I love going through all of these summer photos again. As I write this, we are in our last week of Summer. We're feeling a mix of excitement for the new school year ahead and a little sadness that the fun of summer is over. We have had a great time! A few highlights from July: Centennial Farms with Lorraine and Ryland. The peacocks stole the show.
Crafts in the backyard. This one was marshmallow building, with a lot of marshmallow eating.
A day trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Loved seeing the giraffes and hippos.
4th of July! We rode bikes to a local parade in the morning with friends, Paul took the girls to the movies in the afternoon while Clara and I rested and we had a bbq and fireworks with Mimi and Papa. We are so thankful for the free country we live in!
Summer dinners from the grill eaten outside are my favorite.
Mexican Helado popsicles for FHE treat. An impulse Costco buy that we enjoyed all summer. So delicious!
More crafts. Just water and cornstarch to make chalk paint. This was a fun one.
Clara did another week of swim lessons with Miss Debbie. She loved it this time and has improved a lot. Her favorite thing to do now is look at videos of herself on my phone of "Debbie's pool". She can swim around the jacuzzi by herself and is still working on her floating, but not ready to swim in the big pool by herself. Hopefully next year!
While Paul and I were away by ourselves for a few days in Colorado, the girls had the best time at camp grandma! Gwen and Clara with Mimi and Kate with Mumsi. We also got to meet cute baby Hugh and play with cousins in Denver.
Kate, Gwen and I went to Izzy's Corner again, at the Second Harvest Food Bank to pack peaches for hungry kids in Orange County.
I see scenes like the one above: lunchtime in the backyard and I have to take a picture. It makes me so happy to see all three of my girls together. They fight like siblings do, but also are best of friends.
Free lollipop day at See's Candy!
While we were hiking in Mammoth, the girls came up with the idea to build your own ice cream flavor. We started brainstorming and decided to host the first annual "Tanner Creamery Classic". There were some interesting flavor combinations, like vanilla ice cream, caramel, oreos and licorice. Sour patch kids and candy corn were in there somewhere, too. We decided that simple is best. It was a fun family night.
Papa surprised Clara with an Elmo cake for her birthday. She was so excited. She didn't seem to want to eat it. Just look at it and play with it!
Clara got a new scooter for her birthday. Her sisters loved helping her open her gifts and showing her how they work. We had friends over in the afternoon for dessert and bubbles in the front yard.
Our garden in growing! We grew corn, tomatoes, sunflowers, strawberries, sugar snap peas and watermelon this year.
The girls have also loved playing in their fairy garden. Gwen loves to leave notes for her fairy and see what she will bring her. I love seeing them play in the garden.
The girls built a fort one Sunday afternoon and were so excited to sleep in it that night. They actually slept the entire night in the fort (Kate and Gwen) and loved it.
Sisters in the backyard.
Our neighbors gave Clara a rocking chair they weren't using anymore. She loves to sit in her special chair during scripture time and takes it out on the front porch.
Paul's work out for the day. We love our pool! The girls and I swim usually 5 days a week in the late afternoons and most Saturdays. It's been so nice to have.
A visit to see GG and Gramps. The kids love going to the "candy house" to see their great-grandparents. We are blessed to be close to them and always love visiting. Gramps is in the hospital right now with a broken hip, awaiting surgery. We are praying he is well.
Sugar snap peas for breakfast from the garden. One of our favorite things we grew this summer!
And a field trip to LA with the Dayley's. We went to a sweet old fashioned marionette show and then to downtown LA for macaroons at Bottega Louie. Always a treat and fun with friends.
