Birthday Beach Bash

We spent last Sunday afternoon at our friends Mario and Ashlea's daughter's 1st birthday party. They had a great setup and party at a beach house right in Newport that they were renting for the week. It was a gorgeous day and Maddie and Wil had a great time splashing in the waves and playing in the sand. I can't think of a better way to spend a summer day!Being down at that house right on the beach made me think of how FUN it would be to rent a house or two with our friends next summer and spend some time livin' the beach life for awhile. Who's in?

Santa in July?

Maddie and Wil love this ritual during tub time... "Ho-ho-ho...Merry Christmas." Enjoying moments like these as I know they won't last long...(sigh).

At the Lake

How do I sum up a terrific week with family at the lake in Minnesota? We had a fantastic time and I am documenting for the record, that I'd love to go for 2 weeks next summer. We had beautiful weather and great company. Highlights of the week:

swimming for hours in the lake, jumping off the doc, swimming like a pro in life jackets (William), playing on rafts, Grandmacita and Papa visiting for the first time, getting caught in a downpour on a leisurely pontoon ride with them, Turtle Races in Nisswa, Mini golf with Auntie Amy and Rachel (William and Maddie), bonfires and smores, eating out, eating in, and just relaxing at the LAKE. We loved every minute. We ended our trip driving up to East Grand Forks, MN where Russell is from and took part in the baptism of baby Lucas. It was perfect and definitely a highlight of our trip. Good, good times all around...William already asked if we could go back to Grandma Jeanne's. So sweet.

Angels Silliness

After a day full of laundry and packing for our upcoming trip, we headed out to the Angels game last night. It was a chilly but fun evening of cheap seats, hot dogs, chocolate milk shakes and cotton candy. Yum!

Saturday Soccer

We started off the July 4th weekend with a morning of soccer! Well... a half hour anyway. :)

I signed Maddie and William up for a Tinytots soccer class that runs for 8 weeks. They are actually doing the class together which is fun because it's for 3-5 year olds. They are also doing the class with their good friends Jordyn and Gavin. This is Maddie's second try at soccer and I'm hoping she's going to fall in love. This is William's first try and he was so excited on the way over to the park. He's been loving kicking the ball around the front yard and he's a fast little runner with good coordination. Maybe he'll be my soccer player!

So after some stretching...
The teacher gave a little instruction...

They were off! They did lots of running around and plenty of stops for water breaks. Very cute. We're going to miss next Saturday as we are off to Minnesota tomorrow morning for a week! We can't wait.

Toy Story 3

We took the kids to Toy Story 3 Friday night. It was such a great movie! We had a blast. It was the first movie William had ever been to and it was only Maddie's second time at the movies. They both did great and loved it. It was so fun to go as a family. We will definitely be heading out to the movies more often. Yeah! I think we're entering a new phase in our family... so cool.

Mission Possible!

Maddie and William spent all last week at Vacation Bible Camp at our church. It was the first year William was able to attend and he LOVED it. Maddie and her friend who went with her Diana both loved it too. They spent every morning learning bible stories, playing games, doing arts and crafts and singing songs!


When I asked William what his favorite part of VBC was, he answered, "Singing the songs." Talk about melting my heart! The last day, I got to see the kids sing at the closing ceremony. They were adorable up there singing away and doing the motions in their oversized VBC t-shirts! What a great experience for them.