Monthly: July 2022

July was absolutely gorgeous - I'm not sure we've ever had a summer so beautiful. Everything was so green and the sky was so clear and blue all day long. It was too hot for me to exercise until the sun went down, but then you get the best views.

 

It was Carolina's last year to participate in VBS - next year both kids will be helpers! I also helped with snack, which I really enjoy (because I can be a part of it without having to teach) - but it was a hard week because it was the week that we scheduled Ripley's goodbye, and bid her happy trails.

NCC Upper Room Mission Trip group! Liam went on his first mission trip, and his first real adventure in the youth group! They spent time in Colorado Springs helping the community, and also were able to visit the Garden of the Gods and Arches N.P. -it was a great experience for him!

The only bummer about the mission trip was that Liam was gone over the 4th of July - we still had a great time, but missed him a bunch! 

Watching fireworks from Papa Steve's trucked is an absolute requirement.

 

 

It was such a nice day - not at all too hot, gorgeous sunset, and for the first time WE had the big fireworks to shoot off!

Carolina was in heaven for a few days while Liam was gone, and Olivia came to visit!

Sue the T-Rex exhibit came to the Discovery Center, and it's sort of become a tradition to make a visit near the close of each summer.

 It was very interesting - although fairly light on things to do and see, but my 2nd graders always read a story about Sue, so now I can tell them about how I saw her!

This little missy is growing up. She loves to go shopping although we have a tough time seeing eye-to-eye about fashion. Liam went out of town again at the end of July with the youth group, so Lina and I had lots of time together. She also spent more time with her friends than she ever had before, and it was a joy to help her foster those important relationships.

July also included our vacation to California! Mainly we went to meet family in San Diego, but we had to stop in Riverside first to visit the Michaelson's, where I could not take enough sunset pictures...

 

It's so hard to believe they've been in California for so many years now, but it's always a treat to see them.

And on the way home we took a short detour through Mammoth Lakes - which frankly blew us all away with it's beauty!

Ha - the angle of this picture makes their legs looks insane!

A tree growing completely up against a giant boulder.

We didn't have nearly enough time here to explore, but we know we can add it to our list for next time!

Here's our July video - including San Diego - but that post will come later...