A Season of Blessings

Jason is away at his fantasy football draft today, a certain sign that fall is ahead.  Bereket is fast asleep after a fun-filled Dairy Queen play date with my dear friend Kathy and her children and I have a bit of time to sit down and reflect.

Summer started early in Minnesota. This meant more outdoor fun! It started almost as soon as we returned from our family vacation in Mexico in March...and I am thankful. So thankful for every wonderful moment of it!  We had a lot of smiles and laughs as a family and I need to get a few photos into my "history book" before a new season of adventure begins.

One of my favorite summer memories is Mother's Day. I had no idea how utterly wonderful and special this day would be. Spending it in Lanesboro with my own mother and my sister and her children made it all the more incredible! After a pizza lunch, Papa gave us all a ride on the gator which was a fun treat for everyone!

What a beautiful group of mothers and their chidlren!

Hold on tight! Papa's driving!

Bereket got a new set of wheels from Grandpa and Grandma this summer!

My cool kid on her sweet ride!

 And with a need for speed, she was soon driving something with a little more horse power!

Grandma, hold on! I can get you to your ball in no time!

Uncle Eric taught Bereket how to slow down and enjoy the view a bit, too.

We experienced new animals at the petting zoo at the Rhubarb Festival in Lanesboro!

It was a very hot summer, and we had so much fun beating the heat! 

Daddy taking Bereket down for some afternoon fun in the kiddie pool.

No more photos until after my swim!

 But this attempt at keeping cool was a little crazy!

We spent hours with great friends making gooey smores at our backyard firepit!

Cousin Daniel is the best smore maker and eater in the whole world!

And speaking of sweet, it doesn't get better than a beach day with a very special friend from Ethiopia.

Bereket and Kokeb take pretty in pink to a whole new level!

Camping with the cousins at Whitewater State Park was a blast! Granny even came for hotdogs and a hike by the river!

The fun was even better on the North Shore because our camping trip was longer! Five whole nights! We had hours and hours of fun by the water!

This summer has been so much fun! We are blessed with so many special memories. We thank God for each and every day we've had with our precious Bereket. I can't wait until next summer so we can do it all again (and then some!).

A big smile at the Buffalo Bill Days Parade! My very favorite photo from the summer!