July Album: more visitors and trying new things

This July, Matt’s sister Ayme came to see us, for what I hope is to become her annual stay.  The kids look forward to her visits, and she has incredible stamina for reading, reading, reading!  So of course, we promptly took her to the library so that we would have some new material for her.

Ayme also assisted me taking the kids to many, many swim lessons.  She took some great shots of them in the water.

     

For July 4th, we enjoyed a lovely picnic at Jenn and Scott’s.  It is our tradition to watch fireworks from their neighborhood, since one street to the north of them, the community rallies and puts together a fireworks display that would rival a suburb.  It is seriously that spectacular;  it never disappoints.  This year, the fireworks started incredibly late – we almost thought they weren’t happening.  But we realized that we think this every year, since it stays so light out for so long, and we wait and wait…

   

       

Finally!  Thanks to the fireworks setting on Ayme’s camera… look at the way the Douglas firs frame the show.  It was stunning.

   

Of course, we went berry picking this month.  Leo was in heaven, helping himself to the harvest.  I don’t understand why he held onto a container at all.  It never had any berries in it.  Clever disguise.

       

Fiona had a little celebration at the end of our mission.  Such a wild, happy spirit.

   

We even made it to the zoo. 

   

And then we had more visitors! Matt’s parents came at the end of the month.

   

These are happy grandkiddos. 

In the “trying new things” category, here are our top 3:

1.  Dean learned to ride without training wheels!  It took about a week. He’s a natural.

   

2.  I painted pottery!  Ayme showed me the tricks of the trade.  I’m making some bowls.  Still haven’t finished the big one, but it’s getting there…

   

   

3. I started running!  What?  The girl with migraines and dehydration?!  I credit my smoovies for this.  It sounds silly, but this is a freaking miracle.  Never before could I do this without paying for it with a headache afterward.  I’m taking a couple of lunch breaks a week and running downtown.  Well, running as far as I can, and then a mixed run-walk back to work.  My incentive is the cool shower at the end.  So therapeutic.  Yay.

   

Summer is here at last.