Project 365, Week 25

Summer is filled with such goodness! I love not having to be on a strict schedule of running around and we get a chance to have new experiences.

June 20

As Ginger and I returned from our walk, the scene in the driveway struck me as a moment in time that will soon pass. An 8-passenger vehicle that's regularly filled with kids, a teen's first car, a plastic basketball hoop for the 12 and 4 year old boys alike. A snapshot of a time that is here today, gone tomorrow. This life is so beautiful and fleeting.

Aiden got a special invitation to go on a boys fishing trip on Lake Champlain in Vermont. They were gone several days and he had a blast, even though the weather didn't really cooperate. I'm so grateful that he had the experience.

June 21

Larry The Leader was good about sending updates and photos.

June 22

Mid week included a water balloon fight!

June 23

The girls had their annual checkups, including a hearing test for Amanda (??).

The last show in our season subscription....Hamilton!! It was SOO good!! Doing the theater several times this spring was such a treat, as was seeing Sarah regularly.

 

June 24

Happy 17th birthday to this sweet girl!! She is a delight and a blessing.

It was a busy day getting ready to leave for vacation, but we squeezed in lunch at a taco place and snapped some pictures beside the mural in the alley. Such a fun afternoon!

And then, after youth group we hit the road headed south. Shaun drove all night to get us to the beach in Outerbanks, NC!!

Project 365, Week 24

The fun thing about this week is we officially finished out 11th, 10th and 7th grades. The school year was largely "routine", which we're grateful for, particularly after the last couple years.

June 13

Avery and Aiden had finished up the Friday before but Amanda had the morning at school for two finals. And then, we were done. They were exhausted from a weekend of friends camp so there was grumpiness. The traditional yay!-school's-over jumping picture felt disingenuous, but we all value tradition to some degree so here we have it. :)

Speaking of tradition, we had our monthly fondue night/celebrating the end of the school year, but that was somewhat unsuccessful as well. We're all a bunch of humans living in this house, and sometimes its messy. 

But! A garden hose + a toddler = squeals and giggles. :)

Aiden was ready to support the home team for the Celtics playoff game. 

June 14

Our friend Jason put the boys to work on the siding at the office, picking up where we left off last September.

Our neighbors hosted a pool party to welcome summer. As we walked back, Dakota and I played with our shadows. I so love the play and wonder of a 3-year old.

My four favorites out on the soccer field together. 

Still celebrating that school is out for the summer, with our traditional ice cream cones, even though we can no longer walk to DQ. Dakota was the only one who cooperated for a picture. When he heard his order included sprinkles he said Sprinkles?? Yes! with a fist pump. This kid!

June 15

We did a very brief photoshoot for his 4th birthday. We are utterly biased, but we think Dakota is one in a million. He has expanded our hearts and has taught us important things about life and love we didn't even know we didn't know.

On our way to Mid-Week.

June 16

June 17

Avery and Amanda both served at church, an overnighter to welcome the incoming 7th graders. Zero sleep happened for them at the sleepover, but they had fun.

June 18

Last two games of the season for Shaun and Aiden.

Also a last...our church's Saturday night service. Our attendance numbers are still way down post-Covid and there is much man-power necessary to make a service happen, so after 20 years they opted to take away Saturday night. Our family has designed our life around that service, so it'll be an adjustment. The church staff served dinner as a way of closure.

After, we went to Cabela's for a couple important purchases. :)

June 19

Nana and Grandpa John flew up from Florida to see our gang. This day, she along with Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Diane, hosted the Unbirthday party, to celebrate ALL the kids birthdays in one shot. 

I'm so grateful for how intentional she's always been about staying involved in our lives. It is a wonder to me how she stays current on the goings-on with both her grandkids and great-grandkids. For so many years she made it possible for our family to travel to Florida to visit her and she always found her way to CT a couple times a year. She's a dear friend and I'm grateful for our times together. We sat on this swing for a long while enjoying the sun and the goings on.

The whole crew on Shaun's side.

Father's Day is the day that happened to work for everyone's schedule, so Shaun's dad got to have all four of his kids together.

This guy....intentional, patient, endlessly selfless, hard-working, dependable. He's at his best with his family when no one is watching. I'm so grateful he's the father of my kids.