Summer Days

The Dog Days of Summer are mighty fine at our house! We've been spendin' our days relaxin' and playin'. Our biggest challenge is how to stay active when it is so unbearably hot outside. Since our kids are incredibly early risers, I am trying my best to stop fighting it and embrace it. Besides, we can get outside before the heat hits -like 7-8:00am -to bike ride or hit softballs. Yuck! I just want to sleep till 7:30 one day! I always thought they'd grow out of this early rising nonsense. However I've been convicted lately because isn't that a desirable trait? I should really be happy about these qualities in my children! Forgive me Lord, and help me to see it as such!

We've been going to the Y a lot! One of my summer goals is to be able to jog 5 miles without being winded, or at least collapsing. I think I'm close to this goal - I went to my first ever spin class and thought I was going to die, though! There were some crazy people in there - trying to kill themselves by standing up riding a bike with a perfectly good seat!

Belly flop competitions are always a fun summer pastime!

Since the vet said our lazy indoor dog is overweight we have to try to take the dog to the park in the evenings when things begin to cool off. Around here that is about 8pm! Our dog LOVES big slides! Is it a bad thing to let your dog go down the slide? We love going on long family walks!

Then of course there is cruelty to siblings. That was always my brother's favorite summer activity. We were away from home going traipsing in high weeds and Gracie needed some long pants. We dashed into a questionable store and these were all we could find, they said "Apple Bottoms" on the rear. We don't generally wear pants with words on the rear-end, that's just not an area I like to draw attention to. Gracie was pretty mortified to have to wear them. Big sister came to the rescue and pulled out a sewing kit and started ripping sequins out. However, she conveniently ran out of time and only got part of the sequins removed so that the jeans read, "Apple Butt." Sisterly love. Sweetness.