Mid-June Already??

I'm looking at the calendar and I can't believe it's already June 20! Part of me is very excited because my month of July at Okoboji is quickly approaching, but the other part of me is thinking "summer vacation is going too quickly!"
In addition to swimming lessons this past week, we were very busy! On Tuesday, Heidi took the girls' three-year pictures. We went to Reiman Gardens here in Ames and she got some really great photos. Venture over to www.capturedbyheidiphoto.com to see them. We have a plan to take a few more this week so I won't have the completed CD until the end of the week. Here are a few snapshots of the girls there, though. This year's theme is "Gnomes." Here's Maysen with the World's Largest Concrete Gnome. Myah said this Gnome was scary....I have to agree with her!

On Friday, June 18, Brandon and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary. The weather was overcast and stormy so we took the girls bowling. It had been a while since we'd been there so it was a nice treat for the girls. Each of them had gotten a $5 game card to Perfect Games from the summer reading program at the Ames library so we got to go to the arcade for a while as well. Talk about independent....notice that neither of the girls wanted to use the ramp anymore, and they like to carry their own balls to the line. It's a bit scary for me as I don't want them to drop the ball on their toes, but so far, so good.

This is the summer of the dress for us three girls. We like to wear our "pretty dresses" often! Here's a picture of us from Saturday (after my first 10K! I did it with a sprained ankle). My parents came down to watch the girls so Brandon and I could go out for our anniversary. We ate a light supper at Pancheros and went to the movie "Killers." It's worth seeing.

The Grotewold cookbook is still in progress, but I'm hoping to finish it this next week so I can get them printed and back by mid-July when the Grotewolds gather in Okoboji for a few days. Here are Myah and Maysen helping me make banana bars so we can get some pictures for the bookbook. Have I mentioned how much they like to help me cook and bake??

We have been blessed with wonderful fathers in our lives. My dad will always be my hero, and I know Brandon will always be M&M's hero. It's a tradition at our house to take a picture of the girls and Brandon on Father's Day with Brandon wearing this shirt and hat. Happy Father's Day, Brandon! We all love you!