Sunbaby Summertime!

I feel like with some sunshine-y weather this past week, summer has FINALLY started - I get so sick of cold, cloudy rain around May/June, when I start getting super anxious for sunshine - July is such a refreshing month for my sunbaby self!

There are tons of fun plans (and lots of work in between) already in the works for the next 3 months, and I just love what a busy summer I am shaping up to have - and have had a great time already!

I've got just a couple things on my plate!

DeLaina and Derek had their engagement party 2 weekends ago up along the Toutle River a bit past Kelso/Longview. The weather was mildly cooperative - it was hot and rainy at the same time, which was not ideal, but at least nobody was cold. I had a great day hanging out with the Stacey family and sitting around the campfire with my cousins...gossiping, mostly. ;) The party was the day after Zach's memorial service, and it was just a day that felt so great to be surrounded by love and family and babies (and pregnant mamas). I love that my family just keeps continuing to grow...I think we're taking over the world.

Blake

Best baby backback ever!

Aunt Nette meets Landon

Some of the Fam

I got to meet Baby Landon the day before the party, which was defintiely worth the drive to Kelso so I didn't have to share him with anyone else. He is perfect. I feel such a connection to him after being so connected to LaDonna through her difficult pregnancy, I just love him to pieces and can't get over what a chunky little man he is!

Love

After an incredibly busy first of the month at work, I completely spaced the 4th of July and didn't make any plans until the night before, when it suddenly occurred to me what a lame-o I was! Stacey and Tyler had plans to BBQ with their parents and also with Pat and Juli, so I pitched in with food and drink and headed out there for the night. It was a great time; I love the Smiths, and I love Pat & Juli, and I love watching fireworks with kids Conor's age - he was SO excited! We did pop-its and sparklers together, then we all huddled up on the sidewalk to watch the Smith boys put on a bit of a show - and the neighbors did a big fat illegal one, so we got to watch that from a distance without the threat of the house burning down. :)



Woohoooooo!!!

Ready for the show!

Juli and me!

After an awesome 4th of July, I have been in major workaholic mode to save up some OT money for several upcoming vacations. Still to come this month, a 3 day weekend with my mom, Keith and Aunt Mitch, Shalee and Daphnie, and hopefully Kate and Kitty to Pacific City for Dory Days weekend. For those of you non-Oregonians who have not had the joy of experiencing Pacific City's awesome small-town pride, you are missing out! It is amazing. They do a weekend of craft fair type booths where you can buy useless - but adorable - crap from the locals, and then there is a PARADE! Townies deck out their dory boats, based on the year's theme - and parade through the streets of Pacific City throwing candy. Its the best part of my summer, I just think it is so great. I am so looking forward to camping out in the yard, watching a silly parade, and hanging out with my family.

The following weekend I am taking a 4 day vacation from work because I am maxed out on accrued time off and it is starting to get irritating. So I'm taking some. I was originally hoping that Nick would be able to swing a few days off and meet up with me somewhere, possibly Phoenix where we coulda crashed at Jenny's place and hung out at the pool. But with softball and work and life, that didn't end up working out, and I decided not to try and cram another flight into my budget this summer (smart girl, since now I am moving in 3 weeks), so I'm not sure what I'm gonna do now. I am leaning towards taking Juno to Cannon Beach for 2 or 3 days to just relax and hang out, but I have also considered jetting to Seattle for a night and a Mariner's game if I can find a carpool buddy, or just hanging around town hiking and lounging in a park somewhere. Not sure yet.

Speaking of baseball, I am just loving learning a little (very slowly) about it from Nick; its so nice to have someone willing to share their interests with me without getting frustrated when I have a thousand questions or don't get it - or when he tells me one thing about something in a game and then takes 45 minutes to explain exactly what it meant. LOL. I think I am more enjoying talking to him about it than actually caring about the sport itself, but I am enjoying myself nonetheless, and I enjoy how pumped he is to tell me about it.

my cheat sheet

I have so many things going on this summer that I am looking forward to, and I expect the time to just fly by, but as long as I am having fun, I'm happy with that. Karen & Bob will be in town from Minnesota in August, Danielle and Jeanine are both having babies, Blake is turning one, the Stacey Labor Day campout is this year, LaDonna, Mady and Landon are in town until August 9th...there is just so much happening and I am so excited to be a part of all of it. And of course I just cannot wait until my trip to Tennessee in September...

I am just one incredibly happy girl. Aside from a couple things that have weighed pretty heavy on my heart, 2012 has definitely been my year. I can only see things getting happier as summer kicks into full swing. :)