Summertime!

A few of our favorite things about summer.

Finding the exact amount of loose change needed to buy your favorite ice cream treat from the ice cream man.

Reading books on the front lawn and taking time to relax after a bike ride

Getting sleep wherever you can because summer's just too busy to stop for naps.

Soccer tournaments. Jack was on a competitive soccer league and had two tournaments in June. He played really well and was the only one to score a goal during the last tournament.

Nothing screams summer like snow cones. The big kids choose "suicide" (the flavors all mixed together) every time and wonder why I don't want to a taste of theirs. The little kids choose by colors. "What kind do you want?" "Yellow!" "Blue!" "Red!" Which I interpret to mean banana, blueberry, and Tiger's Blood.

Everyday is spent swimming at my parent's house. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. (except for Sunday, of course). I love all of the sunshine and heat and sitting by the pool chatting with family and friends. It was a long winter and the heat is such a welcome change. The kids are at the perfect age for swimming. Jack, Ryan and Hadley are great swimmers and completely independent. Morgan and Griffin are taking swimming lessons 4x a week and absolutely lovin' it! I have to pull them out of the pool, kicking and screaming, when it's time to go home. And it's not like they just got in the pool. They swim almost 3-4 hours everyday.

Morgan shows off her "airplane arms and legs". Being on her back is her least favorite thing to do in the pool but she has improved. She's no longer wrapping her arms around Uncle Blake's neck and strangling him during the back float portion of her lesson.

P.S. Best swim teacher. EVER.

Griffin proves he was born to swim by showing how easy it is to do the back float all by himself.

After 5 years of jumping in feet first with her hands in diving position, Hadley finally figured out how to dive, head first, this summer!

Fridays equal "Cousins day at the pool". After a long winter of not seeing their Seal cousins very much, my kids are loving hanging out at the pool together. And try to sneak in a dinner and sleep over whenever they can too.

Griffin and Nixon are inseparable. They are two peas in a pod. Two naughty peas. They love each other and nothing is sweeter than listening to them say good bye to each other.

"I love you cousin! You're my bestest cousin ever! I love you so very much! You're my best friend and cousin!"

This exchange would go on forever if we let it. Cutest thing ever.

Grace bravely smiles in this picture, uncertain of what Morgan's next move may be.

Jack tries out his front flip. He refuses to listen to my suggestion of how get more air by doing a small hop before the final jump.

Starts his flip with zero air

Not sure if he's going to just dive or try to finish the flip

He made quite the finish. On his back.

Mia loves playing around the pool on the swing set, trampoline and plastic cars. She's still timid in the water and likes to be held. She's such an easy, always-happy toddler. She can entertain herself for hours around the pool while the kids swim.

And every once in awhile, even I get in the pool and swim. I need to do it more because I love having all of the kids hang on me while we swim together all around the pool.

"Do you think you have enough room in your arms for one more?" "Of course I do, Griffin!"

Morgan proves that taking breaths during swimming is overrated.