Swimming and blackberries

Now that the blackberries are getting ripe we have 2 favorite things of summer!!

More camping pictures

Banana slug

The first night we slept okay but Mac woke up in the middle of the night so he came to sleep with me. He is actually still asleep in this picture. 

Ryann usually was the first to wake up, but not this day. She was exhausted. 

This is a banana slug that ryann and the kids found. It was huge and so gross. 

Moms camp out

Camping day 1 was a success. We drove up north and got together with about 6 other moms and some 20 something kids. There were s'mores, bikes, hikes, naps ( not for me boo) , and lots of friends. 

We had tin foil dinners the first night which were a success. 

Happy Father's Day

Homemade waffles, eggs, bacon, and chocolate milk for breakfast in bed. Lots of favorite treats wrapped with lots of ribbon, tape, and rubber bands (?) and a brand new giants diaper bag. But seriously what more could this guy want?

Actually he would like family nap time. Which is a favorite Sunday activity over at the hamilton house. Which I just sent him and the the girls to their beds so I can get started on dinner. 

Love you Richard hamilton. Thank you for all you do. 

Hide n seek

Mac and I played a little peek a boo / hide n seek today. I definitely couldn't reach him where he was hiding. He thought he was hilarious and neither of us could stop laughing. 

Vacation bible school

The girls spent the week at vacation bible school. Best news ever is that it was free. I mean, the best news is they enjoyed it and sang a lot and did a bunch of crafts. 

Next week I think we are going camping and then i have no idea what we will do for the rest of the summer. Maybe just swim and grow a baby and then have a baby. 

Group effort.

We started potty training today and boy I am already exhausted. We are doing a group effort. If Mac pees on the potty everyone gets a treat. You bet the girls are excited about that. 

I only used one diaper today. During his nap! That is exciting. But he never successfully peed on the potty. 

In the morning he held it for 2 1/2 hours! That was exciting. Then he peed once outside in the afternoon and then he peed once in his training underwear but he told me he went potty right after he did. So there wasn't a mess any of those times. 

Hopefully things go well. cause this is exhausting at 35 weeks pregnant. 

Reception photo booth

I think this was the first wedding reception that I let the kids go wild dressing up for the photo booth. 

They had quite a blast and made me dress up too. 

Farmers market bike ride

I was so proud of my sweet girls for making the ride back and forth to the farmers market this past weekend. We convinced grandma and grandpa to come with us too. 

Cara was having fun despite the angry face. 

We found this bright blue building and ryann wanted a picture by it. 

Summer dinners

Summer nights over here have ended up like this: paper plate dinners and usually convincing grandma or aunties or mom to take us all out for dessert. 

Most nights this week we ended up staying up until 9 😬 which makes for an occasional grumpy pants. But we sure have fun doing it. 

Mignon Kay

Isn't she beautiful?

This last week has been quite the emotional one. My grandma was placed on hospice. I grew up living next door to my grandma. I loved going in her house and getting cookies from her freezer. I loved swimming in her pool, playing dress up, hearing stories of my dad about when he was growing up, watching old home videos, and looking through photo albums. 

As I have gotten older and moved back home I have been able to spend a lot more quality time with my grandma. However, with her failing health it is a lot more of me talking to her than her talking to me. How I would love to go back and hear more of her nursing days and about nursing school. I would love to hear about the births of her 5 children and her pregnancies... Unfortunately those memories have faded. 

I love my grandma with her hard work ethic, her love of my grandpa and her posterity. I remember 10 years ago listening to her say a prayer and she prayed for every single grandchild by name. Amazing. Since then we have added quite a few great grandchildren and they make her so happy. 

Thank you to everyone who has been supportive of me and my family during this time. I am happy to have her on hospice because it is an amazing program that helps the entire family with spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. 

Teddy bear tea party

This past week the girls were able to go to a teddy bear tea party with the principal. They dressed up, wore makeup, brought their stuffed animals, drank "tea" and came home with lots of goodies and books. 

Such a cute group of girls.  I am so impressed with all the fun things that they so for these kids. 

34 weeks

So this week my body decided to get huge. The belly is large and the rest of me is following suit. However, the baby is happy, I am happy, the baby moves a lot, I stay active by riding my bike with the girls and waking a lot back and forth between my house and grandma greats house. (Not far, but up and down the hill is killer)

I am more tired now and when I eat too much salt my feet start to swell. This week has been quite relaxing since I wake up close to 830 every morning. 

We are missing rich and Mac this week but we know they are having fun on their trip to Arizona. 

Farmers market

This past weekend we went to a neighboring town for their farmers market and to go exploring. It was a blast. The kids had henna tattoos, pony rides, and did lots of dancing. We are at a cute fish and chips restaurant and then went to a candy store. It was such a relaxing day with the family. 

Train table

We finally put out mac's train table and even though it is a little big for him he can't seem to get enough of it. 

ER visit

The other night we had to take ryann to the ER because of her severe ear pain. She kept waking up in tears. A couple years ago she had an eardrum rupture so I wasn't too excited for that to happen again. She ended up with bilateral ear infections and started on some antibiotics. The ER trip was pretty quick. In and out and home in about 2 hours. 

So no swimming for ryann for a week, but we shall survive. 

Last day of school

I never imagined we would still be at the same school we started at this year or living in my parent's house at the end of the school year. It really has been a blessing and a trial all lumped together in a glorious tangled mess we call life. 

Good thing my life is so full of fun family and friends. Tomorrow is a birthday swim party and next week is summer camp and then after that we have no more official plans. 

Maybe a drive out to Utah to visit our newest cousin when they are born? Who knows. The sky is the limit. Or maybe my belly is the limit because there is only so much this belly and swollen feet could handle. 

Maybe I just need to taste my first swig cookie and then I would be hooked and driving to Utah would be easy?!

Activity days

Yesterday I had activity days at a friends house who has about 20 chickens. She was amazing and taught all the girls about feeding, taking care of, and collecting the eggs from the chickens. 

The kids thought it was great to dig in the ground to find bugs to feed to the chickens. Then they each got to take home 6 eggs. They were brown, blue, and white. It was if they won the lottery. So much fun. 

Big birthday!

A few more pictures of the birthday boy!

As you can see Mac enjoyed himself too. 

Scandia

Last time rich rode the race cars at Scandia was at our "rehearsal dinner" the night before our wedding. 

I think he had a lot of fun 11 years later. 

Both girls had a lot of fun too. 

Mac and I watched from the sidelines.