Family visitors

The boys have been making their money by selling snow cones. We have the best neighbors and friends that support them. I remember my dad building us a little lemonade stand when I was around 10 and we loved selling lemonade. My dad taught us how to work and it's something I'll forever be grateful for and pray we're teaching our own kids the value of work!

More swim meet fun. 

Adelaide finally got her turn for swim lessons with Ms. Polly. It was adorable watching her swim and improve in just a week. We did have a little scare this week as she had taken off her floaty and was waiting for her lesson to start in a few minutes. I was sitting on the side talking with a few friends when I watched Adelaide push out on her kick board and then flip over. As I watched her, I expected her to pop up, but then it registered to me that she didn't have her floaty on or really know how to swim. I ran over to grab her and couldn't reach her so I jumped in further in my clothes to pull her up. She cried a bit and sat out until she calmed down. I was grateful she still participated in her lesson. As we left swim lessons that day, I burst into tears and said so many prayers of gratitude that she was safe and that I was paying attention and close enough to grab her. As a mother, I've experienced multiple times when angels have been protecting my children. 

Megan and Jeff came to visit for a few days and we went to Oceans and Worlds of fun. It was extremely hot, but extremely memorable for us all. 

Kansas Visit!

My parents were in McPerson for a John Deere reunion for the weekend so my kids and I drove to meet them. I dreamed about what it would be like to be living just 3 short hours away from them instead of 12!! I'm grateful we could have this time with them. They're happy in Fruita and we all know it's where they are supposed to be right now. 

We met up at the Salina mall! We laughed that Austin is darker than my dad.  

My mom jumped into our van and we stopped in Lindsborg, KS, a small Swedish community. 

We climbed Coronade Heights. The farmland is stunning. 

I've been dreaming about having my kids experience a wheat harvest. I grew up out in the country surrounded by farmland and I don't know if I appreciated the beauty and peacefulness of watching a harvest. I don't know who had the biggest smiles - my dad or my kids. I cried as I reflected on my Kansas upbringing. We met some incredible farmers who worked with all their heart. As we drove by our old country home, I cried again and thought back to all my personal experience of prayer in my basement bedroom that Angela and I shared. I remember kneeling to pray to ask if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and the Holy Ghost confirming that I've know it's true and to keep moving forward with faith. I remember praying to know where I should go to college and where I should head after I graduated college. I remember returning home from my mission and praying to know where I should move next and felt like Chicago was right for me. I remember friends coming to our home and all of us being so excited when family would drive to Kansas to see us. My testimony was solidified in that Kansas home. Even though a new family gets to call our old home their home, my testimony of prayer and the gospel of Jesus Christ remains in me. 

We swim every day, but the first thing the kids beg to do when we get to a hotel is to SWIM!

We stopped by the John Deere dealership! 

Since Eli will be starting middle school this year, I wanted to show the kids where I started 7th grade. We had just moved to McPherson during the summer and here is where I went to school. I remember coming home from the first day of school and running downstairs to my room and crying on my bed. It was hard to be the new kid and I missed so many of my friends from Dodge City. I remember my mom saying it would take time and each day would provide new opportunities to meet new people. It was a hard transition and although I blamed my dad for making us move and life feeling hard as a 7th grade, as I graduated high school, I looked back and realize that middle school can be tough for everyone. I ended up loving McPherson and being blessed with incredible friends that helped shape my testimony. It's true! My friends asked me questions often about my faith. When I didn't know the answer, I'd run home and ask my parents how I should respond. Little did my friends know that their questions helped my testimony to grow. 

We stopped by the John Deere reunion and gave hugs to the employees that worked at the dealership when I was a kid! As I scanned the pictures, I was taken back to my years of begging my mom to take us to the dealership so we could get free popcorn and say hi to my dad!

Thanks, McPherson, for being the perfect small town for my family and me. What a treat it was to take my kids back and enjoy two days with my parents. My kids have pulled out my older blog books. I'm always inspired to keep a better journal as I watch them read and re-read the books I've created. I guess it's time to create another book!!

Summer Moments

We love filling our home with great friends for dinner parties!

Temple walk - we enjoy our weekly Sunday temple walk each morning before our ward starts. I'm so grateful my kids will have memories of the temple in their childhood. My parents made the temple a priority, even when it was 8+ hours away. They taught me more than I realized about making temple attendance a priority regardless of the distance it takes to attend. 

Austin didn't feel like getting into this picture so I laughed when I could strategically include him in this picture without him knowing. 

Sister hugs. The girls asked if I would take a picture of them looking up at the temple. 

Summer Adventures:

We took a trip to Sheel's with our friends after swim team. 

We joined Duane and LeeAnn for dinner since Duane's aunt and her husband were visiting. 

While the boys swim, the girls play. 

Free donut day - the boys had donuts at swim team so the girls and I were excited for a free donut too!

During the summer, we love taking advantage of the free things we can do with our military id - like this Children's Museum! 

The boys have grown so much. I love that they still pretend and enjoy places like this. 

Dentist appointments for the kids including Adelaide's first one!!

Lego Camp - this is a highlight of the kids' summer when I take them to the store and they each pick out a Lego set. They play for hours with Legos again and again. 

Swim meet!! 

Shopping downtown - we finally took the kids to this cute "Made in KC" store. We didn't buy anything, but it's always fun to explore. 

After shopping, we enjoyed cheesecake as a way to celebrate Aaron for Father's Day, which was the next day. Aaron's in the bishopric now so we didn't get our traditional after church picture - he's a one of a kind dad and the perfect father for our children. He's stern, but loving. He sets high expectations and our kids rise to the expectation. 

More shopping and cute hats!

Lots and lots of swimming. Adelaide is very into her goggles right now and she looks so adorable in them. 

This sums up summer. We're having the best time, but also so exhausted and sometime need summer naps where we can get them. 

A friend shared this with me. We've loved our new team this year.