3rd Annual Family Camping Trip

I have so many individual posts I need to do for July, but we'll see how far I can get. First up, our annual camping trip. For the last 3 years we have done a camping trip with my extended family. My husband's parents have also joined in. It is so much fun. So. Much. Fun. And so exhausting to manage 3 kids camping but we love it! I look forward each year to this camping trip.

When you look at my pictures, words are not even needed to explain how happy my kids are on these trips.

We took another opportunity to celebrate Riley's birthday again with grandpa. All Riley wanted was exactly what he had last year- camping, dirt cake with worms in it, and paw patrol. He is so simple and got just what he wanted.

There were 8 adults and 6 kids this year! We were missing one family due to illness but we hope that all of us will be there next year. Until then, I will continue to reminisce on s'mores, dirt cake, laughs around the campfire, and watching my children create a million memories with cousins in the great outdoors.

Our Boy Turns 4!

Another birthday at our house and we now officially have a 6 year old, 4 year old, and 20 month old. Time flies! 

Riley has been counting down to his birthday for weeks now so I was pretty prepared for this one and didn't shed a tear. It will always feel bittersweet to watch my children celebrate another year. I still feel like I just brought him home from the hospital. My baby who loved to sleep and slept a ton. He held on to the two naps a day for the longest time.  I can still see that little toddler saying, "mama, I hold you," as he reached up for me with his arms wanting to be held. If I close my eyes I can still see him sitting at the table at the age of 2 trying to tell us a knock-knock joke that ends with the punchline being "I got you." All things of the past now. 

I took Riley to several different locations during the week of his birthday, as time allowed, and he gave me soooo many good pictures. He's a real treat to be around. We also stopped at the train depot in our town and he got to play as well.

He makes life so easy and is just so go with the flow. He is so calm and collected most of the time.

On his birthday day, we stayed home and did our own family celebration. He picked the balloons and we surprised him with paw patrol decor, as he still loves this show!

We have been trying to give an experience gift for birthdays and holidays now so we got him tickets to a pottery class with his sister that was mermaids and pirates themed. We went to that the next day and I am sure I will share pictures from that on the month recap post. They had so much fun!

Grandma came to visit for the week as well and so our birthday celebration continues. We will also camp this weekend and have a party with family for Riley.

Riley,

You look like mama but want to be just like daddy these days. You follow him around constantly trying to do what he's doing and want him to lay with you at night as you fall asleep. I can still convince you to go on quick dates with me and spend quality time with me at the coffee shop or park. 

When you grow up you still want to be a pilot. You also dream of being a farmer, race car driver, and father to 9 kids! You are the best of friends with your sister and want to go to school with her. I don't know what you will do without her when school begins. I don't know what I would do without you if you could go with her. You love to take care of your brother and your relationship with him continues to grow and grow as he is able to play with you more. 

You make your family so happy. You love to ask what you can do to help us and you are just the greatest little helper. When someone is upset you do whatever you can to try and help them.

We can't wait to see what year 4 brings for you my child. May your wings continue to spread!

Love, 

Mom

Our Month of June

June went by quickly as most of our life seems to these days. It was another good, full month for us. I'm hoping for life to slow down sometime but as I'm told, with kids it never seems to slow down. Life flies by when you are busy having fun!

So, the highlights of June:

1. We made it to the zoo!

We took our monkeys on a trip to the zoo. It had been a few years since we had gone last (I was pregnant with Jayden at the time), so it was time. We had so much fun spending the day together. We spent the night downtown and had so much fun walking around the big city, eating outside with traffic whizzing by, and then stopping at the donut shop on the way back to our hotel. The kids got to swim and are always amazed by the continental breakfast. We are all looking forward to going again sometime.

2. Dentists Check-ups and Treats

The big kids went to the dentist and had amazing appointments. I was so relieved and thankful. A flavored ice stand was strategically placed outside the dentist so how could I say no to little faces asking for a treat after a good appointment? I caved and they each had the smallest size available... which as you can see is HUGE. They ate it all. And it was so good.

3. Our local town's holiday

Every year our little town has a special weekend celebrating their Swedish heritage. Payton walked in her first 5K with her dad. After their 5k, we went with visiting cousins to the parade, car show, and vendors downtown. This is always such a fun weekend celebration.

4. Fairy garden

The kids are still obsessed with fairies and Payton really wants to see one. Riley thinks he saw one last summer! Their cousins got them a fairy garden set that grows flowers so we spent a morning planting seeds and the rest of the month watching it grow!

5. Saying goodbye and hello

The harder part of life for our kids is teaching them to say goodbye. The kids wanted more chickens in the spring and that mean a bigger coop was needed. We sadly said goodbye to our old coop and sent it off with another family just getting started in the chicken world.

Our new coop was built by my husband in a weekend. And then a storm came through and knocked it down the next weekend. That's life here, it keeps us on our toes. It has been repaired. No birds were injured. But we live to tell the tale.

6. Getting Outside

We have been to the park countless times already this summer. I love the park, the fresh air, and just watching my kids be kids. This year our park got a story book walk and that has been so fun to have something new to do.

7. Sour Cherry Harvest

Our cherry tree is ready to go and we have been busy picking and processing cherries. The kids help pick in the mornings and then while Jayden is napping we work on pitting them. Payton and Riley provide so much help to me and I am so grateful for that. But I know they do it because they love the pies and extra sweet treats they get out of them!

8. Cycle of life

We have been so fortunate to see a few nests this year and have watched (made sure not to touch) the cycle of eggs hatching into baby birds. In one nest, the birds have already flown away. It's been so fun to see what nature provides us with. Payton took both of the above pictures.

She also took this picture of her brother:

She definitely loves photography and has quite an interest. I look forward to seeing where she goes with her gift.

9. A visit from Great Grandma

Like the zoo being a few years since our last visit, it has also been a few years since Great Grandma came to visit. She spent a few days at our house with my mother and our family had so much fun seeing them. The next week, Great Grandma returned and had surgery at a nearby hospital and we made the trip several times to see her. Although surgery is not always welcomed, spending so much extra time with loved ones is. We are so glad she is in our life and thankful for the stories she has shared with us.

The main highlights of the month! So much go, go, go but we love our slow mornings playing around our property and walking our side road. So many miles have been put on that road and so much life happens at our house when we have nothing going on.

July is busy as well but I look the most forward to our quiet.