the middle of summer

i made orange creamsicles. they were suuuuper yummy.

tess took swimming lessons the entire month of july from sister bean and loved it!  it was so interesting to watch her from crying those first few days to never wanting to get out of the pool by the end of the month.

 

craig's dad and brother finished our fire pit. they did such an amazing job. exactly how i envisioned it.

our first nephew, wilder redd, was born! taylor and rachelle had their sweet little baby boy (a month early!) and we all love him so much.

proud dad and auntie!

i met up with my very best childhood friend, grant, after like twenty years. it was a total blast.

super hucky!

we got plums this year! and rented a boom to get them all down.

and boy oh boy, did we get them allllll down. we had plums coming out of our ears.

and for the next few days, my aunt and i made plum jam. it is so delicious. and worth it. but my kitchen will never be the same.

before we returned the lift we had fun going UP and seeing our house from above. megan and tucker didnt love the ride.

my love. or baby hut (what tess calls him)

the boys loved tess' swim lessons because they got to swim too!

look at that look on huck's face. he loves tessy.

  

big crew at molly moons.

huck and wilder meet for the first time!

POOL!

 fourth of july!

we had a wonderful fourth of july this year. the sun was out and we were able to spend plenty of time with family and friends.

i made these little bald eagle cupcakes for a party we attended. i was pretty proud of them until someone said "i love your duck cupcakes!".

we went to the bothell parade with craigs parents. the kids love getting all the junk candy and hearing the LOUD boom from the seafair pirates' cannon.

sully and huck had matching tshirts. my little firecrackers.

after the parade we went back home so the boys could light off a few fireworks of their own. tess was so cute covering her ears.

i had also made these festive berry creamsicles. the white stripe was my favorite. it was yogurt mixed with cream and fresh lime juice. soooooo tasty.

we went to our friends' house the lake for their annual fourth of july party. the view and food was top notch.

afterwards, we went to our favorite fireworks show. it is seriously THE best. super long/impressive show, free admission and hassle free parking. doesnt get better.

my mom with huck and his ear muffs!

happy fourth! honestly, one of the best days of the year.

 BRASADA

our favorite place to go when school gets out! brasada is this little resort 20 minutes from bend, oregon. its seriously the best.

huck tucked right in at the pool and made himself at home. my kind of boy!

i brought sully's old cowboy boots that fit tess now. she was feeling the ranch lifestyle.

view of the stunning sunset from our house.

the next day, my dad and craig golfed.

while we hung out by the pool. skin to skin time!

cowboy camp! tess was too young (but i still had her dress the part) but the boys went horseback riding, cooked their own meal over a fire and did other cowboy things.

brasada isnt a huge resort but they have everything you could want and its all super nice. the kids loved playing in the cold waterfall and then jumping into the warm pool.

pool boys.

 

waterslide time! 

 

there is literally nothing better on this planet than a brasada smore.

except maybe three cute humans on a popsicle float.

their pina coladas are very tasty.

that afternoon my dad went golfing again and let tagg drive the golf cart!

more smores.

traveling with grandparents is the best!

my four babies.

last few minutes at the pool before the drive home.

a magical week. we loved every second of it.

june

we had some super delicious strawberries sprout up in our yard this year. they were very sweet. 

bbq-ing is our favorite thing to do in the summer. 

especially when there is a cherry pie for dessert!

the boys finished out their baseball season strong. they each received games balls and really improved on their game. we love baseball!

triple a baseball is no joke but tagg did great! 

lover boy! soooooo cozy. 

tess had a blast at the school carnival. she rode on her first pony, spike. it was magical.

tagg had a magical time taking pictures with girls. 

my sweet friend had this little wooden bat engraved with huck's name and birthdate. i cried when she gave it to me. it is so freaking precious. 

brooke came into town to play meet huck. we went to a fancy auction one night and had a great time. 

my wonderful friends threw a little baby shower for hucky. that banner! that mini guest of honor!

i am incredibly lucky to have these girls as friends. 

and this guy as my husband for the last TWLEVE years! happy anniversary. 

this scary beast has been making regular appearances on our property this summer. shoo, bear.

happy birthday and fathers day to craig! we love him a lot. 

best father of four ever.

megan and david moved into their house on the lake and we take fuuuuuuull advantage of it pretty much daily. one of our favorite activities is to cruise around the lake on the PARTY BARGE!