zip line + croquet

playing in the rain.

The girls and I were daring each other to run to certain points in the yard while it was pouring rain. There was some hesitation at first, but by the end they were dancing in the rain and soaking wet. I love a good rain storm. The boys eventually joined in the fun. Oliver would only come out when the rain had slowed to a sprinkle. He's afraid of the rain (and panics if the sun goes behind a cloud or the wind picks up).

morning walks and warmer weather

Scenes from a morning walk around nearby Lake Johnson.

Cooling off after school with the pool and ice cream sandwiches.

Scenes from another morning walk. The honeysuckle was in full bloom and it smelled so good. It seemed to be everywhere.

 This kid is always a crazy mess after dinner.

 A quiet rainy afternoon. 

strawberry picking

There's a great strawberry farm (Porter Farms) just a few minutes away from our house. It was fun to pass by in the spring and see how the strawberry plants were coming along. We stopped by one Saturday morning to finally pick some. They were so delicious. Simon was so happy to be devouring berries while the rest of us picked. Well, Oliver was pretty busy stuffing his face too.

Mother's Day

I ended up with a migraine on Mother's Day, which I rarely get. So I spent most of the afternoon trying to sleep it off. I did get to enjoy a yummy dinner and a walk around the neighborhood with the kids while Ben did the dishes. And my siblings and I all surprised my mom with a group video chat which was really fun.

Melon with basil sugar. (It was a basil-heavy meal. My favorite.)

Caprese salad. I could eat this all summer.

And this panzanella which has become my go-to summer meal. 

The kids made me lots of cards. Amelia made this sign and hung it up.

Oliver passed out on the couch after dinner so he missed our little neighborhood walk.

The girls helped me make my favorite strawberry shortcake for dessert, using strawberries we picked the previous day.

Earlier in the week I got to attend a special Mother's Day program in Elsa's class. The kids presented a play they had been working on (Elsa was a duck, hence the all yellow outfit). They also sang a few songs and then presented us with handmade gifts enjoyed some treats with us.

 The kids each drew a picture of their mom and we had to guess which picture was us.