simple joys of summer

We have had such a wonderful summer so far! I made a conscious decision at the beginning of the summer to slow things down a bit this summer and enjoy the simple things: being with each other, reading, enjoying nature and being outside, learning about art, science and music, gardening, cooking and swimming. We have kept the extra-curricular activities to a minimum so we can slow down and enjoy being a family during this precious time. And this is also the reason that I have not blogged in awhile...but here are some pictures of what we have been up to:

...laughing with each other...

...watching Daddy mow the lawn...

...learning about artists and painting...

....helping each other....

...big smiles...

....lunch at our favorite spots-this is Nagoya's hibachi section...

....science experiments...

...eating ice cream...

...wearing pajamas all day....

...playing with Daddy....

...firefly hunting...

...taking care of our gardens and vermicomposter...

...and enjoying the fruits of our labor...

...playing Dukes of Hazzard -yes, the General Lee has changed a bit...

...stick collecting...

...smelling the flowers...

...cooling off in the sprinklers...

...and dancing to music dressed like Hannah Montana (brad loves that..haha!) I know that things are about to speed up as we get involved in Bible School, family trip, and Kanuga - and these are all really wonderful things that make special memories- but I have to say that slowing down and just enjoying each other as a family definitely ranks pretty high on my favorite summer activities list!