July twenty-fifteen.

I know it makes for long posts, but I really do enjoy getting to go back and re-live a month through photos, with a little perspective.

this is hilarious to me.

good grief we get dirty around here.

this was a fun spur-of-the-moment project.  behold the before photo of an old pallet:

oops paint:

cheap (messy) labor:

and we have a thingie to hold things! the bird thermometer, hanging hooks/basket, and the little yard snail mascot on the ground to the right were picked up at Marshalls. this has been a great place to keep our bubbles, swim goggles and such, sandbox and water toys, and we hang swimsuits and towels to dry here.

Pawpaw reading

at the 4th of July celebration with cousin K

a great photo of my parents

cousins!

america.

miss ru @ gymnastics:

after the first day of swimming lessons. it was HORRIBLE, and this smile is captured because A) they gave her a sucker and B) because I haven't yet told her she has to come back every day for 2 weeks.

once she realized she had to go back, she tried everything she could think of to keep from going. for example, she wrote 'closed' on this door knob hanger and hung it on her door. she negotiated, pleaded, screamed.

but I put her in the car anyway and off we went. it was pretty bad. see below, and imagine it went on the whole 30 minutes.

you should know, though, that by the third lesson she totally got it, and ended up loving to swim. she went up to random strangers and told them "I'm a swimmer girl!" I love the confidence it gave her, and it was nice to see her overcome a hard situation.

yay for Robin's birthday!

we took Ru out for her birthday dinner. here she is hiding from the crazy strangers singing to her.

and mustering the courage to blow out candles.

then came the feeding frenzy.

the party @ church:

they love each other.

I'm wasn't sure if I was home with 2 little girls or if some odd frat party happened while I was in the other room.

sometimes I wear this bright lipstick because my daughters say I look like Taylor Swift.

Ruby's school art.

bridal shower:

Kumi & August came over after church and made us Korean BBQ. yes please!

first day of Peace Camp.

Ru playing peek-a-boo behind Jesus.

Magz made jewelry!

the girls had their annual checkup together - this is a serious Ruby getting her blood pressure checked with a cuff for the first time.

peace camp final show!

playing a cooperative game called 'Circuit' - the kids all help each other feed a rope through their clothes, connecting them together, and there's a time limit. 

it's exhausting making peace.

this is pretty much a perfect summer photo.

and I include this for nostalgia. you'll see Elana and Mikey back there playing with Ru. my community baby was the bait we used to lure MW into coming and hanging out with us, and I'm so glad she fell for it. I also see friends in the photo who've been carried elsewhere, and I miss 'em.