* Little House in the Country: Our Summer So Far

We have less than a month until Eden starts pre-k! Ah! Summer is FLYIN'!

Let's back up though...

First, it was the last day of school.

Eden LOVED school. She cried and cried and cried because the year came to an end, and she cried and cried and cried some more when she found out that when she goes back in August, she won't be in her precious Mrs. Machala's class anymore, she has to move up. When Mrs. Machala brought Eden out to me on that last day of school, Eden just sobbed. Mrs. Machala picked her up and hugged her, and Eden just cried and cried into her. It was sad and sweet, and I just felt so blessed that such a wonderful woman came into Eden's life. I was completely blown away at just how awesome Eden's preschool is; she grew and matured and learned so much!

Then we had an end-of-the-year program.

Adorable.

Ila was the cutest too. When we walked into the gym where the program was held, Dustin was holding Ila, and I went and dropped Eden off with her class. When I came back without Eden, Ila was VERY concerned. "Uh-oh! Gone gone! Sissy! Gone Gone." Her little face had this little worried look on it. We found our seats, and some friends sat down next to us, and Ila immediately told them, "Gone gone! Gone gone! Gone gone! Uh-oh!" She just sat there all worried until it was time for Eden's class to get up on stage, and then when we pointed Eden out to Ila, she just broke out in the biggest grin.

watching her Sissy up on stage

A few more pictures from the evening:

The very first thing we did once Eden was done with her school year was head to The Children's Museum. Eden got out of school about a week before all the Houston districts did, so we took advantage of that and went to the museum before it got crazy crowded for summer. After going there one June a few years ago, I vowed I would never return there during the summer again, and I have not changed my mind!

All it did in May was rain. Every single day. Like flooded. Shut down our roads. But we made the most of it.

In June though, we got our usual Texas weather back... and now it's HOT, HOT, HOT! You know, I've lived in Texas all my thirty years, and it is STILL shocking to me each summer just how hot it can be.

We have us a nice little routine going this summer. Cause I'm all about routines. Eden still takes horseback riding lessons, and we go every other Monday. Ila gets to ride a little bit at each lesson now too, and at the end of the lesson, Mr. Raley lets us walk through his stable so the girls can see all of his horses and feed them carrots (and the occasional peppermint).

Mr. Raley is another person I feel so blessed to have in my childrens' lives.

On Tuesdays, Eden has gymnastics.

On Wednesdays, we're back to doing what we did almost every single Wednesday before Eden started preschool last fall. We go for donuts, then story time at the library (where I just chase Ila around the entire time and try to get her to be quiet!), and then we go play at the park.

On Thursdays, a lady comes to our house to give Eden swimming lessons (our new house has a pool, y'all!). Eden already kinndddaaaa knew how to swim from last summer, but I wanted her in lessons so she could become a stronger swimmer (having a pool is awesome, and it also scares the crap out of me!). Well Eden is apparently part fish and caught on SO QUICKLY that I'm actually a little bit upset about it because I feel like I wasted my money! She swims all over, floats on her back, dives to the bottom to get rings, etc.

Then we have Fridays and the weekends to relaxxxx and be lazy and watch movies and bake cookies and go swimming and take the occasional walk. Life is good.

So having a swimming pool is AWESOME! Now that we have it, I'm not sure how we ever survived without it? Like, what did we even do last summer? We are in the pool every day. EVERY DAY. Wake up in the morning, Eden wants to go straight to the pool. Come home from gymnastics, Eden wants to go straight to the pool. Go to the grocery store, Eden wants to know how much longer until we're home so she can get in the pool. You know what's great about a pool? Kids never get tired of it! Eden and Ila can swim all day, every day. Then they go to sleep early because they're exhausted from swimming, and then Dustin and I get in, float around, drink beer. A swimming pool... It's just about the best invention ever!

the dogs love the pool too!

Besides all that, we've gone to Splashway twice so far, and I'm hoping to get one more trip in before school starts!

We've fished.

We celebrated Father's Day.

And the 4th of July.

We entered Eden in the Little Wrangler Rodeo (TEXAS, Y'ALL!), and she won 3rd place in hay hauling out of 14 kids AND she was brave enough to try mutton bustin'! (And if you don't know what mutton bustin' is, you must google it immediately!)

I took Eden to see her first 3D movie.

My mom came and stayed with the girls while Dustin and I went to Matagorda with my cousin and his wife for a day of offshore fishing. I caught the biggest fish!