It's been a busy summer, and I'm way behind! Here are some highlights from late June to late July:
The big kids did a session of swim lessons in June, and are finishing up a second round this week. The first session had more older kids, so Jonah and Cora were in the same group; but this time, there are more younger kids, and they are split up. Cora has not yet progressed passed Level 1, which is "bubbles" - ha! - but Jonah is currently on Level 3 and working on his kicks. Our little water bugs have enjoyed swim lessons, and it's fun to see them make progress.
Bibi and Babu came for a visit in June. It was plenty warm while they were here! We tasked Babu with putting together a new swing set we picked up, and he happily obliged :) The kids have enjoyed having their own "park" right in the backyard!
We also had a surprise visit from Uncle Pat and Aunt Fran (Rob's sister) while Bibi and Babu were here! I didn't get any pictures, but we enjoyed seeing Fran and Pat, and they did quite a bit of exploring around Wichita. Thanks to all of our Michigan visitors for making the drive!!
Brandon was working on the 4th of July - but the kids and I met a friend at the zoo for the morning. And we dressed patriotically :) Fireworks are only legal in Kansas right around the 4th, and our neighborhood goes a little crazy. We had several nights in a row of insanely loud *pops and bangs* right outside our door, late into the night :( Thankfully, it did not disturb anyone's sleep. But boy am I glad when the 4th is over every year!
Right after the 4th, we hit the road north (sans Brandon). I dropped the big kids at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Jenny was also in town, so they got to hang out with Layla and Carly for a few days. I hear Grandpa had to travel to Arizona for work, and I think Aunt Jenny and Grandma had their hands full :)
Esther and I continued east towards Michigan. My college roommate and longtime friend, Tisa, got married! Esther and I stayed with the Pridgeons, and I finally got to meet baby Will! I ended up spending 4 full days driving, and just a day and a half in Michigan - but it was SO fun to celebrate Tisa and Adam, and to catch up with some very good friends I don't see very often. I was exhausted when I got home, and then we all passed around some sickness that we are just now getting over. I think I'm still recovering a bit from all the travel and everything that followed.
I lived in a house with these lovely ladies during my senior year at Hope (over TEN years ago - yikes!), and they are life-long friends. Some of my favorite people!! We now live in 5 different states - spread from Alaska to Pennsylvania - and have a collective 14 children (soon to be 15...plus a couple pending/possible adoptions). Needless to say, it's not often we are able to gather in one place, but my heart was full after spending just one fabulous evening and one lingering brunch together. The time is always too short.
And here's the whole Hope crew (plus spouses) who were able to attend the wedding:
I rushed back from Michigan, swinging through Des Moines to pick up the big kids, making it back to Wichita in time to celebrate the opening of Antioch Med on July 11!! We had a little gathering at the clinic the night before they opened. We are thankful for the community of support standing behind Brandon and Nick as they begin this adventure.
The big kids did a session of swim lessons in June, and are finishing up a second round this week. The first session had more older kids, so Jonah and Cora were in the same group; but this time, there are more younger kids, and they are split up. Cora has not yet progressed passed Level 1, which is "bubbles" - ha! - but Jonah is currently on Level 3 and working on his kicks. Our little water bugs have enjoyed swim lessons, and it's fun to see them make progress.
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| Cora is on the left in the black suit, and Jonah is in the middle, with hands up |
Bibi and Babu came for a visit in June. It was plenty warm while they were here! We tasked Babu with putting together a new swing set we picked up, and he happily obliged :) The kids have enjoyed having their own "park" right in the backyard!
Their trip wasn't all work - we had some fun, too :) There were lots of books and crafts and playing outside. And the big kids got to stay overnight at Bibi and Babu's hotel again. They stayed with them two nights this time. I hear the first night went great - and the second night, Cora was up for about 4 hours in the middle of the night :/
We also had a surprise visit from Uncle Pat and Aunt Fran (Rob's sister) while Bibi and Babu were here! I didn't get any pictures, but we enjoyed seeing Fran and Pat, and they did quite a bit of exploring around Wichita. Thanks to all of our Michigan visitors for making the drive!!
Right after the 4th, we hit the road north (sans Brandon). I dropped the big kids at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Jenny was also in town, so they got to hang out with Layla and Carly for a few days. I hear Grandpa had to travel to Arizona for work, and I think Aunt Jenny and Grandma had their hands full :)
Esther and I continued east towards Michigan. My college roommate and longtime friend, Tisa, got married! Esther and I stayed with the Pridgeons, and I finally got to meet baby Will! I ended up spending 4 full days driving, and just a day and a half in Michigan - but it was SO fun to celebrate Tisa and Adam, and to catch up with some very good friends I don't see very often. I was exhausted when I got home, and then we all passed around some sickness that we are just now getting over. I think I'm still recovering a bit from all the travel and everything that followed.
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| Tisa and Adam - the lovely couple <3 |
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| Emily, Mandy, Sarah, Melissa, Erin, Tisa (beautiful bride!!), Laura and me |
I rushed back from Michigan, swinging through Des Moines to pick up the big kids, making it back to Wichita in time to celebrate the opening of Antioch Med on July 11!! We had a little gathering at the clinic the night before they opened. We are thankful for the community of support standing behind Brandon and Nick as they begin this adventure.
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| The party was relegated to the clinic basement, since little kids + cake with black frosting = a disaster on freshly painted walls, haha! |
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| Moriah and Jonah - best buds :) It's so fun that Nick and Michaela have three kids who line up almost exactly with ours! |
I need to get a picture of Nick and Brandon together in front of their (new!) sign - but here's Nick on his first day at Antioch:
We also had two visits from the whole Vargas crew on their way to and from Grandma and Grandpa's house for Jenny's annual Iowa visit. They were both quick overnight stops, but it's always fun to see them and let the kids play together a little bit. No pictures from either visit, though!
And I'll end with a couple random shots of the kids:
The girls
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| Cora and Esther in coordinating summer outfits from Grandma |
The whole crew
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| Loving life with these three crazies!! |
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