A fun summer.

It is the middle of September and I am still having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that summer is really over.  Maybe it's because the heat is still here in full effect.  We had an amazing summer with our family and friends.  Lots of good times, some highlights include:

1. Bike races at the church

2. Going on a Saturday morning walk after spending the night at the Menlove's, meeting farmer Dave and getting private horse rides, milking a goat, and witnessing "horse stunts" 

3. Many hours in the pool.  (June taught herself to swim the first week of summer!)

4. Creative lunches.

5. Visiting a few new parks.

6. Disneyland.

7. Sleepovers

8. The Las Vegas water park.

9. Tippy-toe dance class for June.

10. Soccer camp for Charlie.

11. Good times at the beach.

11 months.

The only way I know how to describe this boy is "pure joy".  He is really this happy all the time.  He smiles at everything and everyone.  Each month when I take these pictures I weed out the not so good ones and pick out the best.  Nolan looks so sweet and smiley in all of them so I decided to post each one.  Our sweet boy is crawling all over the place and starting to pull himself up on things.  He has gotten a mouthful of teeth this month too, four bottom, two top teeth, and two of his molars.  He has remained jolly throughout this teething process.  I cannot believe he is almost one, I wish I could freeze time.       

(A special thanks to my assistant for helping with the photo shoot.) 

Watch out boys...

...this girl is taking over the skate park.

Grandpa...

 As my kids have gotten older I feel a greater loss not having my dad around.  He died a year before I met Adam.  My kids will not have the chance to grow up with him, be teased or tickled by him, or get scratchy kisses from his bearded face.  I want more than anything for my kids to feel like they know their Grandpa Charlie even though they can only see him in pictures and hear about him through stories.  We went to the cemetery on his birthday, just me and the kiddos.  As we pulled in June asked "Is this the birthday party?"  Then she said she thinks grandpas whiskers are funny.  We talked about grandpa.  Charlie loves being named after him.  Charlie had many questions involving things like dying and bones.  He asked "How can someone not die?"  He did not like my answer and started crying.  I changed the subject and we talked about heaven.  We talked about Grandpa looking after us and how much he loves us.  Then Charlie and June both kissed the headstone and went running off to "play" at the cemetery.  I sat there with Nolan and I smiled and cried.  I miss my dad, but I see a piece of him in each of my kids and that makes me happy.  I will remember this day forever.   

7 years baby.

7 years with this handsome little devil, I am a lucky lady. 

Happy anniversary my love.  

Big boy hair.

Someone got a haircut.  The shaggy, poofy, mullet hair was getting a little out of control, so we decided to chop the mop.  I think Nolan likes his new do and is happy to have big boy hair.

Adventure Playground.

On Saturday we were looking for something fun to do with the kids.  I remembered hearing about this mud park right behind central library in Huntington Beach.  I figured, what could be better than playing in the mud?  The kids loved it.  Some highlights include:

Getting dirty.

Rafting.

Building.

Mud sliding.

Rope walking.