August 2017

We had a big vacation to kick off the summer, but we slowed down big time after getting home because it's summer and it should be low-key.  We also found out at the beginning of the summer that Baby #5 is coming around February 14.  We're super excited and have prayed for this little one for a while and we are also SO grateful that the first trimester yuckiness seems to be mostly gone.  Roy and the kids have had to be so patient with late dinners, a messy house, a napping mom, and me being less patient and organized.  But we have had a lot of fun and the kids have had a lot of time to explore their imaginations, as evidenced by the utter disaster that is the game room :)

We celebrated Sam's 7-1/2 birthday on August 4 with brownies.

Sam has this incredible mind.  It blows us away to see what he creates.  He has been awesome and a huge helper by making awesome train tracks for Andrew.  But one night, he came down while Roy was playing guitar and whipped this genius creation out.  Can you see the guitar-shaped tracks?  And above it, the blocks read THANK U and the trains on the inside spell out DAD.  Love this kid!

Grandma and Baba Z gave Andrew a really cool big rope swing for his birthday.  The kids spend hours playing on it every day.  It's awesome because it's big enough for all 4 to go on it if they want.  It is definitely the favorite thing in our backyard.

And then Sam lost his first top tooth.  He was so determined to get it out that he wiggled it from the somewhat-loose stage to the hanging-by-a-thread stage in about 36 hours.

We were at the park last weekend and ran into the cutest teeny puppies.  The kids fell in love with them and had to get a picture.

We did a love note drop-off at Roy's work the other day and Roy's co-worker took this picture of my kids attempting to be sneaky as they slid notes under the door while Roy was on a phone call.

Abby and I have fallen for turquoise lately so when we drove past these rocking chairs, we had to stop and try them out :)

More train track creations:

We had some friends come over and bring their dogs.  Lydia, who would like to be a veterinarian, loved Oreo instantly.

Last Sunday, I took a nap and woke up to find Andrew asleep on my legs.  Roy got jealous of the semi-cuddle and pulled Andrew over to him before falling asleep himself. :)

We've had some fun afternoons playing in the sprinkler, creating a water slide playground, and having squirt gun wars.  Even though I sometimes feel guilty about being too boring this summer or not planning a bazillion wonderful adventures, I think this has been a really fun, memorable summer for the kids.  They are happy.  They have invented games together.  They have grown closer together.  It makes me happy to know that they can start out a new school year happy and feeling loved.