Summatime! :)

I LOVE this hot weather we've been having this summer and I love being outdoors making memories with our kids, friends, and family. Here are some highlights from July...

We had fun swimming with family on the 4th.

My grandma and I took the kids and their cousins to a little penny carnival in central park.

Ben had so much fun on the throwing games and did so great!

Look at this little skip in his step when he knocked down all the pirates in his first shot. ;)

Jude searched for a hidden football in this bin and loved so many of the little games.

"Cake walk" in the gazebo for a prize...

One of my all time favorite texts from my near and dear friend Mauria (when she found out the gender of her baby on the way):

One of Ben's favorite things is to dress himself like Clark Kent. He often tells me that a navy blue shirt with a collar is a good, and these fake glasses go everywhere with us these days, even to church. :) I love this age.

The other day he wandered into the room like this...before grabbing his Clark Kent glasses.

We had a wonderful time picking blueberries with good friends! It's one of my favorite summer activities and was even better with their company.

My friend Ann's little guy James is so cute!!

I love how often I stumble across things like this at home...

Or spot things like this while chatting with friends in the driveway...

After an appt. in Portland the kids and I stopped to see Sheri and her boys on the way home. The kids kept so busy with Legos, biking and tree climbing.

Josh and I had a fun date night, attending his cousin's wedding, and my mom had the kids overnight (thank you!) We had a great time together & I soaked up every minute with him.

Our little nephew Hans with Grandma Chris & Grandpa Mike...

Josh's cousin's wife is adorable and full of so much personality. I've never seen a wedding pinata before, but it was actually really fun to watch all of the happy guests get so into it! It brought out a lot of laughter and cheering - like the whole room was working toward a common goal. :)

This last weekend Josh had the idea to go to a drive-in movie since we'd never been. We found one about 45 mins away and it was showing Minions. The kids thought the whole experience was great. Ben was asleep in my arms only half-way through, and the big kids were asleep right after it ended.

Each kid packed a backpack with their pj's, toothbrush and "essentials" for the drive-in. :)

The sunset was gorgeous!! Just before the movie began.

We got to go to a fun birthday party of friends. They threw the best summertime party with BBQ, slushies, a jumphouse, movie on the lawn, and amazing company! Our kids jumped their hearts out with friends and loved every minute of it.

So thankful for these dear friends! And for Candice, too, who was missing from this photo because she was busy serving her heart out for her guests - Thank you Candice for treating us all to a great night!

Our friend Rory shared at church on Sunday and it was one of my favorite messages I've heard in a very long time...

A shot of the outdoor worship service.

Selah and I watched a documentary about some Indian tribes recently and their basket weaving. We got a wild hair and thought we'd try our hand at a little spontaneous basket weaving using some grass from the field. ;) We won't quit our day jobs...

Jen's sister is visiting from California, so Dad and Janet hosted a pizza and game night at their house. We had a great time making individual pizzas and playing a handful of games together.

The kids and I recently got to visit our friend's baby goats and chickens. Selah informed me today that I don't love animals as much as she does and I should probably love them more. ;)

We've been enjoying beautiful produce from the garden again this year.

And enjoying some spontaneous swim time at my grandparent's pool on the hot days.

So thankful for these warm, sunny days!