Have I really not posted since May? Obviously, a lot has happened since then! Thank you for your sweet emails and inquiries as to my whereabouts. Our little family has had a full summer of learning, growing, making memories, visiting family, and mostly just enjoying time together. I've chosen some highlights from our summer to share...knowing I'll never take the time to go back and document each individual event.
We've enjoyed spending time at our neighborhood pool...both kids have become quite the brave little swimmers this year.
In June, we celebrated Truett's 2nd birthday! I could write so much more about my special little guy, but that will have to wait for another time. Our family is blessed by his quirky, happy self each day and we loved having a couple of opportunities to celebrate his life early in the summer.
CAKE!
Maren loved participating in VBS this year...this was hat day with her special cousin/friend, Hannah.
We also celebrated extended family birthdays with a picnic at the park. My sister-in-law, Tiffany, and cousin Carisa are always so much fun to see!
Fourth of July...and maybe one of my favorite pictures of these two. Truett's green blanket is a permanent fixture in our lives...and I love how close Maren and Truett have become. They are at the most fun ages right now...lots of laughing these days!
Sweet boy...
Maren loved riding her 2-wheeler in the parade this year. What happened to my baby?!?!
Maren and Gigi enjoying the bagpipes.
Papa got to ride in the parade, but came to watch the last half with us.
We took the kids camping twice this summer. The first time was a disaster, but the second time was so much fun. We spent a weekend with friends and family from church...22 adults and 22 kids! We had a beautiful campsite with the best company...I think our entire family is already anticipating a return trip next year!
It was impossible not to praise God in this beautiful place...we serve the most inspiring Creator!
Brett and I splurged on a date night...complete with babysitter, dinner, movie and ice-cream. We saw Mud at a small local theater downtown and both loved it. I am always grateful for opportunities to date my husband...he makes me laugh, we share our dreams and talk about what we're learning. Nights like these are always so special.
Towards the end of July we packed up and drove across the country to visit my family in Michigan. We stopped in Chicago to pick up my brother, Zach. He lives just a few blocks from Millennium Park, so we took a couple of hours to walk around the city.
The kids loved playing in the fountain...especially after lots of hours driving in the car.
Our final road-trip destination was in northern Michigan at my family's lake house. We had a chillier-than-hoped-for week, but we still made plenty of great memories. The kids didn't let the cooler temps keep them out of the water!
Truett loves playing with buttons and steering wheels, so he spent lots of time in the boat.
The adults didn't spend much time in the water, but Grams was always willing to warm Maren up after her swims.
Truett had a great buddy in my dad. They spent lots of time together during the week.
The kids found a caterpillar and managed to keep track of it for a couple of days...such fascination!
I could not believe how brave Maren was on the tube! She loved going fast and being whipped in and out of the wake. It's been a long time since I've laughed as hard as I did while tubing with Brett and Maren.
Maren also loved the EZ Ski...she would've gone around and around all day if we'd have let her.
My cousin's little guy, Max, is 3 and he and Truett had a blast together. They had little conversations, jumped together on the trampoline when the big kids were doing something else, shared snacks and toys, and became great friends.
We celebrated Maren's birthday early with my parents. She got some new things for her ballet/tap class she'll be starting this fall. I think she was just a little excited.
We really missed having my brother's family with us at the lake this summer, but were thankful for other extended cousins...it's such a blessing to have so many kids so close in age! Maren, Ellie, Hailey, Drew, and Jack had so much fun together. It's a treat to watch this new generation making similar memories to ones I cherish from my own childhood...the kids ate s'mores, raced around the house with sparklers, jumped on the trampoline, played capture the flag, took nighttime swims...all things I remember doing as a little girl in this exact same place. What a gift to share these memories and to make new ones with my own kids!
Whew! That was a lot of pictures...hopefully I'll post again before October. :) Happy summer!
