it's a chilly day mid-september and i'm snuggled cozy on my couch under a pile of blankets. the girls are sleeping, and i've just turned on the heat in my house for the first time.
summer is officially over.
i know, i know. it's been over for a while now. temperatures have dropped, short sleeves have been packed away, pumpkins are appearing on doorsteps and it's all-things-apple. we've been back in the swing of school for a few weeks now, but i was pretty stubborn letting our beautiful little summer slip through my fingers. it was just so lovely. this year was the first time in all the years nick has been a teacher that he actually took his summer off... or most of it, anyway. after a couple weeks of teaching summer school and some occasional work with a landscape company he's worked with before, it was such a gift to have this summer free from work, commitments, stressors or crazy schedules pulling us here, there and in every direction. we packed a ton in and just enjoyed each other. it was really, really great for our little family of four.
here are a few (
okay, a million) of photos documenting some of my favorite moments:
very first day of summer vacation with my babes
liver life walk in portland in memory of my dad
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| blessed with the support and love of so many dear friends and family |
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| seeing this sign still took my breath away... miss him every day |
outdoor fun
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| backyard sprinkler |
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| in a field of peas at treworgy's orchards |
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| a pond & wildflowers |
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| playing in the rain: one of our favorite things to do |
strawberry picking
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| the girls first trip! |
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| family fun |
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| they ate more than they picked... |
days at the lake...
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| the fourth of july weekend on portage lake |
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| s'mores! |
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| parks pond with meme's home church |
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| cute cousins |
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| portage lake with the rollins |
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| sisters at dusk |
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| moosehead lake late august |
off to see our georgia family!
lots of outdoor work on our house...
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| windowboxes |
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| hanging baskets |
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| lots of flowers planted |
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| two fruit trees in the backyard: one peach, one apple |
a trip to york beach
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| beach day |
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| fearless girl |
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| us |
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| best ice cream on earth |
bella's first swim lessons
cousin time!
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| emmy and baby cana: waaaaay better than a doll! ;) |
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| what a crew! |
our new hampshire adventure
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| emmy's first trip to the emergency room after a fall at the hotel pool... |
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| santa's village! |
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| family sleigh ride |
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| sisters |
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| feeding santa's reindeer |
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| storyland! |
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| pumpkin coach |
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| teatime with cinderella |
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| my favorites |
disney junior live!
family visits!
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| singing with aunt jayne |
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| breakfast with papa |
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| playing with nonnie |
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| taking the texas fam to one of our favorites |
bathroom remodel
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| papa to the rescue!! he came up from texas to help nick give our bathroom a major overhaul |
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| first bath in their new tub |
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finished!
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vacation bible school
local fun
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| at the folk festival |
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| rolling in the grass at the festival... |
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| atop cadillac mountain |
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| ice cream cones at giffords |
i apologize for the picture overload, but this summer was filled with so many precious moments that i want etched in my mind forever. as the beauty of summer fades into the crispness of fall, i am so thankful for all of these blessings. memories i will cherish for years to come. photos that will make up the girls childhoods. people that are so dear to us. snapshots stitched and woven together that make up a beautiful life. and i'm so grateful that it is mine.
thank you, jesus. until next summer... there are more memories to make and moments to hold dear in all of the months in between.
