It feels a little more like a normal summer when we do these sorts of things...
Kayaking, picnicking, hiking, and enjoying movies in the park and bell tower concerts.
We miss car shows, flea markets, garage sales, pools, road trips, the zoo and arboretum and all those things of course...but these little adventures help make summer summer for us. We make our own fun and have a really good time together while at it.
Enjoy the pictures!
Annabel was thrilled when she and Daddy took the kayak out to the lake nearby for the first time this summer! They had a great time. Daniel and I enjoyed time together back at home.
Not much later, Annabel and Daddy went kayaking at the lake again. She loves being out on the water! This time they spotted turtles, too. So cute to hear their stories when they get home.
Ben found a new place to unload kayaks along the river and we went to check the area out via a hike first, picnic lunch included. It was a lovely little area, an old farmstead, and we enjoyed an off-the-beaten-path hike that took us through this cute little archway of trees and past a large field. We loved the expanse of greenery and sky, a little bit of country and breathing space, which all felt good!
A few days after getting the lay of the land along the river in that new spot, Ben and the kids loaded up their kayak gear, GoPro camera included of course, and I dropped them off to enjoy their two hour river kayaking trip while I enjoyed my solitude back at home. Their pictures were gorgeous and I found myself feeling a little jealous- it must have been so peaceful. But really, I'm just so glad they have this time with Daddy, too. Annabel paddles her own kayak (until she gets tired and then Ben tows her), occasionally laying down (which is too cute) to soak up the sky and sunshine, and of course dipping her feet in the river over the edge of her kayak. Daniel enjoys the ride and takes lots of pictures with his GoPro. There's a bridge right where they take off and I stand and wave and take pictures as they go on their merry way; they wave back and blow me kisses.
Daniel took a video while they were on the river kayaking, too. I love it- it's like I was there floating along with them.
These kids like to have a good time at the field near our house. It's a nice change of pace to walk over here and hit balls. The kids climbed the big boulder there, too, this time. Rocks/boulders are almost irresistible to kids, I think!
I got an email one day from our park district advertising movies in the park and that week's movie happened to be Toy Story 4, which we all love. We packed up some stuff- chairs, blankets (we had to get Ziggy off first- he was pretty cozy, he maybe didn't want us to go?), games to play while we waited, bug spray, sweatshirts, and snacks- and off we went. It was the perfect night for a movie in the park and we loved our night out! Daddy even went to Andy's and got the kids ice cream to enjoy during the movie, too- nice Daddy! A fun night!
At some point last month, I remembered that the bell tower nearby does
concerts in the summer and I wondered if they still were this
summer...and they were! We grabbed a picnic dinner, our blanket, some
games and books, and off we went to enjoy the bell tower music. It was
the loveliest evening I'd had yet. I was so glad we went and that I
remembered this opportunity. We'll be back again!
Another Movie in the Park night...this time, just us girls! We saw Frozen 2 and had a fun night just the two of us. A girls date- I loved it! The boys watched their own movie and played games at home.
Voila!! That's our summer staycation fun so far!
