Labor Day 2025- pool and Fields of Fun.

We carried on our Labor Day tradition of going to the closing of the pool and the opening of our local pumpkin patch, Fields of Fun- fun to have a mix of summer and fall in the same day! We were grateful for an extra long weekend after a big first week of school. It was low 70s outside, so it was a little chilly to swim, but glad we got to go one more time before it closed for the year. The girls love to swim!

I love it when Fields of Fun opens- yay for fall! 

I love seasonal traditions and seeing them grow each year with taking pictures at the same spots. 

Love our three beautiful girls and so glad fall is upon us!

First day of school 2025.

School has begun again! Summer was great and I will miss having them home all day, but the routine of school is good and they were all thankfully feeling pretty good about going back! Their teachers all seem great and they each know several friends in their classes, so that's wonderful! 

Our school does an individual time of meeting the teacher before starting, so it's really nice to be able to find your locker, see the room, meet the teacher, and get a good picture of your new spaces before the first day.

Happy first day girls! Praying for a wonderful year for you all filled with learning, kindness, and friends. May you go out and shine His light and love!

End of summer 2025- Kley playing guitar, park days, volleyball camp, swimming, and nails!

We are very thankful for a great summer with the girls! It was sweet to have extra time together. We were able to do some fun things as summer was gearing down. Kley got to play for Wednesday night in the park as part of our town's summer programs and he loved it! It was unfortunately moved to an indoor location because the park is still a clean up zone after a derecho hit our town a couple weeks ago, but it was still fun and Kley loved playing some of his favorite covers with some friends. Go Kley!

We had a fun morning at a park/splash pad in a neighboring town with cousins Will and Gerrit!

(We had our swimsuits on from the splash pad and then Norah had a shirt she put on overtop, so she's not just not wearing pants, ha.)

All five on the slide!

The girls got to go to volleyball camp at our local college for a day, so fun! (Lucy is not smiling because she unfortunately got a fever after this- the same quick bug that Ellory had the week before in Des Moines on our family vacation.) Norah also got to go to a three evening volleyball camp at our high school before school started too, so fun! She enjoyed it and it felt like a big deal to join the middle and high schoolers!

One of our grocery stores started selling Tropical Sno this summer and we went as an end of summer treat! (And Norah got Pringles instead because she claims slushies aren't her favorite.)

Another favorite end of summer tradition is swimming at Siouxnami (a waterpark in a neighboring town). It was a beautiful afternoon/evening for it and we had lots of fun! So thankful for a great summer!

Kley joined us after work and everyone loves having him around! :)

Lucy and Ellory were very brave and tried this blue slide for the first time!

Lazy river.

High dive.

Zip line.

One of our very last summer traditions is getting their nails painted at the salon for back to school- so cute! Sending these beauties off to 5th and 3rd soon!

Rapid City trip- Summer 2025.

The girls and I, and my mom, headed to Rapid City, SD to visit my grandma (and other family there too!). We had a fun few days and glad we could go! Kley had to stay back to work. On the way there, we stopped at Badlands National Park. The girls and I had never been to a national park before, and Norah had been asking to go because she had her free pass from 4th grade (4th graders do a big national parks unit and can get in free for their 4th grade year to any national park!), so we drove through on the way and our van got in for free from her pass. It was such a fun experience! It was so very hot that day so we didn't do any of the trails, but we drove through and stopped at a few of the looking points. God's creation is amazing!

Wild how it looked striped!

What a special outing!

Touching it- they said it felt hard but crumbly.

Fun for the girls to see Gigi again (what the great grands call my grandma). She's so special to us!

Dinosaur Park. Another fun place to stop, and so special because I remember visiting it when I was young and we would visit my grandparents.

I will always love this view and so glad to share it with my girls!

Pottery painting fun.

Out for ice cream with my grandma, cousin Rachel, and her daughter Taylor.

Swimming morning with Taylor. 

Bowling afternoon.

Their Pizza Ranch has a super fun arcade! One of the greatest childhood feelings in the world has to be standing at the ticket counter deciding what prize you want to get for your tickets. The best!

Thankful for a fun, mostly smooth trip and the girls did really well! Glad we could see family (my aunt/uncle and my three cousins and their families live there too) and my grandma!