summatime!

Well, I started a race recap right after my half marathon (at the end of April...oops) when the emotions were high and I was still coming off of that.  I just reread it and eh.  I'l just share some pictures and say that I am ok with my time, considering it rained from mile 4 on, and I am pleased to have finished without dying.  Oh, and that the cleaning lady better have my finishers medal prominently hung on the wall of her house, next to my tshirt that the hotel, "couldn't find," when I called.  Gr.  But fortunately, there is a replacement medal. 

Uncle Jesse and Cameron 

according to the locals, this is a good place to eat.  but not good enough for an over hour wait.  next time.

done and done.

Since then, the girls and I enjoyed all of our school year activities winding down and finished with Lily's dance recital this past weekend.  Over Memorial Day Weekend, some of our best friends from college came to visit with their 3 precious girls, and we enjoyed a few days of not doing much besides laughing, talking, and watching little girls play.  Because there were plenty of them here.  The time went too fast, not enough pictures were taken, but my 3 have asked regularly if Addiston and Bella can come be a part of whatever it is that we're doing.

Kaylee adored baby Charlotte.

this is what college roommates look like 9 (?) years later. Kaylee was doing Jesse's hair, so she put a towel over his shoulders.  Daughter #6 was sitting next to me on the couch.

it's kind of weird we have 6 girls.  but it's super fun. 

Lily's recital.  I try so hard not to just spout off emotional stuff about my children, but I just could barely handle how mature Lily was Friday for her rehearsal and Saturday for her two performances.  She loved having me help her get ready and doing her hair, and I think she was enamored by the whole production.  After her groups' turn, I had assumed our family would leave for home, as both sets of grandparents and my grandma had come to watch, but she was so thrilled with watching everyone dance that she and I stayed to watch as many of the acts as we could.  We ended up sneaking in the back of the theater to watch because she couldn't see from the wings of the stage very well, and I so enjoyed the special time she and I had together that day.  With all the grands in, we also celebrated Emma's birthday.  Nothing super elaborate, but we took time before the performances to celebrate Emma being 4.  

they danced to, "It's a Small World" and Lily's costume was "Spain." 

  

 And this week, we can officially say we're in summer because we've been for ice cream at our favorite place and the girls and I went swimming today with friends! 

I'm not sure when she got so big...

Additionally, we're in the midst of a dumb Brood V Cicada bloom and there are dive bombing cicadas everywhere, and it is incredibly loud in some places.  Ridiculous.  My girls think they're great and seriously stop and point out every single one they can find.

It actually hasn't been too bad at our house, but we have been a few places where they were INSANE and everywhere.  It's loud out here, but it's deafening elsewhere.  Bugs.  Loud bugs.  So weird.  The whole concept of 17 year old bugs coming out of the ground is kind of neat, and the fact they make a different noise than the usual obnoxious cicadas makes it a bit better, but I've had a few land on me and freaked out, so any time they want to burrow down into the ground again or die would be great.