We went to Mom and Dad's for a few days at the beginning of June. Phoebe and I continued to run each morning while we were there. We have a couple paths we like to run when we are there. Each is between 2 and 3 miles long.
Silas volunteered to "entertain" Nanee while the rest of us worked on projects outside in the yard. His entertaining means...Nanee gets to play LOTS of games with him. Ha! I'm pretty sure she doesn't mind though.
Some of our projects outside to help Dad out included trimming trees, loading the trailer, and taking a couple loads to the dump. We also helped with some garage clean-out and organization.
There was some time for fun too. This old pair of stilts came out of the garage. Sarah, Phoebe, and Dad all gave them a try.
We got to go out to the lake for some time on Dad and Mom's new ski boat.
It was a very hot day, so the cool off in the cool lake water was just what we all needed, especially after working outside all day.
I skied for awhile.
And, the kids took turns tubing and zip-sledding.
It was a fun day spent working and playing.
Phoebe had been signed up for the Girls On The Run program at school. It was cancelled due to the Corona Virus and school being pushed to only at home for the last quarter, but Phoebe and I continued on practicing and completed the final 5K run on June 6th with a few others. Below, is the five of us before we started our run/race. It was a hot morning. We started at 7:30 am, but it was around close to 80 degrees when we began and it was a tough run with the heat.
Below, Mrs. Faust, Stacee, Phoebe, Shawna, and David.
Phoebe fell behind me a little before the halfway point. I slowed down a little so that she could catch back up with me, and she had a kick at the end to beat me and run a decent 5K time. She was disappointed because she hadn't bettered her 5K time, but overall she did just fine. It was hot and we were only running with 3 other people to push us along.
Eric, Sarah, Silas, Steve, and Traci cheered for us at the beginning and end of the course. They also loaded into one car and drove along the course to cheer for us as we ran. They were some of the best cheerers ever. Their cheers made me smile and laugh as I ran along. They were definitely fun motivators!
We still have a Little Tykes baby pool and slide. On hot days at our house, the kids still like to fill it up and "swim" around in it to cool off.
The girls and I finally got summer pedicures when places started to open back up.
Jessee gets to come inside on super hot days and when it is storming. She is 10 years old now and the heat may slow her down a little, but she still runs and jumps when she gets excited or wants to chase something. She is pretty good inside about staying on her rug or in her kennel.
The girls made a fruit pizza for us all to enjoy.
We were finally able to get Sarah a new bike. She needed a bigger bike badly, but stores were out of bikes for months here due to the demand being so great for bikes. We just happened to be at a store the day they got a small shipment in, and were able to purchase one from them the very next morning.
As places started to slowly open back up, we started to get out and enjoy being with some of our friends again. We went to see the new Trolls World Tour movie at a local movie theater.
We have permission to put our small boat on a neighbor's pond, so Eric and I put the boat in one evening, and Silas and he went out in it for a little fun and fishing.
The girls, the dog, and I watched from the shore...until the dog couldn't stand it anymore and ran around the pond, then tried to swim out to Eric at the boat.... This was all pretty funny to us, as our dog has never liked the water and has never willfully gone swimming before. That day though, she swam to the boat, back to shore, and then swam out to retrieve a stick a few times that we threw in as an experiment to see if she would swim out to get it.
We were invited over to swim with friends a few times in June.
One stormy night Dad and Mom had half a tree blown down behind their backyard fence. it fell directly across their back fence and across my Dad's garden. Fortunately it was towards the end of the week and we were able to go up and help get it off the garden and fence that Saturday. It was a long hot day of work, but our small team got it done.
After that, the kids took a cool down and played on the slip and slide. Dad and Eric went fishing in Eric's Grandma's pond and picked up some yummy Olpe Chicken House food for us all for dinner.
Every father's day since Sarah was born, we make some sort of creative father's day sign for the kids to hold up for a yearly picture. Below, are a couple of this years shots.
We spent time with Dad and Mom on father's day, and the day before cutting up the tree in their backyard. We enjoyed some homemade pie, from my favorite pie maker friend (cherry, caramel apple, and strawberry rhubarb).
Happy Father's Day to my Dad and to Eric! We all love you both so very much! Thanks for always being so supportive, giving, hard-working, protective, loyal, loving, and fun - leaders in your homes. You both are amazing examples of what a father should be like.
Lindsee sent this new shirt to Dad for father's day... It says, "My favorite people call me Popee", and lists the grandkids names, Sarah, Phoebe, Silas, and William. Since they couldn't come from Colorado to be with us, Silas held up the picture of Will for the picture of Popee with his grandkids.
Back at home later on father's day, the kids gave Eric a few gifts...new slides, a handmade water tumbler, and three different types of coffee from the Black Rifle Coffee company. (Black Rifle Coffee may be his new favorite.)
Below, the kids and Eric with his framed father's day pictures of the kids and their signs through the years.
Silas got a new bigger bike towards the end of June.
All three kids participated in some sort of swimming lessons again. Sarah's classes were called "Guard Start" this year. She had already completed all levels of lessons and is now learning life saving techniques and procedures around the water, which will allow her to become a swimming instructor and life guard in a few years if she decides that is something she would like to do.
Silas enjoyed going off the high and low dives this year, and learning to do a flip off the low dive. He was moved up to level 3, due to not enough spaces in the level 2 class, but he did alright, and tried to keep up with the other kids in his group. He did well learning to dive.
Phoebe had fun in lessons (level 3 also) this year. Her friend, Shawna, was in with her so they both looked forward to seeing each other at the pool everyday. Phoebe made big improvements this time around and will move up to level 4 lessons next summer.
Sarah did excellent in Guard Start. She was confident and is becoming a strong swimmer. She was one of only a few in her class who could bring the weighted dummy up from the deep-end, while attached to her float, in one try. She learned a lot and is becoming a more responsible swimmer.
Below, Sarah, Ms. Jill, Logan, Phoebe, Silas, and Shawna.
The girls had been wanting to have a couple friends over, so I finally let them. They enjoyed an afternoon and evening of playing together and a few water balloons.
We spent the day at a nearby lake with friends. We enjoyed time in the water, conversation, and dinner together.
Our friends Steve and Traci have a Jet Ski and were kind enough to share so that all the kids and adults could take some rides if they wanted to. The kids loved it!
Below, Sarah, Stacee, Traci, Steve, Mandy, Phoebe, Abigail, Shawna, Silas, Felicity, David, and Eric.
We all decided to try camping together one night toward the end of June. Back to the nearby lake we went, with camping gear, swimming gear, and food to cook out.
Lots more time was spent on the Jet Ski and some of the kids even got to drive it with some adult assistance.
The dads (Bestie Bros) spent lots of time in the water with the kids on the Jet Ski, swimming, and floating on rafts.
We ate some delicious meals together.
We rode out a small storm that night in our tents, camper, and vehicles, and then enjoyed more lake time, and games the next day.
Sarah was the "Hanging Balls" (Bolo) champion! She beat everyone she played, kids and adults.
Hot Mom's even took a turn on the Jet Ski all together... We did alright, until we got caught up in some boat wakes, sideways, and flipped the Jet Ski over. It happened like we were in slow motion and made us all laugh a lot!
We had a great time with our friends! Lake time is always fun time!
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