Friday Favorites: It's OFFICIALLY Summer Here!!!

I woke up this morning without a gazillion lunches (okay, four) to pack. If that doesn't put a smile on a Mama's face, I don't know what will. :)

We enjoyed a leisurely pancake breakfast with not a care in the world or a place to be rushing off to...and ten minutes in, Miss Bookworm is bored. The one who I have to force to go outside and play because she lays around all day reading, has decided that TODAY will be the day she won't pick up a book. What?!?!
(In case you're dealing with the whinies too, here is a round-up of fun and easy summertime activities!)

Anyhoo. Today is humid and rainy, but the past week was gorgeous. Most evenings after dinner you'll find us playing frisbee or track ball out back and then jumping in the pool. We've even spotted the first fireflies of the season. Nights like those are my absolute FAVORITES.

I don't know anyone who doesn't love a pretty bunch of flowers, but backyard bouquets hold a very special place in my heart. They are my FAVORITES. I get so excited every time I check on our plants and see new blossoms. This was the first official bouquet of the season. We had a dark and wet spring, so I feel like all the flowers have had a much later start than normal.

I haven't shared his nursery yet, but it has been almost two weeks since we moved Levi out of our room and into his own. And wouldn't you know, from the very first night, his sleep improved dramatically. Like, dramaaaatically. Sleeping babies are my FAVORITES.

I've been meeting up with different friends in the mornings to walk for an hour or more, then we play at the park. On this morning, baby C feel asleep about five minutes after this, with both legs up on the tray, ha ha ha, and Levi looks like a grumpy old man...

  ...but he had lots of fun swinging!

Listening to baby giggles is one of my FAVORITES.

And traditions. Every year on the last day of school, we have ice cream sundaes for supper and supper for dessert. Traditions are my FAVORITES.

 Lots and lots of blurred excitement after this one had a little taste, ha!

And getting to celebrate our Dads is always a FAVORITE. We are trying to give more meaningful things in our family, so instead of random gifts, we all got in the kitchen together and made a blueberry pie from scratch. If any of you have been reading for a while then you know that pie crust is typically the bane of my existence. Well, it has gotten better, and I almost feel totally at ease with simply whipping up a pie crust. Almost.

Regardless, the pie was delicious.

 Ethan was playing around with the scraps and fashioned this crown. He guessed that it would collapse in the oven but I insisted it would be fine. Oops.

Now I'll be a little vulnerable here and share that as this day has worn on, it has been one of the worst in a long while. (As it's taken me, um, over four hours just to hit publish on this little post dealing with this, that and the other.) Not what I'd had in mind to ring in the official start to summer. At least the sun is shining now, right?

Grace grace grace, for myself and for others. And secret stashes of good chocolate. ;)

Joining in for Friday Favorites
and 5 on Friday today!

Have a great weekend, friends!

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