Summer!!!!

Summer is here again!

The proof is in my washing machine that's filled with beach towels and my children who permanently smell like sunscreen.

Sometimes I dread when the schedule gets switched up but this year, I was ready. 

Before our official summer started, we wrapped up Ava's school year.

She was promoted to the 3rd grade.  

Seriously :-(

So proud of her though.  

It was a tough year in the very best way.

The kind of tough that God uses for GOOD!  

We saw so much growth in her and learned a lot as parents as well!

The boys and I picked out a special end of the year present for Sis.  

She loved them!

And the boys got a little something too so don't you worry about them :)

Since my hands are pretty full with these three, I had this brilliant idea...

Why don't the kids and I tie-dye some backpacks together so that they can be really excited about carrying their own stuff when we go out. 

It turns out that tie-dye isn't as easy as it looks and I wouldn't recommend it unless you have about 20 pairs of gloves and a really large space that you don't mind completely ruining.  

The finished products were not as I envisioned but, oh their sweet little faces when they saw them!  

They were so proud.

Week one of summer vacation is in the books and it's been filled with fun already.

Beach time...

(My kids are so free and joyful at the beach.  It makes me feel the same the way.)

Pretend City...

(I love to see their little imaginations run wild)

Time with family...

(Ava helped cooked Father's Day breakfast)

(I am so thankful to the Lord for my family.  What a sweet gift they are.)

School...

I love it and can't just call it quits when summer rolls around.  

I love learning with my kids and I love seeing their faces when they make connections.

This summer we are doing a unit called Famous Americans.

And even Judson is remembering a ton from our lessons.  

Go ahead and ask him about Johnny Appleseed, it's adorable.

(Did you know that George Washington's favorite career was being a farmer?  I did not.)

Thumbs up for summer!