Summer Days

Today marks the first day of July and the official half way mark of summer vacation. It's hard to believe that already 1.5 months have flown by since Elliana's last day of school. It's even more hard to fathom the amount of fun and adventure we have cram packed into such a short amount of time. Listed below are just a few of our highlights thus far: 

 Sprinkler Fun

Oh, to have such joy over a sprinkler! LOVE their love for life!

 Creation Museum Petting Zoo and Botanical Gardens

GO Cincinnati Outreach Project - cleaning and organizing toys at a foster care 

      and planting flowers at the foster care home as well 

Hiking at Big Bone Lick State Park (on more than one occasion) 

 Findlay Market shopping with cousins and grandparents

Gymnastics!!! Both girls are enrolled and loving it! 

Weekend getaway to visit the Sutton Family in Chicago and get some much needed cousin playing time!

Strawberry picking and eating fresh from the plants!

Elliana's Dance Recital - 8 months of hard work!

 Day trip to visit College Roommates and play date with our kiddos

Baseball Game

 Splash Grounds and lunch with Daddy

Traveled to Maryland for a beautiful wedding, play time with cousins and a lovely new addition to the family! 

Enjoying the streets of Annapolis

Cutest Ring Bearer and Flower Girl EVER! 

My brother and new sister-in-law! So exciting and beautiful! 

Eager to welcome our newest family member! 

 Enjoyed a lovely tea party birthday! 

Rode a horse named "Dude"

Went hiking again....we really like to hike. 

 Annual Anderson Ferry Boat Ride to get ice cream with friends. LOVE this yearly tradition and watching our friends grow together!

Maya said good-bye to diapers!!!! Whoo-hoo!

It's hard to believe that 6 short months ago when we were snowed in day after day, I was worried about how I would fill the long unstructured summer days. Turns out, I seem to thrive on it. I am loving the ability to call up friends and plan pool days and not juggle around school schedules. I love that we can go to the pool and the movies and the park, all in one day. I love that we can sit and cuddle for hours on end with no where to go except wherever we want to go.

Our summer still has a lot of time left. Our summer bucket list still has a lot of items not yet done, and room to add new unplanned ones.

I feel like I should have a more poetic way to wrap up such an adventure packed entry, but one word just keeps repeating in my head. Gratitude. I am overwhelmed with gratitude at our many blessings. And so I must say Thank you. Thank you Lord for each and every experience we are blessed with, both good and bad for they are what make us "us". Thank you for this family, our friends and the ability for me to stay home with these precious kiddos each and every day. Thank you for a husband who keeps me grounded yet lifts me up each and every day. A man who still finds beauty in me when I skip a shower or hang out in yoga pants day after day (without ever actually attending any yoga classes). Thank you Lord for the adventures you still have planned for us, that we are not yet aware of. I pray that we have ears to hear you and courage to follow whatever you ask of us.