Back from a fun-filled trip to Denver to visit my brother and his family. We went on a challenging hike, hung out in Boulder for a bit, went to the Botanical Garden with the little guy, ate lunch at Casa Bonita, went out to a birthday dinner, visited a local playground, and I even got to drive my first E.V. Good times, right? Enjoy some photos to get a sneak peek into th evacation.
The boys just got back to school shoes and both pairs are white (or off white). Eek. We’ll see how long this lasts. I happen to be a part of the club, too (you can see how dirty mine are), and Chris is also a member (but is not pictured). Must run in the family.
We finally made it back to the lake (it’s been weeks!!). And some good friends joined us, too. What a lovely way to spend a summer weekend.
We successfully accomplished another round of Downtown EC’s Rainworks Bingo. We had to visit 16 local businesses and find a hidden symbol on the sidewalk. Some were pretty quick, others took a lot of spraying. Robbe thinks he might have pulled a muscle from all the squeezing. Hahaha
Look at this guy! Have you ever seen braces look so good? Chase got his new smile on Wednesday, so we’ve been learning a lot about all the new rules and dealing with some sore teeth. He’s handled it like a champ, though.
It’s incredible how in a blink he looks so much older!
Another 100-day blog post and another delay to get here. You blink and the day is gone, you know? We’ve had *a few* things going on lately and I’ve been waiting for this moment to announce…wait for it…we added TWO KITTENS to our family a few weeks ago. I know. I’ve been holding out on adorable kitten photos for all this time because I wanted the big reveal to be on the 100-day post. We finally made it! So, let me introduce you to Murphy (the gray kitten) and Marvel (the black and white one). We call them Murph and Marv and we’re over the moon. I’ve loved cats for as long as I can remember and TWO kittens? It’s been a total dream. I’ve added a special kitten question to the entries below so you can get a sneak peek into our life these days.
Without further ado…
FAVORITES: Sparking water, long walks, extra time with the boys, all the kitten snuggles, a freshly-detailed van, evening meals on the porch, low-pressure mornings, our new fancy beach towels, coffee from my favorite mugs, catching sneak peeks of the bun engaging with the kittens, quick moments for reading
SUMMER-Y THING I’M GOING TO MISS THE MOST: Wearing dresses and tank tops
THE BEST THING ABOUT THE KITTENS: Watching them wrestle and play (it's just so cute!)
FALL THING I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Making space for myself again: work, and volunteering, and friends.
FAVORITES: Pinball (going for one billion), creme-filled long johns (maple or snow white with sprinkles), summer walks, making a 6:30 mile, swim dock swims, time with the boys, watching the family with the new kittens, our robot litter box, weekend morning strolls
SUMMER-Y THING HE’S GOING TO MISS THE MOST: Coming home from work and it being light outside
THE BEST THING ABOUT THE KITTENS: How hard they sleep
FALL THING HE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO: Crisp fall [early] evenings
Age: 12
FAVORITES: Books (most recently Infinity Cycle), anything having to do with the kittens (specifically, picking them up and carrying them around), board games (most recently Splendor), going for walks with the fam, mocha lattes, video games (almost any), brownies (preferably with ice cream), sausage pizza, swimming, Camp Manitou, time at the lake
SUMMER-Y THING HE’S GOING TO MISS THE MOST: All the free time
THE BEST THING ABOUT THE KITTENS: All the sleeping snuggles
FALL THING HE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO: Being back at school with friends
Age: 10
FAVORITES: video games (Fortnite), books (Roll for Initiative at the moment), kittens (and more kittens), cold summer sweets, french toast, playing outside, the Olympics, Camp Manitou, his new endless bracelet, activities at the lake
SUMMER-Y THING HE’S GOING TO MISS THE MOST: spending more time with the fam
THE BEST THING ABOUT THE KITTENS: The weird positions they end up in
FALL THING HE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO: Soccer starting back up
Yeah, we’re still big readers over here. It’s one of my favorite things. We visit the library weekly (if not more) and somehow find 20+ books to bring home every time.
The boys turned in their summer reading challenge today and got their free books. Chase is keeping his fingers crossed for a sweet teen raffle prize, too, so send lucky vibes his way.
After five nights away at camp, the boys came home yesterday! We got to hear all about their adventures and loved that they loved it. Unfortunately, Robbe had a bit too much fun and ended up sick today, but hopefully it’s just the exhaustion reminding him to take it easy.
It’s really nice to have all of us under one roof again.
The boys have been at camp and I’ve been spending all day, every day working. Working. Working.
Except for the time I’ve been politicing, obviously. You *might* have heard about a small rally that happened in EC this week. I was there! And then you might have seen some details about a GOTV rally for my good friend Nick. I was there, too (same night). And today, I voted!
I’d like to go into great detail about my experience at the Harris rally. Maybe I will at some point. For now, I’ll just say I’m glad I went. I’m glad Wisconsin showed up for Harris (12,000 people!). I’m glad there’s enthusiasm and life back in the democratic party. One of the most poignant moments was during a [rare] unscripted moment from Tim Walz. My friend B.J. Hollars clearly felt the same way and wrote a really lovely [and much more articulate] narative of the scene.
I hope you’re all feeling as inspired and motivated as I am about the political outlook right now. I’m going to seek out ways that I can help Harris (and Nick!) get elected and I challenge you to do the same—in whatever way makes sense for you!
It was a rainy (very rainy) camp drop off but the boys are settled into their five night camp while Chris and I try to figure out to do without kids filling every silence. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be just fine.
I used to love photography. And I think I was pretty good at it, actually. Life got in the way and now I mostly take photos of kids and pets. That’s fine, too. Maybe someday I’ll get back into it. For the first time in a long time, though, I stopped to take a photo because I was just inspired. A blue sky would have helped, but I Iove the tracks and the way it draws your eye.
What do you do when it’s too hot to be outside? Go to an indoor waterpark, of course! The boys had a blast and I got some work done. A win-win for everyone.
Another day, another bike ride with my #1 athlete. This time we lengthened the route a bit to make it past the 10-mile mark. It was hot, but the company made it all worth it.
Motivated by the Olympics and the need to fill our time with Chase in a morning camp this week, Robbe and I crushed a 9.25 mile bike ride today. It was a bit toasty, but we managed just fine.
Robbe had a change of swimming scenery today and he loved every second. A slide AND a diving board? Yes, please! A handful of cousins (once removed…or something like that) only sweetened the deal!
I was so incredibly proud of all the work and effort and time that went into this year’s 4-H fair projects. Between the two of them, they entered 39 projects! Chase brought 17 and Robbe brought 22–crazy, right? From photography to posters, from sand candles to art, from flower arranging to vegetable characters…these boys did it all. There was lots of excitement (Robbe received a champion ribbon and trophy and Chase received a reserved champion ribbon!) and some disappointment (there’s always some disappointment), but all in all everyone walked away feeling a great sense of accomplishment.
I just love fair time.
Yep. That’s a high five WHILE biking. We’re pretty advanced over here.
Look at us looking all fancy for a night on the town! I took the boys to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and we had a great time. Musicals are just my favorite.
I know I’m behind on a million blog posts but for now I’ll drop this gem from today’s boardwalk trail. Pretty dreamy, right?
These two had an expert (my mom!) teach them the art of alcohol ink painting for 4-H projects. Both paintings turned out really great and everyone was smiling at the end—the sign of a successful crafting experience. Thanks for organizing the project, mom!
This time of year gets a bit crazy with all of the projects. I’m not going to lie, though, I really like the excuse to lean into crafting!
small city | BIG DAYS
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