summer=playtime

we've done so many fun things this summer!

we still have a week to go, but here's a pictorial recap...

movies with friends

creating gorgeous nail designs

science museum

celebrating auntie rach's 40th birthday in Illinois

playing with cutie cousins

-ella and Prescott always pick right back up where they left off-

art fest in Illinois with grandma and family

painting

hiking to the eternal flame with our very own boy scout guide, ethan!

drinking soda in the middle of the week.

crazy!!!

doing hair

"I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair"

(my favorite line from steel magnolias)

baking with friends

harry potter "house" signs brought home from London for these two harry potter fans!

sister baking time

my little farmers market shopper

crafting the day away with friends

afton's newly found paradise-Creative Essence

hiking to the Eternal Flame again!

such good friends

reading in glen park

ella and Claire love wading in the water at glen park

and posing for their mama's cameras!

crystal beach!!!

Canadian paradise!

spa night for ella and lilly

the dreaded day of going through clothes

annual Honeywell day at darien lake six flags

ella and I on the super fun ride, "moose on the loose"

silly belle!

we're still married!

who remembered our anniversary was august 13th?

not us!

ryan called me in the afternoon and said,

"do you know what day it is?"

"of course, it's Thursday", I said

(feeling extra proud of myself for knowing which day of the week it was.)

"no.  the date."

"august something?" I replied.

"it's the 13th," he said

"uh huh...oh, wait! the 13th?  as in-our anniversary 13th?"

"oh, we are such losers!"

so we went to the cheesecake factory.

but it's sort of like our anniversary every day, because we really love each other!

thriving and surviving

this past week was the annual buffalo stake young women's camp.

my favorite.

(she said sarcastically)

this year was sorta special

because my sweet aftie joined me!

since she's now 12, she can attend girls camp.

all of the first year girls have a blanket made for them.

on the first night

we sing crazy/silly songs

then we ooh and aah over each blanket

then the girls get to run into their blanket.

strange

but very exciting!

here we are the next morning.

7am, flag ceremony.

soooo sleepy.

this year we read the entire book of Mormon in 3 days

collectively.

that equaled 3 chapters per person.

we had a giant progress chart to mark off each chapter.

here's my molly girl.

I would be so sad without her by my side!

we gave out tickets to the girls for any kind deed we saw them doing.

molly hung her roll of tickets on her walkie-talkie.

yes.

we do use walkie-talkies.

yes.

we feel a little silly.

ella belle and I made 63 giant flowers for each of the girls.

molly and I hung them in the craft barn for skit night.

after the skits

we read "molly lou melon"

to the girls.

this is a darling book about a little girl who

stands tall (our theme)

and is proud of who she is.

the girls then wrote on the flower petals

some of their strengths

that would help them to

stand tall.

I know this doesn't look like much,

but trust me...

with a sprinkler and a little dishsoap,

this baby is one super-fun slip-n-slide!

molly and I rigged this thing up.

it only took us about 3 hours.

but it was worth it! 

here's my sweetie aftie and her darling friend.

some of the girls from our ward.

such cutie-girls!

after 5 days of camping fun

it was time to head home.

aftie received the paper plate award for

"princess of peace"

she was a happy, sweet girl who got along well with everyone.

guess which one of us thrived

and

who just barely survived?