July Summer Fun

In July we were too busy out having fun to write much about it. So here is a brief rundown of some of our more notable activities.
OK, so I have to have some brag pictures about my gardens. I'm a little crazy about them. In fact, once the snow melts in the spring I'm out in my yard almost every day checking on my plants, watching their changes and generally just enjoying myself. My dianthus put on a real show this year.
My Butterfly Garden remains a work in progress but I love to see how it changes. My little heart just sings to see bees and butterflies visiting. I haven't had a humming bird yet, but I'll keep working for it. Each year I move some plants around that didn't perform so well and plant new ones. It is fun to see the changes through the season. ( Next year I'll be sure to put hoops around my Sweet William.)
A friend told us about 17 mile Cave which is appropriately 17 miles outside of town. I love little adventures like this, so we packed a lunch one Saturday and took a little day trip. Abi is really afraid of caving but after some coaxing by mom and dad and deep breathing by Abi, we got her inside and she was even able to venture a little ways in. Leah found it exciting until she got cold and had to head back for the surface. I guess I didn't think that a lava tube even in 90 degree summers is around 50 degrees. Our adventurer Tal loved it though. He took turns going deeper and deeper with mom and dad until we reached the pools at the back. Unfortunately many cavers have covered with walls with graffiti and left their litter behind, but it was a great adventure.
Leah loves my gardens almost as much as I do. Well, she loves to play with out fountain. And she loves to throw flowers in the pool. And she loves to smell, touch and pick the flowers. This evening with the sun going down, her dress and the flowers were glowing in the garden. I just had to catch her in the act.

Day at the Spray Park.

My sister, Kalene, and I treated our kids with a day out at the Spray Park. Leah thought she owned this little bubbling fountain and would furrow her eyebrows and scowl her lips whenever another little tot came to play.

I didn't think that Leah would do it, but Abi coaxed her to go down the slide. And of course after one slide, Leah wanted to go again and again. Abi would shield Leah from the spray as they ran up the stairs and but she still got soaked from the splash at the bottom.

Abi and Gabby have a little water fight in these spraying fountains.

Tal and Sterling are actually practicing their "karate" moves in the fountains although it more closely resembled a spastic dance.

Thanks to some awesome neighbors we got tickets to the Blue Angels Airshow. Now I have a few choice words for the organizers about the logistics of the shuttles and lack of food and water, but the Airshow itself was amazing. I remember my parents took me when I was probably about Abi's age. We left Leah with her Nana Meek which turned out to be a great choice. Abi and Tal got to meet "The Boss", the No 1. Blue Angel and get his autograph. I was just thoroughly impressed at the speed, power, and amazing tricks they performed.