I haven't blogged all Summer so I'm going to just do one big post to catch up! I know I'd be so sad at the end of the year when I print out this book if I didn't talk about all the fun we had this Summer. This was our first Summer with a kid in school, so we really got to enjoy having "all the kids home" and I loved every second. I now see how incredibly fast summers can fly by, which is a tad depressing so we made sure to make lots of memories.
We started off our 4th of July by going to a local parade - the girls danced and waved their flags in their cute festive get ups - they loved it! During the day we spent time swimming & eating with Steve's family, and then ended our day with more swimming, BBQ and fireworks at my parents house. Busy, fun day! I remember fourth of July being the absolute best as a kid - lots of swimming, yummy food, and getting to stay up late watching fireworks. The BEST!
Ella became obsessed with boats this Summer. Everything is still "Boat! Boat!" about anything that even slightly resembles a boat.
Kate was a little braver this year and actually held a sparkler!
Ella wasn't so sure..
This was also our first Summer with a pool and it did not disappoint. I was a little hesitant to get a pool at first because I knew they were a lot of work. But who was I kidding? Steve has done everything to take care of the pool! :) We also planned on getting a jacuzzi, but ended up getting a slide instead and it's been so fun!! Ella and Aubrey love it, (Aubrey learned to swim by herself this year!) Kate has yet to brave it by herself but went down once on Steve's lap. Hopefully next Summer!
Early in July we took the oldest girls to Safari West in Santa Rosa. It was on our their "summer bucket list" to go camping, and since we are not exactly a camping family, we thought this would be close enough for them! We got to go on a safari tour and got up close and personal with all sorts of animals. I'm not a huge animal person but I thought it was SO cool! The girls loved it too. Kate got to sit right next to the tour guide in front and talked his ear off. I was in the back and could NOT stop laughing. She's such a nut! We stayed the night in one of their canvas tents (which came with a shower and toilet - so it was definitely more GLAMping than camping). We did s'mores, played games on the deck, and had such a great time with our big girls! Ella had fun at home with Grammy and Papa.
Since the girls were off dance for the Summer, we decided to put them in a little soccer program for the month of July. They basically just do drills and do practice games - not a real team. The girls liked it okay, but it was pretty hot out there and they were very ready for it to end by the time it was done. Guess I don't get to be a soccer mom after all! Ella was a good soccer sister always holding their water bottles for water breaks. :)
Steve and I got to get away for an evening in Berkley to see Jack Johnson in concert. He was INCREDIBLE. He's been one of our favorites for years and it was fun to see him live.
At the end of July we went to Monterey with Steve's family, but first made a stop at the Santa Cruz boardwalk. The girls just went on a few rides - Ella LOVED this car ride.
17 mile drive stop!
Monterey Aquarium - the best!
Best picture ever. When we first arrived to the beach Ella hated her life. She was NOT feeling the sand, sand toys, water, all of it!
But if you give Ella a boat - she's the happiest girl in the world!
Popsicles help you forget about sand too..
Welp - there's our summer in a nutshell! I feel like I'm missing so much on here and know we did other things like the state fair, saw the Beauty and the Beast at the Music Circus, had lots of friends come swim, Steve and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary (we saw a movie and had a dinner date at Cattlemens) lots of lazy days at home, swimming multiple times a day until our hair turned green, I was busy with photography sessions (it was the summer of newborn baby boys!), etc. etc. etc! It went by in a flash, and I'll admit I cried a river the week before school started. I HATE sharing Aubrey with school. She really does love it though and I love seeing her grow.
We are now getting back to school life, and although I miss those summer days something fierce, there is beauty in routine. In fact, I thrive on it!
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