Countdown

"We spend the first twelve months on our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up."

-Phyllis Diller

I am relating to the above quote, which tells me that it is time for the kiddos to get back in school.

My three sweet angels have had a little too much together time and are ready for a much needed separation.

Only 11 more days.

We can make it.

Getting Me Through the Heat

My favorite things for this summer...

My C.O. Bigelow Ginger Mint Mentha Lip Tint

My Sanuks.

Designed for comfort.

Enough said.

La Croix Sparkling water in all sorts of great flavors.

The ONLY thing that keeps me away from the soda!

My favorite Sunblock-

On my face everyday.

The yummiest, healthiest on-the-go protein drink...ORGAIN (it's at Hi-Health).

The Tour. I love watching with my man, even though I've been encouraged not to repeatedly ask stupid questions.

Gold nailpolish.

Thank You, Mr. President

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month.

He also established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in the month, so that means today is

NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY!

Hooray!

In its honor, here are a list of my all-time favorites...

Baskin Robbin's Peanut Butter & Chocolate

(so good there's even a facebook page dedicated to it☺)

Dolce Vita Gelato- Best Gelato in AZ and close to home!

The old standby...and perfectly all-natural.

Soynami (think Blizzard) from Green in Tempe.

I was skeptical that this vegan version couldn't hold up, but it is GOOD!

And...of course,

the hometown favorite, Nielsen's Frozen Custard.

Simple Vanilla is my choice.

Poolside

Summer time

means

swim team,

diving,

and lessons.

This year, we hit some milestones...

Elle and Cal can finally swim well on their own

and

Max conquered the inverted dive (as ugly as it may be).

Olivia

Meet Olivia.

She is our newest family member

and

I already love her.

She really is a sweet, sweet girl and our first female rat.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

Rats are great pets.

I've had them all- hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, fish.

But, when it comes to small animals, rats are my pick.

I mean...just look at that face.

Basketball Camp

Every summer, the kids play basketball at the nearby high school during their basketball camp.

Basketball is my kids' sport of choice, so they love the weeks they get to spend on the court.

A Birthday

For Elle's 6th birthday, I took her to see Cinderella at the Broadway Palms Theater.

She was in heaven the whole time and couldn't wait to meet The Prince and Cinderella when it was over.

The next day, we celebrated with a few friends at the pool.

All that Elle wanted for her birthday was a matching set of pajamas for her and her American Girl doll.

Happy Birthday Elle

You came into my life 6 years ago and, without saying a word, let me know that everything was going to be OK.

I am so happy you were born.

I love you, sweet girl.

Getting Our Chill On

These days, we are frequently finding ourselves making pit stops on our way to wherever and consuming large amounts of frozen treats.

I've never been a huge ice cream fan-

but, the times...they are a-changin'.

This heat is going to make us one plump family.

Fabulous Fourth

We headed up North for the Fourth of July weekend. Bri and I drove the kids while our husbands rode their bikes up to Payson.

Two days in the mountains were a much needed relief from this heat. The day we left, it had reached 118 degrees at home.

At the cabin, the kids had a blast on the quads (Elle received a small eye injury courteous of her reckless brothers' driving skills...*see below), while the women read and the men watched the Tour.

On Monday morning, the men jumped on their bikes again and rode from Happy Jack to Prescott. Bri and I, of course, chose a more relaxing mode of transportation.

We spent the day at the Prescott carnival. The kids played on the water slides, trampolines, and rock wall, ate italian ices, and snacked on kettle corn.

Elle and Sofia impressed everyone with their incredible climbing skills!

By fireworks time, the kids were well-worn out and ready to settle into some comfy chairs and enjoy the show.