Baseball games, shaved ice, Father's Day grill-outs! Our summer fun continues!
Oh... and doggie shaved ice, of course (sorry- I didn't mean to ignore you, Oliver). Before I share our latest activities, I must first announce my newest nephew and niece...
Welcome, Isaac and Rosie! My sister and her husband, Brandon, had a beautiful baby boy back in May; and my brother and his wife, Lily, had a perfect, sweet girl in early June! It feels like Christmas around here! I get free baby snuggles at any time from these precious angels. Baby snuggles are the BEST. I am determined to be the best Aunt Becka who has ever walked this planet!
Even with a newborn in the mix, my sister and I still try to get out once a week for some time together. Last week we packed up all of our kiddos and drove to a shady park that I think will become our new space for those really hot summer days. Montgomery Park, a small, clean, and cool park in the city of Montgomery, Ohio, is a great place to spread out an outdoor blanket and settle in for a couple of hours. The park has a baseball field, a big playground, a sandbox, a shelter with a fireplace, a small walking path, clean restrooms, power outlets, and a ton of shade.

I know I keep mentioning the shade, but there are a lot of parks around here that we have to avoid on hot days because there is no shade. With a newborn in the group, a cool environment was really important to us!
Lo and behold, a digger (correction-- backhoe) drove up to plant a tree! What a treat!
A few days later, Reed and I decided to visit another park with one of my dear friends, Hannah, and her two sweet kids. We went to Juilfs Park, the polar opposite of Montgomery Park. Although pristine and clean, Juilfs spans over 26 acres and includes everything a mom could dream of in a park: ball fields, shelters, a playground, a splash pad, a walking path and tricycle path, plenty of benches, and clean restrooms.
Unfortunately, it rained the entire time we were there. I threw in the towel and let Reed run around like a wild man until he was covered in layers of water, dirt, and sand. He had a blast in the splash park and could've cared less about the rain. I did care about the rain, though, and only took a couple of pictures from beneath my umbrella. Sorry, peeps.
Boy, do I love summer! Even though the weather has been temperamental, it has been wonderful to spend time with Jacob and Reed, our families, and our friends. We are making the most of it!
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