summer recap part 1:

lots of outside time with dragonflies .....

..... and katydids!!

vacation bible school with good friends.

lots of time outside in bathing suits ..... 

some time in our basement during storms that brought

down our fence and quite a few trees .....

dock time at buffalo lake ......

4th of july

*red white and blue cake made by the girls*

*butt photo-bomb by dad*

*tie-dye dresses and chalk american flag art by the girls*

*ready for the fireworks*

butterfly release ~

the day before my dad's birthday we attended a

butterfly release that honored special people in our lives

who had died the past year.  the butterflies we

received were newly hatched from northern minnesota and

gently wrapped in individual envelopes.  after a few people

spoke everyone let their butterflies go -- it was so

beautiful and so touching.  our butterfly flew up and around

but kept coming back to us, and was one of the last

butterflies to fly high and leave the area.

it was really awesome and touching.

i really feel dad was with us during that time.

jack, kevin, elise, zoe, mom and ella.

the girls and grama opening our envelope and

getting our first peak at our butterfly.

our butterfly flying high .....

...... and coming back to take a break right by where

ella and zoe were .....

kevin was the first to hold the butterfly.

then it was ella's turn.

and grama's turn.

back to kevin.

then zoe's turn .....

'what the caterpillar calls the end of life,

the master calls a butterfly.'  (richard bach)

more farm fun ~

when they girls first saw this road sign (a few years ago)

zoe told me 'isn't it great that you married daddy and they

named a road after you!'.  that made me laugh : )

watching the girls drive daddy's car also made me laugh.
they only had a little fun doing that ......

farm life and unexpected surprised -- cute little baby racoon
who we caught taking a nap .....

father's day this year ~

~ the girls and their message for their dad ~

~ the girls with their dad ~

~ in honor of my dad -- his favorite treat, a strawberry milkshake ~

~ one of tom's favorites, homemade lemon bars ~

great way to kick off summer!!