Summer has Arrived

If Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer, we made sure we unofficially welcomed it in a big way!

Saturday, we met some friends at a local lake to grill and hang out. The kids loved the beach and watching the boats, but they were thrilled when one of our friends' friends asked if they would like to take a boat ride.

Issa was immediately in love:

 Evan took a minute, but once that boat started to go fast he was all over it:

 I was on the land, but a friend snapped this picture of my three:

 Yes, those are very happy people.

Sunday, we broke out the sprinkler:

 Why leave it on the ground? It's way more fun to pick it up and spray yourself...and your brother:

I have declared that this picture will reemerge come graduation. You know Evan is having fun when that tongue hangs out.

It was all fun and games until Daddy got wet:

 He was trying to sweep the deck so he could set up the pool; the children were trying to cool him off. Such thoughtful, banished children.

 Eventually, the pool was well on its way to being set up, and little hands came to help Daddy set up the pump: 

 Issa also discovered our gardenia was in bloom:

 They smell heavenly right now!

Yesterday, the pool was ready for the trial run:

 Evan can absolutely touch, but he just loves his floaty. We rolled with it.

And the best Daddy ever made a run to get new water guns:

 Not only did he get two for our kiddos, but he picked up two extras for the neighbor girls to play, too. They look like such a sweet group:

Don't let them fool you! These four angels turned on me with those four water guns. Let me tell you, that water was cold!

I love having these two at our house. The four kids play so well together, and I love that the girls include Evan so well. At one point, I looked out to see all four of them sitting in the hammock, just chatting. The bigger girls all help Evan, and they basically clean up after themselves. Here's to a summer full of play dates!