Freedom Festival

This past weekend was the city's Freedom Festival (4th of July celebration).  We've gone every year since we've moved here and it is a BIG hit with our girls.

So when we saw the signs go up around town, it was a no brainer that we marked it on the calendar.  We were going to be there!

Until.

Until I saw that the temperature was in the low 90s, with the heat index at 100 degrees.  You all know me.  I'm a fair weather fan.  I toughed it out at the baseball game last week.  I just didn't have it in me to sit along a curb while parade floats went by and I baked in the high heat.  Not my idea of a good time.

I tried to barter with the girls.  I suggested other fun things to do indoors.  Nope.  They weren't having it.   Quinn and Sullivan were going to the parade come heck or high water.

That's when my dear sweet husband stepped up to the plate.  God love him.  He agreed to take the girls to the festival so that I could stay back.  I didn't ask twice - I didn't even say "Are you sure?"  I wussed out of going and graciously said "thank you" to Ryan for taking them.

My three brave ones at the parade...

Sullivan and Quinn had a blast at the parade and at the festival.   They were all decked out to battle the heat - misting fans, wet towels, an umbrella and plenty of water!

They claimed it wasn't that bad.  Ryan did too.  Something tells me that they battle the heat a little better than I.  I am still glad I didn't go!  But I am glad they had fun.

Summer...

This is the epitome of summer...

Gotta love it!

Friend Fun in the IND

We got home from STL on Sunday night and were happy to welcome the Hansberger clan (minus Jon) to Indy on Monday.  They were on their way to Minneapolis and were sweet enough to make a pit stop in Indy for a couple days! Yay!

We spent an afternoon at a nearby park.  The kids had the best time playing and climbing and sliding...

Let me tell you what - this little missy has NO fear at all!  She climbed higher and faster than any of the other kids...

Loved this picture of the crew...

We had a great picnic lunch...

Then washed down our lunch with a Kona Ice (snow cone) dessert...

Later, the kids also made their way to the pool where they splashed about, played lots of games, and just enjoyed each other's company...

When we weren't on the go, the crew was perfectly content to hang around the house.  I found them up in the spare bedroom having a coloring party... (disregard the paint samples on the wall - I've FINALLY found a color I like!)

And while the big kids were upstairs coloring their hearts out, this little sweet thing was busy entertaining the adults with her dancing skills.  This girl can move...!

Harper was just as smitten with "Mr. Rodgers" on this trip as she was when we saw her a few weeks ago.  Melt my heart!

We count ourselves lucky to have been able to spend time with our great friends again - having just seen them a few weeks back!  Thanks for making a pit stop in Indy to see us!

Kickin' it in the STL...

We've had a whirlwind past week spent with friends.  This past weekend we went to St. Louis to see the Boyles.  We had more than an amazing time with them and we are extremely grateful they were willing to host us.

Scott and Ab purchased a new home last week, and they feverishly spent the past week unpacking so that we could visit.  They worked their tails off - let me tell you! Their house was built in 1904, it was rehabbed in 2012.  It is absolutely beautiful and it looks like a perfect fit for their family and their lifestyle!

We arrived and within seconds the kids went off and played.  We didn't see them for quite some time.  They had a blast catching fireflies that evening...

The following day we went to the City Museum.  It is an AMAZING place.  Lots to explore and see and do.  It is filled with tunnels to climb, caves to explore and extremely long slides. 

It goes without saying that all the kids had a blast! They had a blast scaling these walls.  I was amazed that Sullivan was able to do it without any help whatsoever!

The rooftop was filled with lots of exciting things.  Lila and Scott were the only ones brave enough to go on the Ferris wheel that was on the edge of the rooftop. 

A great adventure!

Sunday was spent at the ballpark celebrating our sweet dads on Father's Day and cheering on the Cardinals.  

It was a HOT, HOT day... heat index in the high 90s.  But the ballpark is always a blast with our dearest friends, even if it is a squelcher!

We rooted on the Cardinals the best we could, but sadly they couldn't pull it off. 

Our trip to the STL was wonderful.  Time spent with our favorite peeps is good fuel for the soul! Thanks to the Boyles for having us!

Sulla's #1

It took 7 years, 2 months, and 2 days for it to happen, but it finally did!  

Sullivan Grace lost her first tooth...

Sullivan had been wanting to lose a tooth for quite some time, as all of her friends had already lost one (or more) teeth.  The poor thing just didn't have a single tooth that was wiggly, until about 2 weeks ago.  Then all of a sudden it seems as though every tooth in her mouth is loose.

She has spent plenty of time these past two weeks wiggling her tooth.  But when it was all said and done, she allowed me to pull it out!  I was thrilled to be the one to do it.

But as thrilled as I was, Sullivan was 10 times as thrilled to FINALLY lose her tooth!

She left a note for the tooth fairy - asking her if she could keep her tooth. 

She put everything under her pillow, snuggled in, and waited for the tooth fairy to arrive.  

The tooth fairy was pretty good to Sulla.  She left a $2 bill folded into a basket, 2 gold dollar coins, and a small container of the tooth fairy's pixie dust.  Oh, and she left behind Sullivan's tooth, at her request!

Sullivan was beyond happy with what the tooth fairy left.  I have a feeling it won't be long before the tooth fairy visits her again!

Strawberry Picking...

What screams early summer days more than strawberry picking? We look forward to the beginning of June around here because we know the strawberries will be ripe for the pickin'.

After our Memorial Day trip to NC, the girls and I hit the strawberry patch.

We picked and picked and didn't even realize that we had far more strawberries than we probably needed!

Sullivan, again this year, ate her fair share of the strawberries fresh from the plant....

When we got home, we saved plenty of the berries for eating.  But I tasked the girls to find their own recipe using strawberries.  I told them once they found their recipes, we'd go to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients.

It was a fun task to watch them search for the right recipe, write down what they would need, and then follow the recipe when making it.

Quinn chose to make strawberry cinnamon rolls.  I was quite impressed with this recipe, because it called for making our own dough - from scratch!

Quinn did an amazing job and her rolls were delicious!  

Sullivan chose to make a strawberry pie with a graham cracker crust. 

It was a refreshing, summer dessert and oh so tasty!