1.Max. He is mobile and very fast now. Happy as can be and has so much fun exploring his world.
2. Sam. The kid who does not have a mute button or slow-motion.
3. Madeleine. The child with one million questions. Per day.
4. 2 weeks on my parents farm in Minnesota.So I really am a nut flying to MN with 3 kids by myself. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! Check it out:
When Brentt came later in the trip, he could not help but throw a few bales around. Actually, it was probably over 150 bales on a super humid day. He loved it. Crazy!
Even Sam helped out. Isn't he adorable?!?
Max with Uncle John. I swear, my brother is a kid magnet. The kids just love to jump on him and wrestle and he lets them. They just love him!
5. A 9-hour road trip to my sister's in Iowa with my mom and 3 kids
Let's just say.... Iowa isn't the most exciting state to drive through. The kids were a little"challenging" on the long drive so I think we may have taken a few years off my mom's life. :)
6. Desperately trying to find time to exercise and scrapbook/craft. (I don't have pics of my latest craft projects and scrap pages but check back soon. They are great!) Why would I need to exercise? Here's the biggest answer:
Those are deep-fried cheese curds. YUM!!! My absolute favorite Minnesota treat.
Then there is the awesome home-grown, corn-fed, all natural steaks on the farm. Did I mention we also made home-made ice cream? My arteries are clogged!
7. Swim lessons. The kids are just loving the pool this Summer and they have improved so much this year.
8. Living room re-model. It seems that we just can't seem to leave "well-enough" alone. We always have some new project to make the house better or customize something for someone. Storage is always an issue too (I would simply LOVE a basement!). Right now we are adding a wall, changing the kids' playroom, and
9. Meeting up with old friends. When I was back in MN, I was lucky enough to get together with one of my great high school friends (who married my prom date, oddly enough. 2 visits in one. yay!). She has such a lovely family and her kids are all about the same age as our kids. The kids had a great time playing and getting to know each other and Mandy and I seemed to just pick up where we left off. I love those types of genuine people!
Another friend we got to see over the 4th of July was my dear friend
Cydne and 2 of her kids. We met when her son Colby and Madeleine were babies and they now live in Spain. I just treasure our time together and all of us, again, picked up where we left off. Another genuine friendship that I hope will stand the test of distance and time.
10. Laziness. Yep, even I take the time to be lazy every now and then. As a matter of fact, I think I hear my hammock calling. :)
So, yes, I am full of excuses for not staying up on the blog. 10 mighty good excuses if you ask me! But now we are back and ready for this week. We are looking forward to Vacation Bible School, swim lessons, finishing house projects, and making some salsa from our garden's tomatoes. Isn't Summer wonderful???
Cheers,
Christy
Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa Bill when they came to visit:
Grandpa Bill was playing in a tennis tournament in Palm Springs so we went to watch his doubles matches. His team placed second in the tournament! It was fun to watch.
Since the kids are going to private school this year, one of our financial sacrifices was our Summer vacation. Thankfully, we all love to camp so it wasn't too much of a disappointment. Especially when we get to go with friends!
some of us left the path to splash,
with and without kids,
and we ate (can't ever forget the s'mores!),
and relaxed and watched the sunset at 7500 feet elevation.
Sam was just relaxing in the forest area behind our campsite when I snapped this picture. The sun was setting and he just turned to me and smiled a content sort of smile. He is so handsome! (even though he was filthy dirty!) 
One day we went hiking at "The Trail of 100 Giants." This is an easy trail in a forest of the Giant Sequioa trees. 
It is a pretty cool thing to go inside of a tree that is more than 1500 years old!
Climbing on them is pretty cool too!
I really hope the kids remember all these adventures we go on together. I will for sure! Thanks for stopping by!
Summer time is so sweet but I feel like we've waited forever for it to get here. We all went to Rancho Mirage (Palm Springs) for Memorial Day and got to feel the hot, desert weather. We stayed at the Mission Hills Westin in a suite with a full kitchen. We've stayed here before and it is just gorgeous!
Chasing ducks was the highlight of Max's trip.
While we were in Rancho Mirage we swam and loved just hanging out together.
Thanks for checking in. Enjoy the early Summer!
2. Sam. The kid who does not have a mute button or slow-motion. 
3. Madeleine. The child with one million questions. Per day.
Even Sam helped out. Isn't he adorable?!?
Max with Uncle John. I swear, my brother is a kid magnet. The kids just love to jump on him and wrestle and he lets them. They just love him!
5. A 9-hour road trip to my sister's in Iowa with my mom and 3 kids
Let's just say.... Iowa isn't the most exciting state to drive through. The kids were a little"challenging" on the long drive so I think we may have taken a few years off my mom's life. :)
6. Desperately trying to find time to exercise and scrapbook/craft. (I don't have pics of my latest craft projects and scrap pages but check back soon. They are great!) Why would I need to exercise? Here's the biggest answer:
Those are deep-fried cheese curds. YUM!!! My absolute favorite Minnesota treat. 
Then there is the awesome home-grown, corn-fed, all natural steaks on the farm. Did I mention we also made home-made ice cream? My arteries are clogged!
Another friend we got to see over the 4th of July was my dear friend Cydne and 2 of her kids. We met when her son Colby and Madeleine were babies and they now live in Spain. I just treasure our time together and all of us, again, picked up where we left off. Another genuine friendship that I hope will stand the test of distance and time. 
10. Laziness. Yep, even I take the time to be lazy every now and then. As a matter of fact, I think I hear my hammock calling. :).jpg)
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