Pink is the new Black!

One exhausted, proud little boy.

I know a lot of people have asked, what's the pink wristband all about.
Well, a long long time ago, (not really all that long, just over a year really) - we were so ecstatic about our kids earning the blue bracelets at our local YMCA.
Earning those blue bracelets meant the kids could go in the water without a parent (up to their armpits) and hold their own.

Not too long ago, big sister got herself a fancy pink bracelet -

And not to be outdone...
Tonight, D earned his!

We are so very very proud of you Derek!

Hailey was so proud of her brother - when the lessons were over, they came to check in with us. D excitedly shared his news with his sister, and she picked him up & hugged him, and told him just how amazing he was.

I know I say this often, but my cup, it really does runneth over.

......and thanks to Grandma Betty, who reminded us that not too long ago,
Bosco earned HIS very own pink wristband too!

 He had some doctoring done recently, a teeth cleaning & extraction blah blah blah under anesthesia. Hails wasn't very impressed her furry brother got a pink bandage...but he didn't really care.

Pink, it really is the new black!

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Days of Summer ~

After a couple of fun filled days trekking across the countryside visiting friends & family ~

We made one last stop at a friends' cabin...

oh how we need to get ourselves one of these cabin things...

This kid was in all of his glory with his spiderman fishin' pole

and the lake(s)...

he played catch & release for hours on end...

Nothing terribly exciting if you are all that into fishing ~

Perch, Sunfish, and the occassional crawfish
latched on to his rod,

but when you are four, and you've been waiting your

WHOLE LIFE to try this out...

It's the big whopper and then some!

 

Our dear friends took us out on the pontoon...something neither of our kiddos has had the opportunity to do before...(yes, I realize this isn't a big deal to most people...but for us, this weekend of firsts was something so very very fun...and not something we take for granted!)

And D...was like the 3rd kid to just JUMP OFF THE THING INTO THE BIG OL LAKE! 

He was having a BLAST!

(Incidentally, I LOVE this picture as I captured someone's foot jumping off the pontoon...and there's D....looks like he's about to get jumped on...(he wasn't...) and he's just laughing up a storm!

D has referred to this kid (my friend's nephew) about fifty thousand times since we were there...

"I hope I see my new friend soon, I wonder if my new friend will be there, Remember my new friend?"

He was so kind and outgoing and inclusive...We don't spend much time with those kinds of older kids so this was a REAL treat for my boy...and for me!

Evan & Derek

Dear old friends, raising new generations together!

Another 1st, for Derek...his first ride on a Jet Ski - Kelly swung out to the sandbar & picked up my kid who was having fun swimming around the pontoon - and showed him even MORE fun...

A Jet Ski ride.

Seriously, heaven for my little city dweller...

There was no shortage of fun things for the kiddos to do here...we loved every second and hope we can get back there sometime soon ~

 

 After a long (but super fun, super exciting, super jam packed!) four days, she was pretty much watered out...(city kid here!!) but had a BLAST having marker tattoos drawn on by HER new friends...

D and his permagrin...Four days,

Four major stops...this kid never stopped smiling.

He was laughing, smiling, having the time. of. his. life!

This...this is what summer is supposed to look like...

Enjoying Summer...

We were cruising right along on our Minnesota Summer Bucket List when the rug was pulled out from under me...

(more on that later)

I'm doing my best to stand up and move forward...and an invitation to hang with some friends of ours this weekend was just what we needed...a chance to do regular things and feel normal for a bit...

And while I was excited to visit with whats-his-face and his adorable little daughter - I was more excited to see the creepy bellehs that are growing right along...
and the creepy faces that go along with those bellehs as well as some of my other favorite creepy people who aren't growing other people...

And though I had lots to say to those people, things I wanted to ask them, like 'How are you spending your Fridays this summer?' and "How's the new puppy?" "Let me hold your baby! I cannot believe this is the first time I'm seeing her and she's almost 11 weeks old!"

... I mostly hung out with my feet in the water soaking in the sun, not talking to anyone, and watching my babies spend hours doing this...

She was soo proud - 'Take lots of pictures of me Mommy!" she said - and Matt overheard and laughed - that is not very like her at all - typically I'll get one pose, maybe two (though I do prefer candids) - and then she can't be bothered by me or my lens...but she was so confident in that pool, she wanted Daddy to be sure to see lots and lots of pics of her swimming all by herself in the deep end.

And because of what happened last year - I emptied my pockets and was at the ready, just in case...

but he didn't need me...he's 3 now after all -




And every once in awhile, when I could convince them to get out of the pool for a break - they enjoyed some of the delish treats the Goodmans had to share...

It was great to see old friends...

Brooke & her JosherMonster -

and while I enjoyed myself immensly, I mostly kept to myself, silently counting my many, many, MANY blessings.

It was a great place to be and know that I didn't HAVE to keep conversation. I was among friends, great friends, and for a few hours...I was able to forget about what is my reality.

And that very day - I got my first lily of the season from my own garden ~