sunday

Though the day was nearly done, off we went, just before supper, to another park to explore.   It's Sunday after all, and a hot n' sunny one at that.  I picked the park this time and drove us out to the north edge of town and into the woods I grew up exploring in as a child.  Past the farm fields, the rolling vineyards, the airport, the orchards, and into the familiar, dark and cool woods where the creek was rushing and as brown as beer.  

Avery got a thrill out of chucking rocks toward the pounding waterfall.  Ella, not so much.

We didn't spend too much time, but it was so nice to go back and bring the girls to a place that's so familiar to me.  

camping

It was a bit of a trial run this past weekend as we took our girls camping at the south end of the lake.  We booked ourselves in for Father's Day weekend and all three of my brothers, our three sister-in-laws, our six nephews, our one niece, and my mom and dad joined us for a little getaway at the lake.  I've reserved one more weekend of camping in July, but had been hesitant to book any further if this first one would end up being a total disaster.  It wasn't.  The girls passed the test and we had a really enjoyable, relaxing, fresh-air-and-sunshine-filled weekend.

The cousins ran amuck all day long, blowing bubbles and climbing trees, making up games and riding their bikes.

The girls made a teepee turned chicken coop turned pet store (etc?) out of sticks and pinecones.

Ella bumbled around doing her own thing and scowling at her relatives.

The lake was still icy cold, the beach a little too narrow and rocky, and the wind got us all packing up and heading back to our warm and sunny campsite much sooner than we thought, but the kids would tell a different story.

Getting my glow on while flipping buttermilk pancakes on the camp-stove!

We'll do it again this summer, and maybe once more after that if I can squeak us in somewhere last minute!  There's just something so satisfying about being outside all day long, avoiding our phones, not checking the clock, eating our meals when we're hungry, sending the girls to bed when they started to seem tired, roasting marshmallows (and squishing them between graham wafers and lemon curd - my newly addicting s'mores alternative!), staring up at the stars, brushing your teeth from a tin mug, getting totally grubby, soaking up the smoke by a crackling campfire, playing games by lantern light and snuggling up for night under one tent.

Once we'd packed up and headed home, unpacked and started the laundry, (and Levi had a classic Father's Day afternoon nap), we hopped down to the beach for a picnic supper and a splash in the water to celebrate the man my girls call Daddy.  I love this man.  I'm so blessed that our paths collided ... perhaps starting with those walks to campfire where we held elbows or knees? ... and that I get to parent our beautiful girls along with him.

ballerina

After five months of beginner ballet classes, we got to experience Avery's first dance recital this afternoon.  It took weeks, in the beginning, to get her to walk into the classroom without a good measure of clinging and fussing and even crying some days.  Over the months she learned how to be braver, how to be a good listener, to follow someone's instructions, and to interact with a little group.  Today, she was very nervous, but we were so proud of her, to see her walk onto stage calmly and quietly follow along.  

Grampa and Gramma and Nana came to watch, which Avery thought was pretty special.

We treated the girls to ice cream cones on our way home.  Ella perfected the technique of eating ice cream with the whole face, and Avery's little chocolate beard was just enough reality to keep me from hurtling into the future looking into her made-up, lashes-for-miles, eyes.

Our sweet ballerina treated us to a special performance after supper.  She saved all her stage presence, all her flair and dramatic movements, for us.  There's something in her that seems perfectly geared to dancing - it's just the passion for performing that's feeling a little shy still.  She's just so wonderful!