{A Recap of Our Summer}

Another epic summer in the books…and honestly, I don’t even know where to begin! July and August were an absolute whirlwind of camping, family time, adventures, swimming, boating, celebrations, and way too much ice cream! And now, somehow, school has started. I’m not entirely sure how that happened!

July

We kicked off July exactly how you would expect…with Fourth of July celebrations! Because I had a wedding to photograph near Lake View on July 3rd, we decided to turn it into a little camping adventure and stay at a new campground in the area. And let me tell you…we completely fell in love! Lake View is the sweetest little lake town, and we kept joking that it felt like a smaller version of Okoboji. We loved the campground, loved the town, and even made some new friends with our camper neighbors! It’s always a good sign when you’re already talking about going back before you’ve even left. And yes, we’ve already been talking about making another trip next summer!

After camping, it was time to celebrate someone very special…my mom turned 60! We surprised her with our entire family at a restaurant, complete with cake and several bottles of wine to fill her new wine fridge. One of my favorite things about my mom is that we share a birthday. I’ve always been ridiculously proud of that fact and have never been shy about telling people. Sharing a birthday with her has always felt like one of life’s sweetest little gifts. Growing up, Mom always sacrificed part of the day to celebrate me, so this year felt especially meaningful. Getting to spend time celebrating just her was something I won’t forget.

The very next weekend, we packed up again and headed to another new campground…this time with my side of the family for a little mini vacation. And listen…camping may not be everyone’s definition of a relaxing vacation. 😂 But core memories were definitely made! We had the BEST time together, and those days filled with family, laughter, and kids running around are exactly what summer is supposed to be about.

July also brought a very special opportunity to spend more time with our newest baby cousin, Sophia. Getting to meet her and soak up those sweet newborn snuggles was definitely one of the highlights of the month. The girls absolutely adore her!

We finished July with Livermore Daze and a pool party with our cousins who live in eastern Iowa. My sis-in-law, Jordan, Joe’s cousin (and my bestie from college), Lisa, and I try to make it a point to get together at least once every year with all of our kiddos. We are all moms of multiples…Jordan and I with twins, while Lisa is out here showing us up as a triplet mom! So this year’s pool party was our annual chance to get everyone together, let the kids run wild, catch up, and enjoy a little chaos with people who completely understand the beautiful craziness of raising multiples. We watched the parade in the morning, spent the afternoon swimming, and ate approximately seventeen too many pool-themed snacks. Okay, maybe not seventeen. But definitely too many!

August

Apparently, July wasn’t enough adventure for us because August came in hot. Literally and figuratively! We finally made it to Rosedale Rapids in Fort Dodge, and if you’re looking for a fun family outing, I highly recommend it! It’s the perfect mix of pool and mini waterpark, with something for everyone.

And then came one of our favorite traditions…our week-long vacation at Cutty’s…just the five of us. We did all the Cutty’s things…swimming, mini golf, ice cream, the arcade, camping, and plenty of family time. But of course, you can’t vacation in Okoboji without doing all the Okoboji things too! We took our little fishing boat out on the lake…which somehow still fits all five of us. We enjoyed lakeside restaurants, wandered around and shopped at Arnold’s Park, ate even more ice cream, listened to a Hairball in the park, watched fireworks, and cruised around in Grandpa and Grandma’s side-by-side. It was another epic week in the middle of our already crazy summer.

Somewhere in between all of that, we also managed to squeeze in a cousin dinner complete with water balloons and s’mores. Because apparently, we don’t know how to slow down. 😂 And if our summer wasn’t busy enough already, there were a few adventures that didn’t make it into the photos for this recap! We also squeezed in a few concerts, including Tyler Childers and Lee Brice, as well as our annual trip to the Kossuth County Fair. I guess you can say we’re crazy!

And Just Like That….Summer Was Over. After all the camping trips, family vacations, pool days, cousin time, celebrations, babies, boat rides, fireworks, water balloons, s’mores, and ice cream…the first day of school arrived way too quickly. And now I’m sitting here wondering how we managed to fit all of that into two months…and mourning the fact that it’s all over. But more than anything, I’m just feeling incredibly grateful. Grateful for another summer with our kids. Grateful for our family and friends. Grateful that we’re able to pack up the camper and chase a little adventure. And grateful for all the ordinary little moments tucked between the big ones. Because one day, these kids won’t all fit in our little fishing boat. They won’t be begging for one more trip to the pool. They probably won’t even think water balloons and s’mores with their cousins are the highlight of the week.

But for now? We’re soaking it all in. Another summer spent living life to the fullest. Another summer full of adventures. Another summer full of the people we love most. And definitely another summer full of core memories. Summer 2026…you were a good one!

Until next month…

Had to snap a photo of all the kiddos in front of what used to be their great, great grandparent’s house.