Summer Happenings: Red, White and Blue Edition

 From an impromptu Cardinals game with friends to our 4th of July celebrations, our summer has been happening lately. This is always such a fun time of year and we have been all smiles (and alllll sweaty) enjoying friends and family all while taking about zero naps.

Wayyyy back last Monday, my girlfriend Kendra texted and asked if we were free the next night, her husband had won tickets to the Cardinal's game. And did I mention they were in a suite? Honestly, they could have been in the last row, we were going to say yes!

Emery and the twins haha. Matching shirts, blonde hair, and cheesy smiles.

It was an evening game so we left Bennett at home. Poor kid misses all the fun. It poured on us the entire way there and we already knew there was a rain delay. But did I mention we were in a suite? Even if we saw no game at all, we would have been happy just to eat nachos and see our friends.

Confession: Besides seeing him hold one of our fresh new babies, I heart seeing my man hold my son at any sporting event. Next year throw Bennett in the mix and I will have all the heart eyes for my boys. 

We ended up only staying for three innings and still got home around midnight but it was so worth it.

Thank you Crane's for thinking of us and showing us a wonderful night!

Oh...and the Cards won!

The next day I was dragging and for some unfathomable reason, my children were not. I used to have nappers. Like 2, 3 hour nappers. Not anymore. By the afternoon, as Auggie jumped off the couch after I had given up telling him not to and B tried to eat his fifth shoe of the day, I just laid down on the front room floor, perfectly positioned so that no one could escape without waking me up but also out of the way so that maybe they wouldn't notice me, and I attempted to nap.

They must have sensed my almost dream-like state because all of a sudden I had three little friends. 

Good thing they are cute and tell me they love me. 

The rest of the week we tried to prep for our upcoming fun. T-ball and friends over for a pool party Saturday, vacation Sunday through Tuesday and a 4th of July party Wednesday. I was trying to pick up Doug and I's room (which is normally where I just throw everything from all the other rooms when I clean) and Emery told me she would "watch" Bennett. Perfect. I would periodically go check on them in her and Aug's room. One time they were playing Barbie's (I am sure B probably ate a Barbie shoe. He has a thing for shoes.) The next time all three kids were in their closet playing some sort of imaginary game. Who knows. And the third time I found poor B stuffed in a too-small toy shopping cart. Em was so proud of herself and Bennett actually loved it. I laughed along too (and took a picture) but then reminded Em that she isn't suppose to pick her baby brother up unless I am around. I guess third kid safety is not a top priority at our house.

After a hot game of T-ball on Saturday, we had some friends over. Brooks will be in Emery's class and Doug works with his Dad and Lucas is Em's buddy from Miss Sharon's. The moms and kids swam while the men grilled and got all the food ready. My kind of party! After lunch we all swam again. I think they all had a blast and I need to text their Moms to plan our next get together.

After this it was packing time--we had a little vacation to get ready for.

Blog post to come!

We got back Tuesday afternoon, just in time for all of our 4th of July celebrations. After quick naps and a Walk-mart run, we headed to Troy and Ammon's to swim and watch the lake fireworks from afar. I love a pool and I love a margarita--this party had both. 

We swam until dark and then attempted to watch fireworks. The glow-sticks the kids had on were more entertaining though. We had so much fun that I took no pictures. 

Always a sign of a good time.

On the 4th all of these cuties came to visit us. A porch picture of them is for sure a tradition by now. Every year I cannot wait to see who we add to the mix. I know I have said it before, but I love them and their angels. We ate yummy smoked pork (Go Doug!) and kids and adults were in and out of the pool all day. Uncle Chuck even joined in on the fun too (and we can thank him for the patriotic sunglasses seen in the above pictures...and the I heart USA tattoos that now adorn two out of my three.)

Grandpa and Grandma and Nana joined us for (leftover) supper and fireworks that night. We have done this the last couple of years now so I guess I can start calling it a tradition too. Emery liked them, Auggie said they were loud even though he secretly liked them too and B was a wiggly, happy one for his first 4th.They were wound UP for it being so late but surprisingly stayed in bed at bedtime and not-so-surpsigly, slept in. 

We are loving this time of year with our little firecrackers. I feel like summer just starts to go by even faster after the 4th so I am ready to slow down just a tiny bit. Or I feel like I need to do alllll the fun things. Either way, its gonna be good.