Good Things || June

Here we are, a couple weeks into another sweet summertime season and I feel more at home than I've ever felt.  The kids are at such lovable ages this summer - both old enough to adventure but still young enough to love on each other and want me around!  I keep thinking this might be my last summer of Mila as a "baby" - so I've been taking lots of videos of her tiny little mousy voice, and studying that sweet profile when she sleeps.  But then again, I have carried Cruz into his bed after the pool more times the past two weeks than all of last year combined and there's something pretty sweet about that, too.  

I'm taking lots of pictures, but not finding much time for words as of late.  Just lots of good things to recall from these sweet and slow days at home where life is less busy and my heart is filled with peace.  Summer, please go slow.  
 
499. Our first Monday together.  We started the day at Panera with Spot-It, a green smoothie, and a cinnamon crunch bagel for the kids.  Cruz said it was the best bagel he's ever had.  It was just us and all the senior citizens and a pretty good start to our Monday.

500. Brick walls, quiet alleyways, and the way they are so good at making each other laugh.  

501. Summer reading at the public library.  It was busy, so we took our books upstairs to a sunny corner and enjoyed a little quiet time.  Cruz has become quite good at "reading in his mind."  And he acknowledge that this particular book used the word "butt" in it.  My kids are obsessed with all things butts right now. 
    

502. Meeting Daddy at Seerley Park for lunch.  We find the park, Daddy brings the tacos.  
  

503. Our house all lit up at night.  We strung some lights on the back patio this summer and they make me so happy!

504. Fiction stories that paint the most beautifully flawed characters and favorite blankets left out on deck chairs, just waiting for a morning return with a cup of coffee.
 

505. Gingham dresses and Moana music dance parties before supper.  And that 5:00 light that floods the west side of our house.

506. Make-your-own-pizza-night.  Cruz declared he was making his pizza look like grumpy cat.  I topped ours off with plenty of garden fresh arugula.  

507. Banana splits on the front porch before bed. 
 

508. Breakfasts on the deck in the mornings.  These banana almond smoothie bowls have been our favorite, topped with fresh berries, almonds, and chia seeds.  

509. The best strawberries we've ever picked.  
  

510. The kitchen help.  We spent an entire afternoon making use of our fifteen pounds of berry loot.  We made two pans of strawberry crumb bars (one to share and one to eat), six half-pint jars of jam, strawberry shakes, and stuck the rest in the freezer for smoothies.  It was a lot of work but it felt good to put on the apron and make store away a little of our summer for the colder months.

511. This day.  It was the first day of our summer "schedule" (more on this to come), and it was a wild success.  We made homemade cards and brought homemade strawberry treats to Great Grandma in the hospital, then spent lunchtime at Lou Henry's school playground.  It was a beautiful day before all this heat came in and I laid on my tummy and read my book, stealing glimpses of these two as they played.

To be continued...