stars of our summer

i suppose about every mommy blog is currently lamenting the speed at which this summer is progressing.  mine is no exception.  august is quickly approaching and i can hardly fathom that possibility.  our days are so full, not necessarily of plans and activities, but just of summer loving.  here are some of the stars of summer:

tractor rides
this summer we had wheat in our field,much to the delight of our sons, and occasionally our daughter. we have witnessed and participated in harvesting, chiseling, discing, and planting our field.  so exciting.  it always surprises me that the adorables still get so very excited to ride. it just does not get old for them!  nor for me, there are few things more beautiful than seeing your sons and daughter sitting beside or on the lap of their incredible daddy.  my fave is getting to listen to brads and the boys' interpretation of the conversations that are had in the john deere.  lots of talk about the process of farming, lots of stories from bear when he was a little boy, and lots of content silence spent marinating in one another's company. 

basketball

at last, the motivation behind the barn building is complete!  we have a fully functioning basketball hoop.  all family members are completely concentrated on this new fixture in our yard.  maxer is quite the baller already.  bear tends to get a little frustrated as his abilities are slightly less accurate compared to his big bro.  ayla jo is already excelling at cheerleading. 

concrete
with the building of the barn came lots of cement.  this addition has been a welcome one, lots of biking, scooting, and strolling has already occurred.  as we do not have a sidewalk, this is our one and only area that is not gravel on which to ride. 

bear is beyond excited about the cement

sand

with the construction of the barn there has been sand piles in the back of our house, enhancing the sand play in the sandbox down the yard a bit.  the adorables have dedicated many busy minutes getting themselves full of sand, head to toe.  i have never swept so much or felt so much like my sweeping was completely ineffective. 

swinging

 baby blue is getting quite tricky.

popsicles

 we go through popsicles like 27 a day.  approx.  the babes are in love with frozen sugar.

sun
the drought of 2012 makes for sad crops and livestock, but happy kids who get to spend every single day outside.