Yeah, just a couple-few months behind on blogging. But THIS week is blogging week. And maybe next week, too. Until we're all caught up. Mommy isn't going to sew until this blog is UP TO DATE. Well. She might, but this blog is going to get the TLC it needs.
First of all, every month just seems like it was so full and so wonderful and wouldn't-it-be-great-to-do-it-again. Except July really is that month. Summer at it's peak. The pinnacle of Midwest life. Lake days, vacation, the 4th of July, so much family time.
Normal days in July looked like the boy best friends hanging out together,
walks through the neighborhood,
trips to the zoo,
and picnics.
Don't the normal days look like the best days?!?! But they weren't! Because July is just that good.
Fourth of July weekend means our favorite family reunion. Our girls impressed us so much as they fearlessly jumped off the community pool high dive into the deep end. OVER AND OVER. Can you see little Felicity at the end of the high dive. She would just walk straight off the end, come up from the water giggling, and go right back in line to do it again. All three girls were the same way! So brave!
It was enough to wear Simon out.
Fourth of July morning we woke up at the lake as more than 20 hot air balloons glided into view. It was like living in a dream world. The most magical, fantastic, peaceful place you could ever know this side of heaven. It didn't last long, but long enough that we can't wait to see what Paradise is really like.
Mommy dressed all the kids in their official Fourth of July garb and took pictures of them. Probably not their favorite moments, but it must all be documented!
Soon they were off again to catch and release the hundreds of baby fish living at the end of the dock. Those baby fish entertained them for hours and hours this July.
Simon loved him some lake time...always someone to hold him,
Daddy arranged bathing al fresco,
and playing safely in his play yard where those three older sisters couldn't get him.
Simon turned 9 months old at the end of July and was a very, very fast crawler. He loved sticking out his tongue, making messes, and trying to feed himself. Bath time was his very favorite time of the day. And he elected to quit nursing. So the baby who refused to take a bottle when he was just a couple months old now ONLY wanted the bottle.
Tim's sister Kim and her kids came from Arizona in July to spend time at the lake. We loved all being together boating and paddle boarding. Tim's family is a little spread out so we just don't get to see them all enough. So a few days together always feels so good as our girls get to know their older cousins a little more.
Here's EVERYONE!
Tim's parents and their 10 grandchildren!
While Kim was in town, Tim went with his mom, sisters, nieces, and nephews to Cedar Point. He loves the rides and roller coasters and was so happy to go with them! A very good day until he took a night time ride...those are BUGS smashed on his face.
And July brings the Wellman family vacation. All of Sarah's family piles into a big rental home and we eat and play. Almost the exact moment we finished unpacking, Grandpa grabbed his two baby grandsons and towed them down to the basement.
He piled them onto his lap and tried to teach them all about whatever sport he could find on TV. This is the beginning of something.
Really the whole week means lots of cuddling for grandkids.
Aunt Nichole and Mommy brought fabric so each of the kids made a blanket. Uncle John got a little jealous.
So much swimming and boating. One night after the babies were in bed, we divided into the three boats with coolers full of water balloons that Uncle Michael brought and had a water balloon fight. Even thinking about how much I laughed that night makes me breathless now. Every night of the trip meant a lazy pontoon ride around the lake and games after the kids went to bed. Every day of vacation meant more moments watching people just be exactly who they are in the best possible way.
Pause for a moment! This is Simon and his godfather Uncle Tom in November 2016...
This is them 8 months later. How do babies grow so quickly? And isn't Tom just the nicest guy holding a little baby like that? These two are gonna be buds.
Unpause.
We made a few fun discoveries near Battle Creek! First Horrocks...How to describe this place!?!? Candy bins, beer and wine while you shop, cheeses, soups, sushi, all the kinds of produce you can imagine, popcorn in every color, huge pots for gardening, a green house...and FREE root beer for kids! Miriam thought, "Now this is living!"
Grandma found a huge dairy farm/petting zoo/ice cream parlor for us to visit!
Felicity and Miriam wanted to communicate with the cows. Vivian's sensitive nose couldn't stand the smell.
Before packing up, we celebrated Aunt Nichole's birthday with an ice cream cake from the dairy farm!
Then a couple days later, we celebrated again back at home. We must have just missed each other after all those days together.
Nichole very generously shared the privilege of blowing out the candles.
So there's glorious July! Who wishes they could live that all over again!?!
June started with a girls' trip to Canada!
Well, girls + 2 baby boys.
Aunt Annette let the girls help plant beans in her garden. For the rest of the summer, she sent them picture updates of how quickly the plants grew, how many beans they picked, etc. So fun for our girls to long-distance garden!
After taxing themselves with all that gardening...they needed ice cream.
At Aunt Annette and Uncle Tom's, we got to play with Catherine, take walks to the park, and twirl ribbons in the backyard.
Upon our return stateside, Mommy made cupcakes for Nana's birthday. Nana requested chocolate...for the record these were some delicious cupcakes. Tim looked at them and immediately said, "Um...these look like...someone...pooped on them!?!" Sarah brushed off his comment and served them to the family.
Vivian took one look at them and stated matter-of-factly, "These cupcakes look like they have poop on them." Tim was laughing so hard he had to leave the table.
Nana's birthday was a great day at the lake together even if her cupcakes looked like pooh.
Our girls find all KINDS of ways to have fun at the lake. On that particular day, they found dried hydrangeas floating in the water. They gathered them all and played "Dead". You know, like "House" only it's a funeral home. Oh, you've never played that?
Well Tim's aunt and uncle who purchased the property for the family were funeral directors so this does have some context in their lives.
June was lost teeth...the two older girls were tied in the race to get rid of their baby teeth!
In between all the high moments were the normal ones. Eating blackberries,
taking babies on stroller rides to get them to nap,
watching Simon grow, drool, practice self-feeding,
(Was that Simon overload? Sorry.)
afternoons on Grandma and Grandpa's trampoline with a sprinkler,
a few hours at the zoo,
summer storytime and a picnic on the library lawn.
AND Vacation Bible School happened. Sarah is the co-director of VBS for our church and it's just a BIG job. A job we do because we love our parish kids and we want them to know Jesus loves them.
Catherine and Aunt Annette came down for a bit of VBS...isn't she the cutest!?!?
One of our favorite summertime traditions has become Strawberries in the Park. It's just an hour or two of our family meeting in the middle of a workday downtown to sit in the sun and eat the biggest strawberry shortcakes piled high with ice cream and whipped cream. Just some sweet, wholesome fun.
And the tail end of June was covered in camping. First the more conventional camping with Sarah's side of the family. S'mores, hours outdoors, hiking, paddle boating, riding bikes, singing camp songs...
...babies bathing.
And the less conventional Zoo Camp. Miriam and Vivian go full day for a week.
Four-year-old Felicity went three mornings with Mom or Dad. Next year she will be in the full day program!
She can hardly wait to get bigger like her sisters, but we'll be a little sad not to get to watch her explore the ins-and-outs of the zoo.
At least one of them will stay tiny for a bit longer!
