats, a wand craft, and lots of fun.
It was total madness, but also a great time. Check!
The boys were back at it again. Their pottery creations were patiently waiting to be glazed. One more trip through the kiln and they’ll be ready for the big reveal. I know you’re all very anxious!
It’s our last week of soccer. We’ve been spending Monday and Wednesday evenings at the soccer fields since early June. I have to say, it’s gone better than I expected. The boys seem to really enjoy it (and only complain when it’s crazy hot…can’t blame them for that). It’s nice to force ourselves outside for that time—no matter the weather. And I like watching the boys learn new skills (shocking, I know). We might have some little athletes on our hands after all!
Today was the bridal shower for my brother’s fiancé. The wedding is less than three weeks away! Eek!
I can’t wait. I love a good wedding—and this is going to be a really great one, I can tell. Can’t wait for the celebration to continue!
The three of us worked the concession stand at the fair today. The boys did pretty well considering we had a crazy busy shift. Robbe was the milk slinger and Chase was in charge of distributing soda. I’m glad we did it. I enjoyed watching the boys manage the crowd.
Chase did great at his 4-H Cloverbud judging today. He told the judge all about his four projects: a fleece monster pillow, an original LEGO creation, an avocado seedling, and four photographs of EC murals. This little guy worked hard and I’m proud of him.
The 4-H fair is here again! Chase brings his projects to be judged tomorrow but today we helped set up our club booth. Have I told you how much I like 4-H?!?
And this time he’s staying for a week! We’ll see if our enthusiasm can last a whole seven days. Stay tuned.
Here we go. Somehow another 100 day has flown by. A team update is in order…whether I have the time to reflect on what’s happening with these little guys or not. Enjoy!
FAVORITES: Dried mangos (still), reading (I've managed to squeeze in a couple of my own books lately), summer bike trips, lazy mornings, wedding talk/prepping/festivities with my brother and future SIL, mowing the lawn (if only it didn't mean putting everything else off for 1.5 hours), [finally] finishing up some projects around the house
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Figuring out how to balance more work while the boys are still at home.
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Getting summer to slow down a little.
FAVORITES: Learning to play Mindcraft to placate the boys, his new slip-on shoes, spending time with his brothers, family bike rides (he even got a real tune-up for his bike this year), an afternoon cocktail
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Going to bed early enough. It seems harder to call it quits for the night during the summer months. Why is that?
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Seeing our new dining room furniture. It's coming this week!
AGE: 7
FAVORITES: Reading (like, all the time), honing his piano skills (he might not love to practice, but he does like how good he's getting!), bike riding, summer ice cream trips, playing video games, talking about Minecraft (with anyone who will listen), trips to Stevens Point, swimming in the deep end, lego creations, playing soccer games
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Patience with Miles when playing games. It's no fun for the little one when the big one always wins. But how do you explain to a seven year old that he shouldn't try his hardest all the time?
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Seeing his friends again. It's sweet when they are actually looking forward to school starting back up again.
AGE: 5
FAVORITES: Sorting rocks, playing with Blossom (the hamster), biking around the block (without training wheels), collecting yo-yo bear cards, digging through his desk, bubbly water, Fairfax pool waterslide, Pokemon, water balloon fights, playing soccer games
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Having to wake up Blossom to spend time with him. It turns out tricking him with food tends to work pretty well.
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Dog-sitting Max again. This time for a whole week!
small city | BIG DAYS
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