Summertime

Call us fair weather bloggers if you must, but life has changed just a bit in the past week and that little change has disrupted the regular flow of our daily routine. What is the change you ask? Mr. Mac is on the move.

Crawling. Reaching. Falling. And, after a few kisses (from my sister's dog and other cheering onlookers) and someone to set him upright, he starts the process over and over and over again. Hooray for Physical Therapy!

He is determined, strong and oh-so-very-proud of himself. McKay's new mobile universe has taken over the house and a great deal of my free time. Prized toys are being placed just a bit higher up on the shelf, doors are being closed in an effort to keep the little bug from bugging too much, and cries of "Mo-om! He's touching my stuff" rule the day. LOVE it!

In other news, we had an excellent 4th of July holiday. We did it all. The rodeo, parade, fireworks, parties and more. The kids were so into everything--asking about the rules of the rodeo events, waving to the parade princesses, giggling their way through the firework show, it made for a seriously fun weekend. Here are some of the highlights:

Preston collected an nauseatingly-huge stash of asphalt-warmed taffy at the parade (and grass and rocks and dirt--When else is it okay, even encouraged, to forage for food on the street??).

While Ty took his role in the parade as Grandpa's taffy-throwing wing man very seriously.

Practically punch-drunk with sleeplessness and sugar, the boys had as much fun waiting for the fireworks to start as they did watching the show. Ty squished poor Grandma Di until she giggled like a third grader.


McKay had fashion on his mind as he wore almost every piece of red, white and blue clothing in his closet at once. We especially loved the way his new patriotic Baby Legs fit right under the plaid shorts. I know--stellar.

Life is good. The boys are busy with all the things that make summer summer and childhood childhood. Swimming lessons. Summer camps. The zoo. Time is passing far too quickly and I get panicked every time they outgrow another article of clothing that this special time is slipping away from us.

Truly the most rewarding part of all the the work and busyness that is our life these days is watching our sons grow closer to each other. I want more than anything to teach them to rely on each other, feel grateful for each other, seek out their brothers' company and establish each other as their best friends for the decades to come. That is what motivates us to provide the experiences that create together time. There are not a lot of frills or fancy in those moments this year-- no exotic locations, no plane trips, or big souvenirs. This year it's mostly just the "together" that makes the destination great. And yet somehow I think this might be one of our most memorable summers ever. It seems just a bit sunnier this year. Who knew?