The Fourth

Our 4th of July was very low key this year. Savannah was at EFY so we just basically hung out and then served dinner at the Welcome One Center with some of the Brown family. We decided to serve them a good 'ole Independence Day meal - hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad.  It was a hit!

Preparing lunches for the next day.

We love serving there and it was a great way to top off our holiday.

An Adventure with the Foote Boys

Our sweet friends the Footes were moving in July so, before they left, the boys and I decided to steal their two little boys for some adventures.

First up - a day at Rock State Park.

Love when my boys are getting along!

And I absolutely loved watching my boys take such good care of these two little guys!

Xander helped Paxton find some shells...

which he proudly showed to me.

Xander and Paxton had a blast swimming together.

Actually, Paxton had a blast splashing Xander, ha ha!

So adorable!

Building this rock pile kept them busy for quite some time.

Wyatt loved the stick fights!

Uh oh, Noah...he found a bigger stick!

Took a break from the water fun to have some lunch.

Decided to take a little walk...

and grabbed some more pictures!

We wore someone out!

We wore them all out!

What a fun adventure together!

June Fun!

Have I mentioned how much I love summer? I love all the big fun things we get to do but there are so many little moments that I cherish as well. We always love celebrating David and our fathers on Father's Day! I love that each of the kids tries to do something special for him.

Whether it's spoiling him with one of his favorite candies...

or giving him a sweet picture, the kids love sharing good times with their dad.

We also decked him out with some new O's gear!

This summer a family in the other ward decided to put on a science camp, with several sessions throughout the summer that focused on nature, the earth, water, and animals. I thought it would be a perfect way for Noah to get outside for a few hours, learn some new things, and spend time with his friends. He had such a fabulous time each time he went!

Savannah and the other young women continued to prepare for camp. This particular week they made the boat for our ward skit.

The sweet Activity Day girls made each of our young women a first aid kit to take to camp!

Noah and I practiced our drawing from time to time...

though Noah is MUCH more talented than I am!

He was also my little buddy in the kitchen. This time we made banana bread!

One of my best friends is a manager at a neighborhood pool so we were able to get in an afternoon of swimming with our friends. The kids loved the diving board!

Savannah's birthday party this year was a lunch date at Panera and seeing a movie with 5 of her closest friends - Mary, Emily, Michaela, and Celine.

Savannah has also decided that Taco Bell is one of the greatest places to eat, ha ha, and since it's one of the cheapest as well I had no problem taking her there on a Mother/Daughter date.

We hit Rita's a ton! There were a couple fundraisers for Savannah's soccer team...

we met up with our favorite Sister Horn when she came back to Maryland for a visit with her parents...

and plenty of other times when we just needed a cool treat. But can you blame us? Rita's is just so dang yummy!!

We also enjoyed some beautiful evening walks as a family.

And look who made it in the paper? Our little Noah and his "Fly Guys" from Cub Scout Day Camp! That's Noah, front and center!