Summer 2015 Recap

Today was the first day of school! I love looking back at our summer and all of the fun that filled it! We try to make the most of our summers, but this one especially, as the arrival of Baby Girl this fall will change how our summer looks next year.

june

June was filled with getting adjusted to summer and soaking up all the time off! We started summer with finishing up soccer and competing in a fishing competition near Grandpa and Grandma's. The girls have done this annually and this year, Drake had fun catching and actually TOUCHING a fish! I am not a big fan of fishing, but I got excited because they were excited.

I am thankful that I got to enjoy a weekend away with my City Moms Blog midwest sisters! I loved connecting and reconnecting with these mamas. Our national conference takes place the first weekend in October, and as you can guess, I will be too pregnant to make the trek. So this little Midwest Meetup was the perfect thing to tide me over until next year. These ladies, though they may live far away, have impacted and inspired me more than words can say. I am blessed to know them and be known by them.
Lili enjoyed many evenings taking classes at the local gymnastics studio. It was her first time really getting involved and she has LOVED it!! I think this is something we will definitely be a part of as long as she wants to. It's great exercise and confidence booster!
The girls got to go to Nana and Bapa's for a week while Drake and I soaked up the sun and time with friends here. We explored a local national park and had some fun in the water!
June 2015 will always be engraved in my memories, but mostly because this is the month that we

discovered we would be welcoming another baby GIRL into the family this fall. I can vividly remember the technician focusing in on it and saying, "Do YOU know what it is?" With happy tears in my eyes, I responded, "That's a girl!" We've been buying pink ever since!

july

Our summer holiday weekend was spent with Grandma and Grandpa. We had fun shooting off fireworks, playing kickball with cousins, and just enjoying time with family. I loved seeing Drakey get so excited about things that he probably doesn't remember from years past.
July got a little more complicated and messy when one morning, Drake stood beside my bed at 6:40 a.m. and said, "I wanna wear big boy undies!" as he handed me a pair of Paw Patrol undies. I vowed from the beginning that I would follow his lead with potty training and I don't think he could have been anymore clear that he was ready! I was nervous, but said a prayer and said goodbye to the diapers and we have not looked back! Day 1: We were just getting used to the idea of pausing to go pee. He had about 7 or 8 accidents but we kept at it and just tried to remind him every 40 minutes.

Day 2: We decided to go see a movie. I know you think I'm crazy, and I would have never done this with the girls. But this time around just felt different. It was his idea to potty train and I thought- why not? He did great at the theaters. Only having accidents after getting to the bathroom. Just a few seconds too late! Day 3: I think this is the day he really got it. I don't remember being overwhelmed with wet undies. He was still struggling to go #2 in the potty, and would not master this for a few more weeks, but I was just so proud of him for telling me when he had to pee that the poo thing was an after thought! Drake has done a great job and still has days where he dribbles or stops himself but needs new undies, but we haven't bought diapers since June. At first, he wore diapers for naps and bedtimes for a few days, then I noticed he was waking up dry. So after a week of potty training, we went cold turkey. I am so proud of him!

Towards the end of July, we developed a plan to have Cousin Week at Nana and Bapa's. And somehow, it worked out that Drake would stay at their house for one night with Cadee and Lili, and without mommy or daddy. Dathan and I took FULL advantage of the opportunity and had a nice, quiet 20 hours together which included a date night with friends and plenty of sleep! Drake did so well and we cannot wait to make this a regular thing.
Cousin Week was a BLAST! I'm sure the kids would agree that this needs to be an annual thing. We had fun with water: pools, beaches, water balloons and more! We watched movies, at home and in the theater. We played games and colored. And we also enjoyed the local museum, the candy shop and much more! The silliness in the house reached a record high with 6 kids, 2 aunts and one set of grandparents under one roof. We had plenty of giggle fits, inside jokes and cousin bonding during our week. I can't wait to do it again with Baby Girl in tow!

august

This month has been the most laid back of them all. Grandma came for a visit and babysat while we had a date night for our 9TH Anniversary, then Auntie Sares came for the hottest weekend of the summer and then Nana came to stay and soak up our last days of summer! We loved attending the state fair on the coolest day of the week (60s in August!). We have finished back-to-school shopping, reconnected with neighborhood friends and met our teachers on Friday. School started today, and I think even Cadee was ready for it. Drake will be lonely and miss his sissies, but October will come quickly, and with it, much more excitement!