Super excited for mail!

We host the playdates

When in Idaho....

Window washing dude

He wanted to warn money for a toy, so I gave him some jobs!

Fanny packin

A visit to the bunnies

Snoozin Cousins!

LAST vbs of the summer!

And we're all OK with that! It's fun and awesome and all....but after 7 rounds of it...even new themes and locations aren't enough to get us excited. We're done. Bring on Fall and school!!:)

(note Lily talking on her Gizmo... crazy fancy new little phone/watch toy!)

She asked me to take her picture

And I couldn't resist. Because I adore every hair on her little head.

Someone has a drinking problem...

Playing with veggies

Every kids plays swordfight with the tops of giant carrots from the garden, right?! 

Smoothie girls

Chillin with lily

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Rubadubtub

Sometimes she LOVES bath time, sometimes she hates it....but tonight was a good night! No tears, even through the shampooing.
Then allllll the cute faces and random phrases and funny questions we've come to expect from our fantastic little toddler.
 
She's just a wonderful ball of amazingness and I want to munch on her all day.  

Rubadubtub

Sometimes she LOVES bath time, sometimes she hates it....but tonight was a good night! No tears, even through the shampooing.  Then allllll the cute faces and random phrases and funny questions we've come to expect from our fantastic little toddler.  She's just a wonderful ball of amazingness and I want to munch on her all day.  

Hello, soup!

That's what Charity said when she glanced into the pot. So cute.
My favorite way to make soup is to just take a can/box of premade soup and add a bunch more veggies and good protein sources!

Registered!

Rode our bikes over to the school, along with a couple friends, and officially signed the twins up for kindergarten! I know, Master procrastinator here :-) but I got exactly what we wanted, the twins are in the same class, and afternoon instead of morning! So happy.  

Teaching swim lessons!!

Back to my roots!  

I taught swimming lessons for....10 years or so? Something like that. Best job ever.

But what's even better?  Teaching my own kids!! It's so fun! We've been doing formal lessons this week everyday for about an hour, right after lunch at the Y (right after my workout/their childcare play time at the Y.  Yeah, we're at the Y at LOT!)  We've invited others to join us - cousins Lily, Bethany, and friends Ava, Reese, and Maddie. 

They're making excellent progress and are pretty good at following directions! I'm excited to help them get a head start on this important skill. I'd love to get them on a swim team when they're a bit older. I feel like it's such a gift to teach a person how to swim properly (especially with efficient breathing), so that they will always have lap swimming as an exercise option, and be safer in open water. Too many adults can't swim well, it's so sad!  I have a dream, people [lights dim, enter dramatic voice]. I want to have an indoor pool and teach swim lessons to the whole world. For free. It makes me happy. And, not to brag....but I'm pretty good at teaching. I can get these kids doing what they're supposed to do relatively quickly, and while having SO much fun! 

It's so gratifying to see that happy look of pride on their faces when they accomplish something monumental, like their first solo swim across the deep end, or their first dive. I love it.  I just don't know if we should keep this house and add an indoor pool (not much room for it), or move.... 

Oh wait, I have to find an extra 100 grand for it first! :)

Splashdown!!

I've been looking forward to taking them here for literally YEARS! Just never made the time. But we finally did it!  SO much fun!! Charity's squeals of happiness were so sweet. And the other's looks of FEAR were pretty entertaining too! Seriously though, I think it's so healthy to do things that scare them. Then they learn to conquer their fears. Right?  We brought Lily, Maddie, and Nonny. It was about 90 degrees outside, which was perfect, because Splashdown doesn't heat the water. I remember coming here in middle school as our end-of-the-year party! So fun to come back with my kids! And it made for some really crazy people-watching. There are lots of weirdos in this world. Some of the tattoos people have...man...can't believe they actually PAID to have those done.   Anyways... Splashdown. Super rad. Wanna go again asap.

Beet beat

We got the beet we got the beat we got the beeeeet, yeah, we got the beat!  

Another day at our favorite spot

Summer Days at the lake with the kids are what it's all about!

 

snuggly toddler

I could just hold her like this forever!

So grateful for a toddler who loveslovesloves the snuggles. 

Even when we're just sitting in front of the oven examining dinner's readiness :)

BDC not VBS...

But still basically the same thing:) Bible Day Camp at Holy Cross Lutheran was lots of fun! They had a "Rooted" theme...and Cat in the Hat...not sure how those tied in together...but the kids were happy to break away from the Cave Quest theme :) Only one more VBS left for the summer! I wonder if I'll look back in the future and be glad we did all these Vacation Bible School events at the different local churches...

Whoopie Courtney!

Toddler Dilemma

I don't even know what to caption this. Or why I love this picture so much. It's just so... Charity!

Bull's-eye!

Sunday braids

Spider swing by Papa

VBS #5!

I dove off a cliff!

Birthday shirts!