Summer!!!

Summer is in full swing!

Shorts, flip flops, ice cream, the smell of sunblock!!! I love it!

We were super excited to go to the library summer reading series kickoff event! Brody (the boy who wants to be a tractor when he grows up) was on cloud 9 with the construction theme.

We made our annual selecting of flowers & plants for the garden trip to Home Depot & spent a day planting & running around with neighbors squirting each other with the hose & eating Otter Pops!

I put on some summer jams!

Mint & chevron. Be.still.my.heart.

Ab went for a variety of 4 different jams. Love it!

I had been itching for a duct tape project every since this nautical tape tape was gifted to me! Finally had a few moments to make a fun little corner bookmark! Red, white, & blue anchors! Totally smitten!

I ran across Girlfriend's first pair of ballet shoes in her keepsake bin a while ago, and my heart melted. These tiny little things needed to be out where they could melt my heart every day...not stuck in a bin in the top of a closet.

Now they are hanging in her room where I can steal a glance of them each time I go in to put her laundry away or tuck her into bed. Such a sweet momento of the girl that dances everywhere she goes.

I turned 35 last week. It was a lovely day that started out with a message from a friend that breakfast was on my porch! What?! A chocolate strawberry French pastry!!! Best way to start a day EVER!

Later I dropped the kids off with nana & papa, Andy and I went to a game store for my bday gift....

then we went out to dinner at The Melting Pot! It was an awesome way to celebrate 35 years! 35 years. Seems weird. I don't feel any more mature.

Helping in the school garden has it's rewards...besides getting our hands dirty & holding chickens....farm fresh eggs!!! Whoop whoop!

My first rose of the season! No filter on that beauty!

Then it hailed on her later that afternoon. Stupid Colorado. Sad news bears.

Summer means telling the kids to load up in the van for surprise trips to the movies!!! Super cute movie! I just love happy endings. They make my heart so happy and free.

We've been reading a lot this summer. That Summer Days book was mine as a kid. I love that I wrote my name in the front with a different color crayon for every letter. Ha! Sounds like something Ab would do.

Oh Melty beads. Hours and hours of quiet entertainment and rainbow creations. A staple for every childhood. Good times.

That strawberry blonde hair & those freckles.

And the biggest dandelion blowing thing ever.

Making wishes. So magical.

Fresh cucumber salsa. AMAZING!

Here's the recipe in my super fancy screen shot manner...

Screen shots are how I roll.

I made pineapple upside down cake for Andy's bday!

Yummo! I grew up making these cakes.

Not gonna lie...We killed that cake in one evening. Not even crumbs left over.

I believe summer evenings should be spent with good friends over yummy food & fruity drinks like a white sangria...

If you know me, you know the 4th of July is one of my fave holidays!!! Preparations have begun! Parade float plans are in the making (yup Andy has finally figured out a way to be IN the parade), the massive water slide has been reserved & the red, white & blue party supplies have started appearing!!!

It's going to be a great summer!

A summer of road trips, camping, days at the pool, reading outside, and so much more!

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Insta-Catch Up

Summer is finally here!!!

Thank you sweet baby Jesus!!!

Here are a few highlights from our craziness leading up to the end of school...

Our new way of making s'mores. AMAZING.

New summer shoes.

New plastic straws for our cups!

It's the little things in life.

I found this one morning after dropping the kids off at school, and it made me smile. Everything about this is so Abby.

These arrived for no reason one day.

They made me smile too.

We did Mommy & Me photos! This one is my fave. It made me all teary when I first saw it.

First of all, every time I look at it I see my mom, and have to shake off the shock of that. Then, I love AJ's smirk here. He is clearly humoring his mama. That's where he is at. My sweet, direction follower is getting a little attitude lately. Let's all hope that simmers down.

This happened the day before school got out. Ugh. We super glued them. So far it's working...

I may have acquired a selfie stick. Mahaha.

I'm not gonna lie...I made fun of these. Now I own one.

We upped our game from Settlers of Catan to Cities and Knights...

On Memorial Day Andy made crepes with Nutella and homemade coconut syrup. My absolute most fave breakfast EVER!

I got to use my vintage strawberry bowls and orange juice pitcher and glasses! Happy mama.

Ab graduated Kindergarten the day before AJ's last day of school!

We celebrated by riding bikes!

Brody went rogue...

Then he tried to ride off a wall...

And climb up the walls...

I nailed AJ in the car loop pick up line on the last day of school. It was hilarious.

We made our traditional friendship bracelets.

And we finally taught AJ how to play Settlers since he's been begging for months and months and had already read the entire rule book cover to cover. It was awesome. He giggled his way through the entire game, he was having so much fun. And although he mostly rolled 7's, he was pretty good at the game.

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Insta-Sunday

This time of year is Crazytown.

I'm just ready to chill in the back yard and let the kids play, but every activity in our life is having end of the year events...parties...recitals...ceremonies.

I have a stack of Abby's math homework that we haven't done for a week sitting in the middle of the kitchen table that I cringe at every time I walk past. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. Mama bear is tired.

One more week of school & 2 days for AJ & a Kindie graduation for Ab.

Can they buy school lunch everyday and wear pj's?

We.will.make.it.

Then a week into summer I'll be all send them back! When does school start?! I can't entertain them any longer!

I am co-hosting a MJ trunk show with a free photo shoot with a BFF at the end of the month. It's a lemonade stand photo shoot!!! Yellow.pink.lemons.MJ. Be still my heart!

We made pinwheels and that banner and painted chairs! We love any excuse to craft it up! Love it! I mean LOVE IT!

If you are local, don't miss out!

The kids had a spirit week at school. Right after literacy week. Dude, they are killing me. Dressing up every day is insanity. We are lucky to remember lunches and snacks these days. We need stay home pj days for like the first two weeks of summer.

Ab planned Crazy Hair Day for three days leading up to it.

Hollywood Day was fun. For me. The kids had no idea who Ab was. But the cool adults did.

I told Ab to pose like a movie star in the last pic. And she roared...

My first new jams in weeks. Then I did dishes & cleaned toilets & they fell off. Meh. They were fun for a day.

Projects only happen after the kids go to sleep around here. So at 10PM over You've Got Mail & some coffee, the sanding & painting began.

I made this step stool in shop class in middle school. In 1993. She needed a make over...

I'm over the moon with how she turned out & want to paint EVERYTHING in my house now!

AJ hopped in the van & handed me this from his teacher this week. Made this chick's day.

I went to take the trash out the other day. (Yes Andy I took the trash out.) And found this...no idea. But it made me smile.

It was gone the next time I walked by.

Brody had his last day of preschool, and I met him with Mac N Cheese for a picnic when I picked him up.

He said, "Let's take a picture-ah on our pic-a-nic!"

Love that boy up!

He climbed in bed the other morning and snuggled up and said, "I will always be your baby. And you will always be my sweet mama. And we are snuggle bugs!"

If he would have asked for a car and a pony after that, I probably would have said yes.

A quest for a woodland fairy dress brought Ab and I to a thrift store the other day. You know I love a good treasure hunt! I could search for days in one store.

We scored these awesome vintage finds for $8. And a new set of Shabby Chic twin sheets for $2. And a new lemon tea towel for $2. And me a coral color sundress in super good, like new condition.

Oh and a women's skirt to convert into Ab's woodland fairy dress! It was awesome.

Ab had her spring tap & ballet recital. That girl loves to be on stage.

It was the most hilarious thing I have ever seen. She danced so hard, she got applause mid performance from the audience. It was spectacular.

Then she almost threw down in the middle of her ballet dance when her class missed a step. There was scarf jerking and yelling that could be heard over the music.

She never ceases to amaze me. That one.

#lifewithabby is entertaining to say the least.

And sometimes terrifying.

This boy loves to wear a tie.

And demands to have his photo taken.

Then he does this...

A girl after my own heart.

Dirty from working in the school garden and hugging a chicken.

We will have chickens one day. The day is coming. Just wait for the spastic chicken post.

I have big plans for the summer.

That include strolling through farmers markets and giggling over soda in glass bottles...and playing card games and board games...and running through the sprinkler...and Sonic happy hour...and days at the pool...and movie nights...and s'mores...and adventures in the mountains...and reading awesome book series with the kids!

I can't freakin' wait!

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