A Peek at the Poulsens

Natalie wanted to invite her friends from school to her birthday party, but I didn't want to track down all their numbers/contact info for a party on her actual August 1st birthday. So we compromised and had a birthday party the weekend after school got out! There were so many kids! I didn't count, but it was probably around ten classmates and then our four neighbors, plus our own children obviously. Natalie was in heaven opening all those presents and having these friends who she's only seen at school in her very own backyard. isn't this a delightfully accurate portrayal of what summer should be like as a kid? lots of scrappy kids, swimsuits, popsicles, watermelon, minimal parental supervision, and sunshine. I love it. Stockton's watermelon heaven water games! water balloons, water shooters, watermelon, water pool Cupcakes and singing! I think the kids stopped for a total of 30 seconds to eat and then got back to playin...

We enjoyed multiple days "at the beach" at Branched Oak Lake about twenty minutes outside Lincoln. It has soft, clean sand and water without algae and other yucky things that make swimming gross. The swimming area is big enough for our needs but a relatively small part of the lake as a whole, and it's marked off by a buoy rope, which fascinated the kids. Stockton got nervous when boats got too close to the swimming area buoys.  Natalie on the right, Stockton on the left The water is shallow enough for the kids to walk for almost half the way out to the buoys, and after that it still doesn't get too deep for the adults to walk until a few feet away from the buoys, so it's the ideal depth! The kids love love love swimming. Stockton got so brave, dunking his head and feeling probably too comfortable in the water, but it was so fun to see him explore and enjoy himself so thoroughly. Natalie has always been a confident swimmer, and even Jack got used to the ...

(So this actually happened at the end of July/beginning of August) The Nevada Poulsens came to visit! We missed Makenzie and Kevin in Bountiful and Makae on her mission, but it was nice to have a lot of us together for that week. My niece Ashlee is so big and beautiful! She has so much happy energy and isn't shy or reserved. She's a total sweetheart and it was so fun to see how much she's grown! She is 2 and a half.  Natalie loved having another girl around!  A lot of our time was spent at Grandma and Grandpas, eating, playing, and relaxing. Afton is pregnant with our next niece or nephew and is due in October, and we're so excited! Ashlee says it's a brother, so we'll see. One morning Afton and Ashlee joined the boys and I in Omaha for ACT clinic...we dropped Stockton off and then had fun going to the bread store and having an impromptu dance party. Jack loved playing with Ashlee - they're only a year apart, almost exactly, and the...