the last few weeks…

Soaking up every second imaginable before August hits! Sunsets and pool hangs… our dear friends opened up an ice cream shop in our hometown and we basically live there now…. Need to maybe add a line item in our budget for ice cream and soft pretzels…. Visits with old friends and our old neighbors celebrating the summer birthdays…time with family and saying goodbye to friends who are moving…amusement park fun at the water park and lots of bike riding! Got to check out my brother and sister-in-law’s new pool! Us ladies got to take our friend out for some foods and some drinks to celebrate her birthday! More ice cream and reading by the pool….Just checking the things off the summer bucket list in my head because time got away from me and I didn’t actually make one this year. Woof!

these summer days…

Oh filled with all the things! The weeks after David’s birthday weekend of parties have been flying by. Hell, the entire month of July is flying by at a break neck pace! It doesn’t help that the first week the elder two had camp and the following week all three had camp. I am basically an unpaid driver so my children can be living their best lives. In between all of that we have sprinkled in some other things…. Dom learning to ride his bike, pool swims, times with friends and family…. The things summers are made of! In between all the chaos and the driving around and logistical planning that is! 

tubing!

Leave it to my friend Toniel to organize quite the adventure! This was a new to us creek and really the best yet! Cool, clear water… no rough spots… parking at the beginning and end (and bathrooms)…. Really debating getting our own tubes so we could go more often! The weather wasn’t the best but at least it wasn’t raining… we tied all the kids together after a bit realizing it wasn’t a bad float and then the adults all connected and floated the morning away. With drinks. It was perfection. Thanks Toniel for organizing! And then we went out with one of the (many) families for lunch! Next time must bring snacks!

david's family birthday party

The very next day was another party for the birthday boy! This time with family. Those who could make it that is. The weather wasn’t great but at least the storms held off… some of the kids swam and others laid inside watching the birthday dvd…. Which technically isn’t a dvd so I should probably call it something else…. Birthday file? Anyways. David chose sausage and meatballs as his dinner and ice cream cake as his dessert. Everyone sang, much to his chagrin… and then there was gifts! He fell asleep wearing his Red Sox hat, reading about baseball GOATs and wishing he could start building one of the many Lego sets he received. Thanks to all for coming out and celebrating this man as he turns ten!!!

david's friend birthday party

Everybody gets two birthday parties each year right? Totally normal. When making his guest list for this party he just could not be contained.  I had to reign him in and we still had eleven boys. Which is a lot. They were a bit rowdier than on the last day of school, lots of trash talking and arguing but I suppose all in good fun? Lots of different games happening from knock out to baseball to football…. All the things. They had fun with the piñata and figuring out how to hit it so everyone got a turn (bob-dominate batting arm with 50% strength) and they did it! The metal bat had to come out! There was cupcakes and chips and juice and gifts and I think we can call it good! David got some great gifts from some great friends! The lucky boy!

who david is at ten years

A second child now in the double digits… oh how quickly this happens, these milestone years. Of course the first is always the worst and I imagine so will be the last… curse of the middle child am I right? That I can write this without crying?

the fourth, a party.

This year we did a thing… sort of a nod to my childhood, when my parents would have these amazing Fourth of July parties with lots of family and friends and food and fireworks. all the F’s! We gave it our best shot to be sure with just about thirty people in attendance. Lots of festive wear and swims… music and drinks and food. The fireworks weren’t half bad either, even for the Fourth landing on a Monday! We finally finished up our week of hosting (for a few days till birthday shenanigans start) and woof were we shot. This the life right? Living the dream! I didn’t get a family photo and my boys both went to bed crying but oh yeah, tis summer, it is!

an olsen fourth

Matt’s brother and his family have recently moved north and so we had the pleasure of their company over the weekend of the Fourth. It has been a minute! Like three years of minutes! This was the first time my kids met the youngest Olsen and also the first time they were obviously even all together. All cousins. We saw them for brunch Saturday but on Sunday was our little Olsen Fourth. Matt’s aunt and uncle and cousin joined us as well. We swam and ate and wrapped up the day with fireworks! Thanks to my sister-in-law for being on the spot with photos! I really slacked this weekend!

fourth of july parade

I love this parade! It was shorter this year and the route was different but I liked the new parking and viewing spot! Close to a playground and bathrooms woohoo! Usually my entire family goes but it was just my sister and I this time… Matt had a party for a coworker and Letty had a birthday party to go to and these are the times right? My friends got there before us and snagged us some prime real estate, ready for some parading!

It was hot. But it was festive. 

hersheypark at night.

This was a good idea in theory… until we realized that it will be impossible to ride rides at night this summer because the park hours are so short. Closing at eight pm?! How rude. We still decided to go even knowing this information and was rewarded with short wait times. The kids got several rides in with friends before a very expensive dinner at Chic-fil-a before we headed home. 

a seafood boil

I started typing this post with the starter: woof, these past few weeks have been a moment only to realize that honestly, it hasn’t even been a week. So that should tell you something. We have been entertaining quite a lot… but that is summer is it not? The first of the nights was a seafood boil with friends! Matt got all the stuff and prepared all the foods… I really helped out by grabbing beer and husking corn…. The kids swam and hung with their friends while the adults (and Baylee) picked crabs and ate shrimp and all the things! After the night was over and the cost tallied and divide four ways we decided hey! Maybe this should be a monthly thing! Definitely an annual one I think at the very least!

a half birthday for nick

Have I mentioned that my son wants to be called Nick? It won’t happen, obviously, because he is Dom through and through. But at school and with friends, maybe…. He likes it better. Just will take some getting used to. But I digress! Since he is a December birthday we let him have a summer “half” birthday and that is just what we did the other weekend. Friends from school…. Some of the moms. Swims and cupcakes and candy and gifts…. A solid birthday party! And he has got some good friends this one. Thank the Lord!

an OBX photo shoot

A real quick one, mind you. Just a few shots to commemorate the trip… some with my parents too and siblings which I love, all taken by my sister-in-law. I’ll love them forever!

OCMD

Another final day for us…and it was Father’s Day no less! The plan had been originally to stay here till Monday evening… but when we saw the forecast for Sunday and the next day we decided to leave after an early dinner on Sunday. Too cold and far too windy! We did brave it for the beach and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t too bad. The water frigid yes but the air was ok. We stayed for a couple of hours before going back and packing up. Matt’s cousins left prior to dinner and then we had a nice dinner with his aunt and uncle before heading the car north for one last final drive. It was a great ten days but we were all shot! Until next time!