Summer recap

Now that summer is almost over (at least in terms of the school year - we continue to have 90 degree weather despite more people wearing pants and scarves to fool themselves into thinking it's actually fall), it's about time to blog about our summer fun.

Because David is in grad school, we still stick to the school calendar and enjoy regular holidays, school breaks, and summer together. Granted, David still worked during the summer, but his hours were flexible and he created his own schedule. We loved having him around even more than normal!

We also think it's important to visit family when we have time off, and with our families living so far away, we take advantage of summer break to spend quality time with them. Someday we will be tied to work and won't get as much time for visiting family! (Of course, we have been saying that ever since we got married 9 years ago, so we're hoping to always spend 3-4 weeks with each family each year for...I don't know...FOREVER.)

First we spent time with my family up in Iowa over the 4th of July. Nobody does the 4th of July like Urbandale, and we enjoyed many aspects of it. And hard to believe, but it was David's first 4th of July ever in Urbandale. I loved recounting memories growing up, from the water balloon fights with our softball team before the parade, to the carnival and street dance, to the fireworks, and many fun stories about each event.

Adele and cousin Ash riding the firetruck at the carnival

Grandma and Rachel taking Ash and Adele down the big slide

Katie and Henry at the parade

The weather was beautiful in Iowa, so besides partaking in the usual 4th of July festivities, we spent a lot of time outdoors. The kids loved swimming in the kiddie pool in the backyard, eating popsicles, going on walks and wagon rides, playing at the park, doing painting crafts outdoors, and even going down a giant homemade slip and slide. It was awesome.

Henry and cousin Kennedy with their popsicles

Daddy and Henry on a wagon ride around the yard

Rachel and Robbie painting with Adele and Ash

Setting up the slip and slide

5 cutest kids ever - Ash, Henry, Adele, Kennedy, and James - 

my BFF Theresa's boy (and Adele's future spouse)

Later in the summer we drove straight to Spokane, WA, to visit David's family. (Yep, drove straight there. 25 driving hours, 30 hours in the car straight through. The true definition of "crazy".)

The kids loved having 4 cousins right down the street to play with every day. They had sleepovers, traded clothes, and did a lot of jumping on the trampoline together. We continued to love being outdoors on a daily basis and ate meals outside, went blueberry picking, and played at parks.

Cousin Hannah and Adele getting ready for bed together 

Hannah and Adele traded swimsuits

Henry loved the trampoline!

Two girls hard at work picking blueberries

Cousin Gracelyn taking Adele and Henry down the slide

One of our days in Spokane we spent at an amusement park called Silverwood. Our kids had never really been on rides (besides the carnival rides in Urbandale). I was more of a nervous mom and didn't think my kids would enjoy little rollercoasters and rides that dropped and rides that swing back and forth. Ha! Adele jumped right in line and couldn't get enough. Henry couldn't ride a lot of the rides, but he loved the waterpark there and played hard.

Adele (2nd from left) with her cousins ready for a ride 

Adele and Daddy on the small rollercoaster

Henry and me enjoying the lazy river at the waterpark