Fly-by July

July is that month that we want to extend as long as we can.  It's the month before football starts and before back-to-school time.  Even though the calendar says it's 31 days long, it always feels like 15!

July 1:  Mark and I had a fun afternoon and evening in Galena, window-shopping and eating at this great restaurant!  We'll be back :)

 July 2:  Mark finished moving the brick from next to the house (where the back porch will be going) to the fire pit area.  Here's one of his little minions/helpers.  Mark told me that this was his first day going NOWHERE all summer, just staying home and not working at school etc.!

July 2:  Testing out the new fire pit area.  The first family fire of our summer!

 July 4:  Celebrating Independence Day with family!

Wynne and Aunt Linda

Joe, Jan, Linda

 July 10:  Godmother Aunt Tammie & Uncle Dan took Wynne out to dinner and a show in Dubuque. They saw "Beauty and the Beast".   Tammie even curled Wynne's hair for her big day out!

July whenever:  Sunning by the pool.  I hate how big our girls are getting!  Do you know how hard it is to find modest swimsuits for tweens and teens that are stylish and yet--I'll say it again--MODEST?  Thankfully they like wearing swim shorts. 

 July Something-teenth:  Shae is dedicated to improve her pitching.  Thanks to Doc Beighley for being so kind to coach her!  (and thanks to Paige for catching, not always enthusiastically;)

 July 15:  Painting the practice field for the first time in 2016....football camp's around the corner!

 July 15:  Playing in the backyard of our first house where Ally and Cy were tots and the twins were infants:  Highland Park.  There's our old house...and bigger kids on the monkey bars!

 July 16:  Wynne and I went to our first-ever American Girl Doll Benefit Sale.  What an experience!  More to come in a later post.

 July 16:  Back to Platteville to watch game 2 for our majors, end-of-league tournament.  Game 1 was a 24-23 win (I think, lost count after how many innings!) where it was great to see our girls battle back in the heat.  Game 2 was a tough fight against eventual league champs Dickeyville.  Proud of these girls and their excellent coach Reba (and assistant Ally)! It was SO. HOT. that day!

 July 22-24: 48 hours in a house with 3 other families at Sky High Resort for the Engelke Campout.  EVEN HOTTER that weekend.  HOT HOT HOT...thank goodness for AC, and thank goodness for the double kitchens and living rooms for everyone to congregate during Saturday afternoon's rain!

Payton tries out the Tashner's fly zapper

 I think we played 4 hours of volleyball, into the rain.  Twas fun!

 Lots of cards...cribbage and more...

 Teen cousins mini-golf in the rain.  Way to play through!!

July 25-29:  Siegert family vacation...deets to come!

Oh July, I hardly knew ye!

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.--Psalm 39:4