Summer Slam

It being July, summer is most definitely here! In Montana, it takes a while to get warmed up and for the weather to decide which season it's going to be...but we are hot now!





We got to celebrate Jaci's birthday at Gramma Mary's with the Pheifer kids, and added a few extra belated birthday greetings in there too cause that's how we do it. Haha. I love these kids playing together...Jaci & Coy team up pretty fast and Bentley & Aaron make a fun pair...not only because of their ages, but when you chat with his mama, their personalities are very similar too!

Logans parents lent us their truck so we could haul our camper to convention. With 4 carseats in there, to say we were squished would be an accurate description of our trips anywhere. We didn't complain however, cause me sitting in the middle (we moved Coy into the middle for the trip) felt like our dating days when I got to ride right next to Logan in his white Chevy truck. Swoon...

Our house came with a big wooden play set in the back and the boys never used much of it besides the swings until this year when they discovered the rope swing! Here in this picture, they moved a hose back to the irrigation line, set up a sprinkler, and swung thru it! These boys...this is a mini picture of what is to come with 4 of them i'm sure........! Logan has great insurance, thank goodness.

I wouldn't complain if Bentley wanted to be a barista someday. He's made it his job in the mornings to push down my French press. And he does it slowly and perfectly. A boy after my own heart....

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit during Manhatten convention, then came home with us afterwards for a few days! I picked up some popsicle molds and the only ones at T.J. Maxx just happened to be rocket ship shaped! The kids love making them...they can choose what fruits go in the smoothie and then we fill 'em up and wait till they freeze!

Grandpa helped blow up the pool we picked up at Target once we saw the forecast of 90 all week long. Would you believe that it got this dirty before it was even full for the first time? Yep, any cow pond is probably much clearer than the dirty water that fills this pool.

This Grandma is awesome. Or 'jawsome', rather. She saw an idea online of a watermelon carved into a SHARK! And anyone who knows these boys, knows that their crazy shark obsession that's going on 10 months long now just got crazier after seeing this!

We wanted to walk back along the river to the shelter at the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, but got cut off by the trail being completely washed out by this years major flooding. It was ok that we headed back earlier then we expected, cause the SKEETERS were feistier then expected too. This poor B-bug got bugged, bad. A little melaleuca on the bites seemed to help.

Here's these Braaten kids with their grandparents <3 strong="" we="">love

them. A lot!

And hey, did you know our grandpa is part monkey?! Sorry dad, but this is awesome. I still can't believe you can do this, and pull ups like nobody's business. :D

A little ice cream on a hot day? Meant to be.

4th of July morning, daddy and the big boys took a roadtrip to Kalispell to return the pickup. So it was just me and Mr. Green 'Stache all day...providing much cuddling time. Did you know that colds and boogers are allowed during the summer time? They should not be!

In the evening of the 4th, we headed over to the Coleman's for a great time celebrating our Independence! Sweet Bonnie picked up a slip 'n slide for the boys to try. They didn't make it all the way to the end, so I sat at the end of it taking pictures and a video looking UP it. My brain must have shut off when Shelby (age 9) came running because I stayed at the end of it, a sweet Reid on my lap, and video'd her coming down it. SHE, however, DID reach the end of it (and beyond) and little bug and I got sprayed with cold cold cold hosewater! Bug was mad, and all I could do was laugh and apologize to him that his mama was so blonde. He should get used to it.

Is there anything cuter than watching a toddler with a sparkler? It's like their eyes and mind are sparkling along with it.

The big booms drove Coy right into Bonnies lap. Her boys are teenagers now and don't cuddle anymore, so I don't think she minded one bit. :)

Reid was near his expiration time by the time we got to fireworks, but these glow sticks kept him awake for a bit longer. One of these glowsticks burst and squirted me in the eyes and face...which really stings, if you were wondering.

These two have the hardest time getting along, but I melted this day when Bentley, all dressed in his space suit, asked Kase, "Kase, want to ride on my rocket ship? I'm gonna drive though, k? We just need to buckle this helmet on you before we baLAST off".

 And they did have a great ride from the stories I got to hear about it.

The first week in July is always time to hay here. Also time for King of the Bales, but with no pushing.

Coy gets a Lego Jr. magazine every month and he marvels at all the creations and picture kids send in to get published. He wanted a picture of his masterpiece too, so here he's pictured with his "underground bad guy hideout". He plays legos EVERY single day. He was introduced to Ninjago by an older friend and has been obsessed with all the ninjas ever since. He even mentioned them being blessed during his play meeting. SO, the other day I figured it was time for a healthy break from everyone having to suffer our lives being surrounded by ninjas...and quietly put them away. He played almost the entire day with just his City Legos until he noticed them missing...then exploded. But, we're on day 3 without ninjas and we're all healing. But there's still no getting away from "bad guys" and "good guys"....it's just part of being boys. Sigh.

And..that brings us up to today. I took the older two to swimming lessons this morning, then came home to relax (I say that very loosely since relaxing with 4 boys isn't a real thing, most days)  outside and spend some more time in the water. Our neighbors gave me some mint plants so I've been enjoying fresh mint and lemon water. SO refreshing!

Again, the rope swing entertains. Swinging over the pool is so fun...except for being shirtless brings about rope burn on the tummies. They're tough enough though.

I hope summer days are happy wherever you are today!