The Best Days Are Spent Outside

My blogging absence can be blamed on one main thing-I'm spending as much time outside as I can. Even doing a lot of my work from home outside on the porch with my charged laptop. Yes, it's very hot right now but I'm one month away from delivering a baby in the throes of a global pandemic. I have accepted that the months following baby's arrival will be spent at home as much as possible and that the weather will be changing sooner rather than later. I'm going to enjoy the heat and outdoors and freedom of being outside of the same four walls as much as I can :)

I've never been so uncertain about the next season of time but I am certain who is in control and He will guide and direct.

Now that that is out of the way-a massive July photo dump!

Our first red cherry tomatoes were ready to be picked on June 28th. They were delicious!

My pickings from June 28th. Our squash and zucchini have been the MVPs of our garden this year. We can't keep them picked and put up. The kids are burned out on my fried squash and zucchini already.

Lots of pool days. This girl likes to swim a while and then hang out with the adults a while. I'm raising a little adult, y'all.

She decided to try on my maternity clothes pool side. She will model anything!

She thought these were a hoot!

My sister did a combined birthday party for my niece and nephew whose birthdays are in June and July. These two are so much alike and love each other so much!

The kids received a new swing set for their birthdays so these two had to try it out

Sweet summer babies! I cannot believe two and four years have already passed.

The occasion called for a candid cousin picture. Lots of cheesin'!

Gift time-Georgia helped Lottie Kate and Jack helped Bo

Twinsies with their coordinated suits :)

We usually spend our Fourth of July at our county fair which is the Catfish Festival. Due to COVID, there was no GRCF this year so I had more time on my hands than usual for the holiday. Georgia and I decided a lattice pie needed to be baked.

We chose Paula Dean's blackberry summer pie. It ended up being a summer berry pie because we did blackberries, strawberries and blueberries. It received great reviews and has been requested to be baked again!

I'm not a napper by nature but here I am napping. Everything goes at 33 weeks gestation :)

We added the flags for a festive spark and took it to Ma and Pa's to share

My tank says "all american mama" but my all-american boobs interfered ;) 

American dad, kids and fluffy dog-what a lucky woman I am!

Family selfie game is improving, we still have some work to do but we're getting there

Owen does not enjoy having his picture made :( It's a shame and I still try ha!

Fourth of July evening at Ma and Pa's for a cookout, swimming and fireworks!

We were proud of ourselves!

Ma and Pa and their babies! What a blessing these two are to us. 

Just one of the many faces of Jack Porter. He has started doing some of his own bathing since I'm pretty incapable. Mommy and Daddy are thankful!

I'm finally starting to venture out a little bit. I've taken all of this seriously and stayed healthy at home, besides our vacation. We decided Jackson's Orchard would be a safe outing so I could get one of my biggest cravings-peaches!

Our garden has really taken off this year. I had to document its growth with my growth :) I'm 33 weeks and the garden is 10 weeks ha!

I invested in some maternity overalls this time around. I love them. I wear them weekly. They are perfect for my garden pickin'.

The kids are always willing to help pick, especially when the tomatoes are ready and can be eaten straight off the vine. This boy loves his cherry tomatoes!

This wild, mischievous child causes me to age prematurely but he also teaches me to not sweat the small stuff. Instead, let him wear tattoos for weeks after his pirate party and let shoes be optional this summer. It's Jack's world and we are just living in it.

Meet the newest members to our family! We brought home two new kittens on July 8th. They were born on May 6th which was Granddad's birthday. This is Dolly the girl.

And this is Scout the boy. They came from our cousins April and Charlie. We did not intend on taking two but these two were siblings, played together and resembled so we gave in and took both of them.

We are very glad we did because they seem so happy to have each other. We kept them in our garage the first night, then a cage on our front porch and now they are free to roam 24/7 with no issues! They will stay outside and hopefully help with our ongoing mouse problem. But we may spoil them too much and they never catch a mouse in their lives :)

More swimming and learning new water tricks!

I don't know how I managed to snag a picture with his head above water! He spends more time under than above the water.

Enjoying my shelf while I can. There are some rough parts to a pregnancy but this is a fun part!

Georgia and Dolly, we had just got home from swimming and she was headed to the neighbors for a party. 

I hope to find time to make my posts a little more regular. It's easier if I can balance my time that way. Plus I want to get as much documented as I can now because I'd say things will get a little crazier come mid-August. Ready or not, it's almost baby time!