Living Free under the never ending sun: Our summer in summary 2013

From sprawling our limbs out wide beneath the sun rays, 

spraying water for play to cool off, 

running carefree and shoeless down neighborhood roads,

to lil licks on ice cream cones, 

hiking to the places where nature sings,

and weekend roadtrip adventures,

...this is a sunkissed summer. 

Every year I wrap up the summer season with one GIANT-sized blog post, capturing our moments of carefree freedom under the sun.  I started this year's with a WATER FUN post earlier this week.

Kicking it off classic:
summertime shakes at Sonic!

Summer chalkboard message!

This summer was less planned and more low key.  Though other summers have been more exciting, this one still had a collection of moments to tuck away into those forever spots of our souls.

The twin paintings Chris and I painted on our paint date 

last spring were perfectly fitted for summer decor!

Most days were left wide open, with only the boys' imaginations to guide them!  And most days, I would find my boys outside, looking like this.  They would prepare backpacks and be off and away on their boyhood outdoor adventures.

They are SUCH BOYS, exploring the summer world by towing pet snakes in wagons, digging ditches and forts, pretending to be detectives, and learning new tricks.

via instagram @mooreminutes

The boys taught me how to ride a longboard this year!
VIDEO below:






Other days, I would make mellow time and we would spread out creativity over our kitchen table.

A rock painting kit from my mom...O yes.

Our dear neighbor gave the boys birdhouses to paint...we delivered the finished houses to her with balloons as a "get well hospital" wish!  The boys were SO creative with their paint designs. Love that.

Mellow boys

via instagram @mooreminutes

Also, remember our summer journals we started at the beginning of the season?  This was one of our summer fun activities!  Instead of getting to go pick out a treat for themselves, we FLIPPED it around a bit.  Each boy drew a name and had a 5 dollar bill to spend on his brother.  I sent them into Walgreens to try to complete their mission without being spotted by each other.  They had so much fun choosing treats for someone else!

 Each boy had a "mom and me" day, as another element of our "summer fun journal" project this year.   On Cameron's special day, I surprised him with a visit to the pet ID engraving station at Wal Mart.   (Chris and I have done this exact thing for a frugal date before)   I told Cameron he could pick any ID design he wanted, write whatever he wanted, and make an ID chain!  It is a very inexpensive and different way to have fun with kids!  He had his name engraved with the phrase, "we are here for love" underneath it.  This Mama was happy with his chain! ;)

We took a road trip and visited family in Arizona over 4th of July this year!

Cousins!

My Grandma on the 4th with the boys!

We had a lot of gathering time with friends over this cluster of summer months...

Our friends hosted their annual Western BBQ dinner with Bluegrass music.  The spirit of this night was dreamy.

Notice Titus sitting captivated as close as he can get to the band.

Our annual Neighborhood Block Party...coolest neighborhood of all the blocks!

Keeping generational traditions with VBS week at a quaint lil old church out in the country.

Our family thrives on weekend getaways and we did plenty of those this summer.

Check in...Check out!

One of the best parts of exploring new places, is exploring new places to dine.

via instagram @mooreminutes

Chris and I were able to tip toe away for a weekend without the kids to watch one of our best friends compete in a bodybuilding show.

We also got to be at the FINISH LIFE of the big US ROAD BIKE race: Tour de Colorado in Ft. Collins.  The energy there was incredible!  I was so inspired by those incredible athletes!

via instagram @mooreminutes

While we were away on our city date weekend, my AWESOME brother took our boys out camping!

Best.Uncle.Ever.

Gone Country...

This summer, we watched a few rodeos.  While in Arizona, we went to the famous "World's Oldest Rodeo".

We also spent a summer night watching a local one too.

We scattered a few hikes throughout our days...

via instagram @mooreminutes

and runs...

and nature walks...

Sometimes too much hiking in the thin mountain air makes us silly.

A tiny country town nearby offers movies under the stars nights.  Magic happens when you put the big movie screen outside, in the country with hayrides, under the starry nights.

More classic recreation...

via instagram @mooreminutes

I scream, You scream...

Vibrant, colorful, summer bites...

Summer night life: steaks on the barbie, chillout time with
guitar tunes, and tree swings.

This is summer.  

Messy moments of happy chaos,

letting go

and living free

under the never ending 

sun.

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This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty,  Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Snap Creativity, Organize and Decorate Everything, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up, Six Sisters Saturday 

All the summers are wet and wild: Our fun with the water 2013

I grew up on Lake Powell, so yes!  All of my summers have been wet mixed with wild.  I miss my home but we've managed to find lakes, ponds, splashes of water where we live now.

My parents have a lake in their subdivision right by their house!  It's kinda a sweet deal for us...

My super cool husband bought us new personal watercrafts this summer, so many of our weekends were spent on the lake.

Let's pack up and get gone!

The boys were giddy with giggles when we took our new toys out for the first launch!

via instagram @mooreminutes

Hello beautiful machine,

I really love you.

Playtime!

All three of the boys learned how to kneeboard this summer.

check, check, check!

via instagram @mooreminutes

And I learned how to wakeboard!  

I get super excited learning new things for the first time. 

Dakotah, my middle boy,

got a wakeboard for his birthday 

and learned to wakeboard this summer too!

I was one excited mama.

Chris is holding down our shade from a wind gust.

I'm on my brother's stand up jet ski...very fun toy!

Sometimes we brought friends out for our weekend lake days.

My mom made homemade ice cream and we dished them into cups and lined them in a basket.

My sweet friend has the basket, ready to serve.

My youngest Titus looks adorable in "fast mode" on the waver runner!

My brother cutting fast across the lake.

In other water FuNneSS, 

we spent a handful of weekdays in the pool, at my parent's house.

My mom would make the boys icy fresh sno cones every time! 

She's a pretty special Grandma.

(I shared last summer about how to make juicy sno cones, if you're interested)

My parent's had us over on Dakotah's birthday too.  My mom made his day very special by creating a gold coin toss game at the bottom of the pool.  The boys were so excited dipping into the water over and over, searching for treasures.

We continued with water fun, celebrating mid summer July with a White Water Rafting themed birthday party, which I blogged about last week.

That's us, neck deep in river rapids!

And back to calmer water...
Our friends hosted a big pool party at their house...because you can't have enough pool time.

And FINALLY,  the last water fun activity to share is a kids beach day I hosted out at a local state park lake.

 

I set a table under the shady trees with homemade banana muffins, veggies, and a bucket of apples for hungry and busy little tummies to snack on in between bobbing in the water!

Before the guests arrived, the boys and I filled the beach with classic beachballs for everyone to take home.

via instagram @mooreminutes

We also scattered sand castle basket kits around the sand to surprise the kids with!  I put some juice box drinks and snacks in each bag too.

Fun under the sun

Tree monkeys on the beach!

Butter goes with baked potatoes just like

water goes with summer days!

Splashing water into the hot sun-filled hours of summer is a way to 

scream happy,

run carefree,

not take anything too seriously,

and to love our earth's greatest natural gift.

Summer gives big, bright, COLOR to our days!

Our "fun with water" was a little different last year and included shaving cream fights! To see those adventures, click here!


Check back soon for PART 2 of our Summertime 2013 Wrap Up!



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This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty,  Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Snap Creativity, Organize and Decorate Everything, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up, Six Sisters Saturday