John's brother allowed us to be introduced right back in American life by lending us his BIG truck for a few days. A very fun yet funny re-introduction!
We celebrated the Fourth of July weekend with strawberries, and lots of backyard swimming!
Then it was up to Bemidji to see everyone on my side and to celebrate my little brother's wedding.
There's just never enough play time with Uncle Rob!
We had our annual race around the track for a belated Father's day celebration.
Plus, we got to meet our new niece Avery and our new nephew Carson!
We stayed in Bemidji for a few weeks after everyone else had to go home, so there was time to ride bikes,
cross the Mississippi River,
spend time with old friends,
make homemade ice cream,
and swim in Lake Bemidji.
Then back down south for fun with John's fam! We took walks with our babies,
had a lemonade and donut hole stand (1 donut hole = 5 dollars, 2 donut holes 25 cents!),
became good friends with cousin Mary Elise,
read books,
spent a weekend at a cabin with Grandma and cousins,
cooked on campfires,
learned about hay bales
and farms,
acted like a good uncle should,
celebrated birthdays,
and painted.
Helena went down her first waterslide,
and Benjamin had his first horse ride.
I also got to spend some extended time with my good friend Mandy - time with our families and without!
Then we've closed summer off by being back up in Bemidji, playing with a wubble,
going on boat rides with friends,
snuggling,
and meeting a real princess!
The summer definitely wasn't what we thought it was going to be, but it was great. We were blessed to go on all kinds of boats - canoes, kayaks, a pontoon, a speedboat, a row boat, and a sailboat - and our kids really grew in confidence when swimming. Benjamin's language development has grown by leaps and bounds this summer, and it was so fun to share that with the grandparents. So much time with family was nice after being far away and then moving away again. It's been a summer that will definitely stick out in our memories.
