Summer time and the living is...hot. It's just really hot.

I will not lie to you all, I greatly dislike hot, humid weather with a loathing that only someone who is genetically supposed to live in a cooler, cloudier climate can feel.

That being said, I have been dragging my feet on going on hikes if the weather is even slightly predicted to be above 80 degrees. Forgetaboutit if it's really humid.

I did, however, take the kids to a local-ish farm to pick some strawberries one morning a little over a week ago. I have always wanted to take them berry picking, but I always, always, always miss that short window when berries are perfectly ripe. Not this year! This year, with the help of Covid-19 health and safety recommendations, I was able to sign up for a time slot, put it on our physical calendar, and actually be ready to go strawberry picking!!

Our time slot was at 10am, therefore beating the heat and humidity. We had to wear masks inside their little barn area where we got the baskets to fill with strawberries and pay for things, but since they only had a certain number of people in the fields (which are obviously outside), we were mask free most of the trip.

Also, the weather was gorgeous!

We had four baskets. The JV Squad each had their own and Elisabeth and I partnered with a boy to help them pick.

David was done picking before everyone else and pretty grumpy about how bright the sun was, which was valid. I definitely should have remembered hats.

Julia was a trooper because she actually hates strawberries (like her father, who had to work and wouldn't have come even if he didn't have to work, that is how great his hatred of strawberries is). There was one point where she got strawberry juice on her hands and mumbled that maybe she should have stayed home with Evan.

Vivian was a strawberry picking machine. You'll not be shocked to know she wandered further down the rows away from us and had her basket full well before the rest of us.

This boy was so darn cute when picking the berries. He loooooves strawberries and ate quite a few after we got home and got them all washed.

In other summer news, last week I went to my favorite spot, Meg's, for coffee and reading at their outdoor area. The weather was perfect, so I wasn't grumpy about being outside.

However, this week I was able to GO INSIDE!!! They don't have many tables inside, and when I went there were only two other tables occupied, so it was dreamily quiet and peaceful. I get to start having coffee Wednesdays again!

This might be one of my favorite pictures of Julia ever. She reads every night until probably midnight, but does it with a headlamp so she doesn't disturb a sleeping Vivian.

I have no idea what kind of caterpillar this is, but it was wondering around in our house and I relocated him to our garden.

Look! Our butterfly bushes are thriving!

Our neighbors love us.

I love it when David parks his lawn mower by Evan's.

The boys have been asking to paint again. Obviously you need a chainsaw with you, just in case.

When I am able to escape the children long enough in the mornings to get dressed, this is often the scene awaiting me outside my door.

Speaking of our garden, let's take a tour!

The tomatoes are flowering and started to bud tomatoes!!!

As are our green beans!

Our first banana pepper!

Man, I love marigolds.

I was so worried the late freeze at the end of May had killed all of my marigolds, but it didn't!

My rose bush is thriving!

As is the murderous one!

My favorite weed. I call it the daisy week and I am letting it grow in our garden.

The condos behind us got a new roof and it required a crane and it might have been the best day ever for the boys.

This is how Thomas watched the action.

We are planning on another berry picking expedition to a local blueberry farm run by friends from our co-op soon! I plan on making lots of cobblers and pies in my future.

A little catch up of the last two weeks, in reverse order

Well, Blogger decided to load my pictures backwards, so we will be going back in time for the last couple of weeks. 

I haven't posted in a bit because Evan was out of town for the Illinois National Guard. He was gone for about 10 days, and when he's gone I totally go into survival mode, so only bare minimum things are accomplished (which I guess meant blogging). Plus, when he left, we had no idea when he'd be back, so that was weird and I didn't ever get into the groove of him being gone because he could be home soon or gone for weeks.

But, he is back now!

Today we are doing a bunch of nothing. It's a total eating popsicles with your best friend in the hammock kind of day.

Today I am making Grandma Bonnett's Sweet & Spicy pickles! I was trying to think of the last time I made these and I know I have never made them in this house. I think I might have made them once in our old house here in Rockford, but if I did it was only once. David was very interested in helping.

The boys have been all about being outside. It's really gorgeous out today!

This girl and her reading is making me all kinds of happy. We checked out almost every book of the Amber Brown series and she is reading almost a book a day!

Last night's Sunday Dinner Party! We had veggies and hummus, fruit, fried pickles and ranch, popcorn, and brownies! I have never made fried pickles before, but oh-my-word, they were good! Definitely making them again. We also started watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The boys declared they really like all the fighting. *eye roll*

Yesterday, David and his neighborhood friend brought cars to our front porch to play together. We're still not playing inside each others houses yet with our neighborhood friends, so they found a good comprise.

We got to go to Mass yesterday! It was David's first one since March! He did a great job, even with his mask. We decided to still keep Thomas home until things are a little less mask-y and restrictive.

On Saturday, Evan's first full day back home from his Air Force job, the boys declared they wanted to wash Evan's car and their own cars.

I believe they are writing a movie script.

Now, the reason that the boys wanted to wash their cars on Saturday was because on Friday evening they had played in and coated their cars in mud from a very muddy spot in our neighbor's driveway.

Pre-mud bath, they were sweeping the street.

A little breakfast reading.

Last Tuesday we went over to our friend's house for a picnic lunch and some outside playing before the 100% guaranteed rain storms in the afternoon.

Michael looks teeny and tiny next to that tree!

David and Tommy were the sweetest having the cutest conversation about going into kindergarten and David's upcoming birthday as they teeter-tottered.

Thomas is always on the table. Always. 

Our dinner party from Sunday, June 7th. I made peanut butter bars, popcorn, veggies, fruit, giant pickles, and pita chips and hummus. We also watched Hairspray. We've decided to start trying to watch the musicals on the list we made at the beginning of the summer. We're definitely going to have to rent some, though, because they are hard to find on the streaming stations.

Last Sunday we split up for Mass since Evan was out of town. I took Vivian while the older girls stayed home with the boys and then Ebeth and Julia went to a later Mass. David was disappointed that he didn't get to go that week, but I really wanted to see what Mass was going to look like before bringing smaller kiddos.

My kids always find and hold worms.

He has become quite the scooter-er.

We always have a group of bikes at our house because we always have a group of kids of varying ages at our house.

On Saturday, June 6th, Vivian totally fell off her bike and landed on her chin. She was traumatized. It was a pretty bad fall. Later that afternoon, she was right back on it. She is fearless.

She crashed right as my father-in-law was pulling into the driveway with my nephews to surprise my kiddos. So, instead of a huge hug of joy, Papa got to give her a consoling hug and help bandage her up.

After we had Vivian all patched up, the kids were so excited to spend the day with Ethan and Owen and Papa!

Keith helped get some bikes patched up for us and the boys were more than happy to help him out.

Aunt Kyle sent her famous banana chocolate chip bread. I always tell David about how Kyle has been making him banana bread since he was a baby because he loved it so much, and was so shy, that it was the only way Kyle could get David to come to her. This batch he declared himself the boss of and was a little less than judicious in handing it out to others.

On the Friday before we had visitors, we went to the Prewetts for some much needed visiting. In fact, I spent so much time talking with Kara that I only took a couple of pictures!

Her sign on her coffee bar might be my favorite one she's had yet. 

The boys trying to help me out. 

A little bit of porch reading.

We are gearing up to go spend this coming weekend in Pekin! David's birthday is Saturday and Father's Day is Sunday, so we'll be spending a lot of our time celebrating. I'm so excited to get to see our people and hug them! Last night Thomas was clarifying that we won't need to wear masks in Papa's house. He was worried about how he'd eat breakfast.

Even though it is officially the middle of June, it feels like summer is just really happening because we're starting to plan things and do things with others. Time is just so weird right now. And! We haven't been hiking in over two weeks!! We didn't go at all when Evan was gone, and then this weekend, when the weather would have been perfect, my car decided to have a hose break and be in the shop all weekend while they wait for a part. No worries, we're planning on going on a hike while we're in Pekin! Then it's back to visiting all the Winnebago Forest Preserves!