Glimpses

It's so interesting to see the world through the eyes of our children.

 That's Daddy and Emma up there in the canoe.

 Emma can't read yet, so the label doesn't apply, but this is a great family portrait!

 This is our garden, with great detail down to the blueberry bush, the strawberries, and the raspberries.  And her flowers, of course.

 By Adam, the interesting detail here is the ceiling fan.  One day years ago we camped in our living room.  Back when we had a smaller tent, I suppose.

 Yay!  This was a good one.

 According to Leah too.  An excellent likeness of Epcot.

Favorite pet... only pet... he was a good one!

The Best Neighborhood

In the event that we ever move and somehow forget, I need to take a post to record just how much we love where we live.  Starting with the fact that we can still see corn out our windows.

But it's more than that.  From the annual block party where adults gather and eat and catch up and the kids run around in their swimsuits, playing baseball and riding bikes all night long-

-until the fire truck shows up and lets the kids climb all over it, that is-

to the park across the street where we can practice riding a two-wheeler without the fear of falling (which she didn't do, not even once).

From the fantastic foursome of stay-at-home families that have become some of our favorite friends over the years- 

to being able to bike to the library, the pool, or the nearby All-City play day, where Leah showcased her baton talents, we played over-sized games, climbed on tractors and posed begrudgingly next to what was clearly not the real Tinkerbelle, according to Emma. 

 We also joined up with some neighbor friends to go canoeing and rock climbing.  Thanks to our neighbors, Adam was able to do both.   

 Look at me!  Canoeing with three kids and taking a selfie like a boss.  Ha!

 As most summer nights are, this one seemed perfectly perfect.

Whether it's just because we live in Iowa (the place frequently confused with heaven) or just because we are immensely blessed... or because it's not wintertime... we are enjoying an awfully good life here!

Perks

According to Adam, the worst part about turning 8 is that you can't ride in the cart anymore (although he sure tried to squeeze his 90th percentile legs in there, he only lasted long enough to take a picture). 

 According to Emma, turning 6 means there's still plenty of time to be carted around.

Childhood is the most beautiful 

of all life's seasons. 

Playing with Grandma

While I was in Utah, the kids got to spend a whole lot of time with Grandma!

I think they had a great time.

 They made homemade gummy bears!

 Which were clearly a hit.  

They also made rock candy, truffles, lollipops, and more.  I think she brought a candy-making kit with her, and that kept the kids busy for days.

 It was ridiculously hot while she was here, but they still braved the outdoors several times- climbing trees, playing at the park, and a few trips to the pool.  

It was hard to say good-bye, but easier than usual since we'll get to see her in just a few weeks in Utah.  We're so glad she came! 

A Quick Trip

 Last week I hopped over to Utah for a few days with my family.  The bridal shower was the first main event.  

 There was a whole lot of cooking, decorating and spray painting of suitcases (!) but it turned out to be a beautiful and fun evening.

And the second main event was a trip to the beautiful Provo City Center temple.  Years ago, when this was the Provo Tabernacle, Jason and I attended stake conference and even sang in this building.  After it caught fire it was rebuilt and dedicated as a beautiful temple. 

We squeezed in one last "cupcake" date- 

 I tortured Roxy by trying to take a picture of her for the kids-

 and met Spencer, who I can already tell by his love for Ruben sandwiches that he is going to get along with Jason just fine.

Jason's mom came to our house to take care of the kids while I was gone since it's the busy pollinating season for Jason.  I know she kept the kids plenty busy every day with science projects, trips to the store and the pool, and lots of snuggles.  But I got lots of texts throughout each day that looked just like this-

It was nice to be missed!  And when 3:30 Sunday morning rolled around, I was ready to head back home.  The view quickly changed from this-

 to this- 

and I knew I was home again. 

But we'll be back to the desert soon, with plenty to look forward to!

Noah-dette

Because every little boy that has sisters has been subjected to this kind of torture.