Summer - First Half

So, what have I been doing so far this summer, you ask? Here's an answer, told mostly in pictures...

We started off with a Memorial weekend visit to see relatives in western Wisconsin, which meant (Owen's version of events) swimming at the hotel, playing with cousins, swimming at the hotel, being fed by grandmas, swimming at the hotel... Owen also took a ride on an adult-sized Gator, driven by his 7-year-old cousin.

Meanwhile, Nora petted a calf.

The next weekend, we thought we'd hit the Scottish Highland Games, since they were being held in a park close to our neighborhood. Course, it was cold and rainy and we had to don fleeces and gloves. In early June. Yah. But, Jon got to throw some axes at a target, Owen participated in the kiddie log throw and both kids came away with new swords, so all in all, it was an afternoon well spent.

We've been raising monarchs again this year. Here's Owen finding the eggs. Sorry, no day-by-day diary of the process this year, but we did successfully release three monarch butterflies in the last two weeks.

Just a random picture, pre-summer haircuts. And also a visual demonstration of the reason why t-shirt summer dresses look great on little girls, but wouldn't exactly flatter a woman's figure. (You're adorable sweetie, the bulbous belly look just isn't so cute on grown-ups.)

With their swords, post-summer haircuts. And post-ice cream, too, by the look of the smears on Nora's face.

On a free weekend, we decided to finally paint the kitchen. And guess who's on the ladder doing finish work while someone else takes an artful photo of a bottle of Point. Hint: Do you think Jon owns purple painting sweatpants?

We went camping with my family, an annual event. Owen got his fill of playing in the fire, and I got my fill of s'mores. This year we bought new sleeping bags for the kids since we are done dragging the Pack n Play into the tent and it was time to Owen to have a real sleeping bag instead of piles of blankets. They had a blast with them. They even went to sleep well. Bonus! (And aren't they so cute playing in the tent the next morning?!)

Isn't this just the cutest picture of my brother hanging with two of his daughters?

We also moved Nora into a "big girl bed." The first weeks were no fun, since she would not go to sleep at night, but then we moved this little pull-out couch into her room. Most nights she sleeps on that, and someone else sometimes sleeps in her new bed...

Well, that's a quick look of what we've been up to so far this summer. Next post will have to include t-ball, since that's been two nights a week, and some pictures from our Fourth of July weekend in Illinois, plus our upcoming family vacation week. Until then (hopefully it won't be September)!