Weekend favorite...

Sunday evening swim. 

After driving all over and going to many stores to find new camping chairs, these two needed to play. Some time on their pool, riding bikes and swinging was just what they needed to do. 

Easy, simple Sunday evening. 

Things I love...

Strawberries, summer camp, silliness and sweetness. This week we were busy crossing items off our summer to do list, nesting list and regular weekly task list.

Strawberry picking was first on our list this week. The boys were most excited that their friends were coming with us and the ice cream they would get when we were done. At first, I thought it was going to take us forever to fill our flats because Emerson dumped his box and Rhys was busy eating and giving away the berries I picked. Somehow, we managed to collect 11 pounds of the sweetest, juiciest strawberries I have ever had. Those 11 pounds turned into several quart bags to freeze and a strawberry rubarb pie, that I have been craving for months. 

This was our first week of summer camp. I look forward to these weeks because I am able to knock out all my summer home tasks. The boys love it because it's two weeks of play with their friends. The goals this week were to get all of our gardens trimmed and weeded, the deck and front porch cleaned and the downstairs carpets cleaned. I crushed them!

The boys love for being outside and being themselves makes being their mom pretty fantastic. They help remind me everyday that I cannot control everything and not all rules are rules to live by. Wearing cowboy boots with sport shorts, why not. Getting a cute picture when growling cheese, impossible. The silliness in the end, makes it worth it. 

Then times like this happen. Emerson was sharing a snack with Rhys in the car and when I noticed that he was being very helpful I said to Rhys, "You have a pretty great big brother." He agreed and then Emerson said, "Well, Rhys you're a pretty fun little brother." I melted! They are pretty sweet to each other without missing an opportunity to pick at each other. They are developing a strong bond that as a parent you pray to see. 

As this week comes to an end, we are excited for our weekend adventures yet, oh so ready to slow back down and enjoy our time. 

Get out and go...

CAMPING!!! Finally, we were able to pack up our car and head to Lincoln State Park for a long weekend of smelling like campfire, bug spray and sunscreen. 

We left Friday in our over packed car excited to enjoy our time with friends. I was a little nervous with being 7+ months pregnant, that the heat and my patience would both stay mild. As well as, the rain would stay away, the boys would listen, no one would get hurt and my feet wouldn't swell! 

When we arrived, bug spray was applied, camp was set up quickly, then relaxing around the campfire started. The boys devoured a bag of powdered donuts and Rhys smashed six barrels of juice within the first hour. So, the weekend had definitely begun. 

One reason I love camping, the nonstop exploring and playing. I feel like our boys grow leaps and bounds after any of our trips because we are able to let their world become a little bigger through trusting their actions. We took their bikes, at first riding on the rode in the middle of the camp area was allowed and by the end of the weekend the loop around our area was acceptable. Having our friends' big kids there helped. I am always amazed at how kids form bonds quickly and watch out for each other. We are very lucky to have some great friends with great kids whom help us with our boys. 

Another reason, hiking. I love hiking or walking anywhere we can go. Not that you have to go camping to hike, it's just that most activities or destinations are accessible by foot. We depend on our cars so much for our day to day activities that it is nice to slow it way down and depend on our bodies. Each day, we went for manageable three to four mile hike with our kiddos hiking the whole time. Rhys did play the game of get in the pack, get out of the pack on the return trips but he is definitely building some great endurance. 

We hiked Lincoln State Park and Lincoln's Boyhood Home National Park, located side by side, with both parks having great paths to walk and places to explore. 

Lastly, moments like this, the four of us out on a paddle boat. I am sure it was a lot of work for Eric because I sat in the back to keep an eye on Rhys, so he paddled us around the lake. Emerson had a hard time because he was scared about falling in. He kept asking and at times begging to go back to the shore because he was so fearful. We kept reassuring him that he wouldn't fall in and he would be ok if it happened because he had a life vest on and knows how to swim. Rhys loved it. He climbed all over the boat and even climbed onto another boat to ride with his friends. This moment was a new experience for not only the boys but me, also.

I love that each trip we have been able to have a new experience that pushes us outside of our comfort zone. I, too, was nervous about falling in the water mostly because of the possibility of a fish touching me but also having to be ready to jump in to help a kid. 

We did experience two minor injuries both happening while our boys were playing. Emerson decided to roll down a hill and ended hitting his head on a wrought iron hand rail. Rhys was working on learning to ride a scooter and fell hitting his mouth on the handle bars. Emerson's head was scraped and had a goose egg, Rhys had fat lip and bruise. Both incidents caused minimal tears and a week later no sign of injuries. 

Camping at Lincoln gives us the opportunity to see my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece. We love that they are willing to come hang out with us and not to mention pick up some supplies that we needed. I mean, who would have thought that the boys would have drank an entire case of barrel juice drinks in less than 24 hours which most of those hours were spent sleeping!

The rain stayed away, the kids listened as well as they could, my feet didn't swell and my patience stayed intact. We had a pretty successful camping trip with lots of laughs and great memories that left us all wanting to do it again. 

Weekend favorite...

Rainy day naps. Our Saturday was full of a whole lot of nothing, if you don't count potty training and laundry. This guy was probably exhausted from fighting the idea of wearing a pull up, sitting on the potty and not wanting to get his diaper changed. He talks about wanting to use the potty and wearing underwear but when it comes to actually trying he is not willing. So, we will keep talking about it, asking him to try and hoping that he will at least be partially trained by the time the baby comes. 

Summer Break...

is on! We started our summer break a couple weeks ago and have already done some of our favorite summertime activities. We have had water balloons fights, played in the sprinkler, "canon splashed" in the pool, picnicked on the deck, played in the sand and rode bikes. 

We have fallen right into our easy routine of summer and I love it. 

This summer is going to be bitter sweet. We are fastly approaching the arrival of baby number three and every time I think about Rhys not being the baby anymore I get a little sad. He, on the other hand, is excited about becoming a big brother and when asked if he will always be my baby, he says, "No, I want to be a big brother."

So, my hope is that these next eight weeks are full of little moments, somewhat insignificant moments, that when added up are memories for our lifetimes. 

Splashing in our pink kiddie pool in our backyard and washing all our outside toys are just the beginning of those moments. 

Having picnics on the deck, listening to their made up stories, silly sayings and attempts at rhyming the word poop with everything they say can be added in, also. 

Emerson will turn five right around the time the baby arrives. He is a kid now, his independence pushed him past being a baby long before he ever became a big brother. He already has the big brother role down and I am sure he is going to be the leader of his siblings. Yet, when I ask him if he will always be my baby he says, "Yes. Even when I am big like you, I will still be your baby." 

It really is amazing to watch them grow and become more and more independent but for now I will watch these last few moments that I have with just the two of them and hope that the memories made last forever.