Summer time and the livin's good

I love summer!! This summer has gone by especially quick and we've been up to.....

Payton went to a new summer program, met lots of new friends, picked up new phrases and understood more word meanings, learned to swim, played with her friends, had many of tea parties, spent many days at the pool, did lots of indoor crafts, ate lots of yummy fruits and veggies, ate lots of ice cream and cold treats to stay cool, went on vacation, made us laugh until we cried, fell and got back up running, went to the 1st annual Camp Tia with her cousins, ran through the sprinklers time and time again, became more persistent and stronger willed, learned more about the Bible, managed to change clothes, daily, no less than 5x(!) and usually went without clothes (around the house of course), wore lots of sunscreen and still ended up with lots of new freckles, loved seeing all the "summer" insects, watched movies and stayed up late, spent time with her family, learned why little girls love Taylor Swift, watched lots of Shark Week, Food Network and The Backyardigans, saw lots of rainbows, wished on many stars and most of all, made this summer her best summer yet with all the memories she's made with her daddy and I.

Payne celebrated his 1st birthday, started walking, fell and cut his eye, found every ball we owned and screamed it if he didn't get to it fast enough, learned many new tricks from his sweet sibling, learned to be vocal with a tad bit of impatience, fell and got a mild concussion,  enjoyed swimming, splashing and blowing bubbles in the water, went on his 1st vacation, went on his 3rd plane ride, found a liking in putting on his shoes or anyone's shoes he stumbled upon, loved on lots of family and friends, ate many new foods, figured out that the car has a DVD player, learned to say new words, mastered walking, bonked his head many of times, loved on his dogs, spent nights loving on mommy and daddy before bed, found his favorite book about animals, got 4 new teeth, got his first pair of sneakers, learned to climb on the couch and most of all, made his 1st "real" summer full of firsts, laughs, scares, scars and most of all, memories that make life worth living.

After a summer that we dearly loved, thoroughly enjoyed and won't ever forget as one of many firsts and many lasts, we're ready for a cool, relaxing fall. We look forward to football games, OU victories, Halloween decor and costume shopping, pumpkin scented candles, fall foods, driving with the windows down and sunroof open, drinking pumpkin spiced lattes, playing in the leaves, and spending time watching our 2 kids change by the day and bless us by the second.