16 Jul
Overheard
Ava: Mom, why do you call Dad “Daddy?” You should really call him “Bryan.”
Bec: I suppose that’s true–I’ve never really thought about it. What do you prefer I call you, Bry–Bryan or Daddy?
Bry: Stud muffin.
Bec: Okay then.
16 Jul
Catch of the day
Bryan spent a bulk of his vacation fishing, which I think is a sign that I’m just that much closer to convincing him that we do indeed need a boat. In the meantime, though, he had a blast catching sunfish and bluegill off the dock with the girls. I’m not sure who decided that every fish needs a kiss before it goes back into the water, but all involved oblige.
15 Jul
No blood, hundreds of Band-Aids
This picture was taken immediately after I had one of those, “Wow, it’s way too quiet around here” moments. I found Olivia in the bedroom of the back cabin, fixing up Bitty Baby with every single Hello Kitty Band-Aid in the box. As Olivia noted, “All better!”
13 Jul
Fourth of July photo round-up
We drove halfway to the cabin the night of July 3rd, just after a fabulous 30th birthday party for my wonderful sister-in-law, Laura. We finished the trip the morning of the 4th, arriving at the cabin just in time for the annual Fourth of July parade.
The parade was a bit smaller than usual, but there was still free beer. The girls were far more excited about the candy and water balloons.
After the parade, we went back to the cabin. Parties sprung up around the lake, and the neighbors invited the girls over for face painting.
After a bit of swimming, Grandpa and Gramma treated us to a cookout by the fire.
And, of course, there were a few fireworks…
Happy Fourth of July!
12 Jul
And we’re back!
We’re back from a week-long vacation with my grandparents at their Minnesota cabin. I ended up with almost 200 photos, which I’ll share in the coming week. In the meantime, here’s a shot of the girls in their Fourth of July dresses (Thanks, Grandma Smith!) and festive headbands (Thanks, Gramma Great!).
2 Jul
Summer skies
This summer, I am spending a bit more time on an old hobby—storm watching. While I’m not barreling down the highway looking for trouble, I have found a few (literal) high points in town that provide a pretty good view of the summer’s storms.
1 Jul
Training update
I closed out week six with a 25 minute run today. I OWN that high school track.
…Well, at least as much as a 32-year-old mother of two whose idea of “training” is to limit herself to two glasses of wine the night before she runs could own a track.
But yeah, in that way, YES.
30 Jun
Backyard birding
Again this year, we have a houseful of wrens—a mother, father and what sounds like roughly 38 babies. I have no idea how they all fit into this house (and more importantly, I have no idea how their parents keep their collective bellies full!).
Wrens make me particularly happy: I distinctly remember my late grandmother telling me she could hear the wrens sing as Bryan and I exchanged vows during our outdoor wedding. I wonder if this little guy knows that I often depend on him as much as those babies do.
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