Summer with the Sells

I'm not one to make new friends easily or often. But it happened anyway. Evonne and I met through our blogs (and later figured out that she used to work with Dan's sister...small world). I'm a homebody but Evonne is one to get out and about and do fun stuff with her kids. This summer she dragged me along kicking and screaming in an effort to get me out of my lazy comfort zone and expose my kids to the world of a fun mom. 

Ok, not really kicking and screaming. She invited us on lots of fun play dates and I gladly accepted. She even got me to drive on the big scary road (you might know it as the freeway) to far away lands (more like 30 minutes away but that's as far away as I've ever gone for a play date). 

Here's a few pictures of some of the fun stuff we did this summer with Evonne and her cute little kidlets. You'll notice that Danny is missing from all of these. Playing with an 8-year-old girl and her 3-year-old little brother and baby sister is not his idea of fun. Weirdo. He stayed home with Dad instead.

These pictures are not in chronological order, mind you. I don't have the brain power to remember back to June and figure that stuff out. Enjoy anyway!

We played at a park. Cate dressed herself that day in case you wondered.

This picture is the best. Don't you love their zooming down the slide and landing expressions? The best.

Of course I couldn't resist capturing a picture of Evonne and her precious baby being present and living in the moment. That's what parenting is all about.

It was fun to have them join us at the splash pad for Cate's birthday party.

They came over one day and just played at the house and even helped us feed the lambies at our neighbor's house. I love that Cate has a big girl to play with. She's surrounded by boys usually. It's good for her to feel what having a big sister is like.

We wandered around the farm together one afternoon. Feeding the duckies is always fun. Cute shoes, Evonne.

Splash pad another day. I like the splash pad because the kids can get wet and I don't have to wear a swim suit.

We took a "hike" up to Bridal Veil Falls. It was a beautiful cloudy day. I did a much better job than last time not freaking the heck out about the water and the slippery rocks that Cate wanted to walk all over.

We had a grand time eating snow cones the size of our heads too. Those things are divine. It's like eating tropical flavored freshly fallen snow. And even better with a blob of sweet coconut ice cream hidden inside.

We got to tag along and help out with the fabulous Non-lemonade stand that Evonne and her darling daughter dreamed up. Look at those adorable signs! That lady's got talent.

Somewhere in June (I think) Cate and I were invited by Evonne and Vanessa to a cupcake wars play date at Vanessa's house. I forgot to bring our matching mommy/daughter aprons but otherwise, it was a success. I'm not usually one to brag but our cupcakes won in the taste category. It's no surprise though since Cate is a master baker. She really knows her stuff.

(Those last two pictures are courtesy of Evonne and her fancy schmancy camera.)

So here's the bottom line.

I do not like summer. I have diagnosed myself with summertime SAD. It's a real thing. I googled it. I'd rather just stay in my nice air conditioned house all day long and suffer until September. Obviously that isn't really an option (before we had kids it was and I remember those days with fondness...not because we didn't have kids though...that was the crappy part...I just enjoyed not waking up until 10 and staying inside doing nothing all day).

BUT I have to say that I am thankful to Evonne for being my friend and getting me out doing stuff, no matter how much I thought I was going to shrivel up and die from the heat. It was good for me and it was good for Cate. It might have been good for Danny but he seems to have summertime SAD too.

So three cheers for Evonne. She's been a good friend. I'm sure there's other stuff we did but I didn't take pictures so it's pretty much gone from my memory. Oh, that one time we did meet at the movies to see Epic but that movie was horrendous. That's probably why I forgot to take pictures. Whatever.

Thanks for some good summer memories, Evonne. You're the best.