you know what the world needs more of?

Hula Hoop contests! Mara entered the Shamrock Days competition in Rosemount yesterday. She was amazing and made us all so, so proud. She makes it look easy, just moving her hips a tiny bit.
There were a lot of kids in the competition and so the woman running the program had the kids do special tricks to find a winner. Mara was able to clap, hoola on one foot, then the other, kneel on each knee and finally they were asked to sit! That's when Mara's hoola hoop hit the bricks :)
Well done, Mara. You make life more fun.

how does your garden grow?

We have had so much fun with our garden. The strategy for this year was to plant a little of everything, learning what we like to eat, what we wish we had more of, and what just didn't turn out. If that was the goal, then we have completely succeeded. The only serious issue we have had was with the zuccini and squash that were both enjoyed by some sort of gross worm. Unfortunately, the days they started to wilt were those horribly hot days last week and we just assumed it was the heat that was making them look so sickly. But it was the worms. Bummer.

Other than that though, we have been enjoying this garden with our whole hearts. We eat salads from the lettuce, used the peppers in taco meat, roasted the broccoli, picked the raspberries for our cereal, and eat the sugar peas like they're candy.
You can read more about the building of this garden by clicking here.

the sweetness of summer

We were treated to a great dinner at our friends house the other night and I was asked to bring dessert. I had a hankerin' for chocolate chip cookies and thought I'd dress them up a bit for the occasion and stuffed them with vanilla ice cream. Yum and yum. I highly recommend making sure the summer doesn't slip by before you have a chance to make your own ice cream sandwiches.

And you better do it fast, because this summer is flying by. I hate that feeling. I was trying to figure out why this summer feels so different than other summers. I feel like I'm really taking in each day and appreciating all that this season brings. I realized that this is the first summer in a while that I haven't worked at a camp, and it's also our first summer back in our neighborhood, soaking up Lake Harriet and taking lots of walks with a baby in the stroller. There is lots to appreciate.

But I think the biggest difference in this summer is the fact that I am sharing it with my sister. She's home. And she brought her lovely family with her. :) I love this new normal more than I can say. Recently Annika and I left our kiddos with two former flbc camp counselors who were both St. Olaf grads, nurses and around 25 years old. Could you imagine any greater peace of mind as a new mom leaving her baby with a babysitter?!! Annika and I took off for Target, childless and giddy. We got starbucks when we walked through the doors, and I proceeded to impulse purchase all sorts of stuff I never knew I needed before. Pretty folders, a new journal, invites for Ivar's first birthday party that is still three months away. We stayed for a long, long time, roaming the aisles, laughing hard belly laughs. And the whole time I had this amazing awareness that this time I don't have to brace for goodbye. She's here to stay. It's a dream come true.

Now, if you don't have your sister home with you this summer let me recommend the next best thing: go make yourself a homemade icecream sandwich.

Grandma's Clan 2011

Well folks, that's all from the family reunion! It was a really special week together. Not sure you could have packed one more thing into the week...even had the Grandpa Bredberg Horse Shoe Invitational thrown into the mix (my mom and Rory were a team and made it to the finals!), enjoyed all sorts of crafting all week long and were led in Bible Study by Pastor Jim Bjorge, my favorite storytelling preacher. But honestly, I've got to draw the line somewhere on how many more pictures to post and I think it might just be time to move on.

I did want to mention again that the beauty of this family is not in its perfection but in its foundation. A family who knows Christ knows forgiveness, hope, unconditional love and compassion. We don't have it all together. But we do believe that God holds us all together in his hands. This is what makes all the difference.

After sharing such a special week together it really does make a girl like me reflect on what it is I want the very most out of this life. Grandma spent our week together celebrating the fruits of her time here on earth and it was so crystal clear when we were together that she has spent her life invested in the very most important things. She can pass from this world and onto eternity knowing that she ran a good race, loved her kids with all of her heart, taught them the ways they should go, prayed with might when things got off track, and prayed with thanksgiving all of the days inbetween.

This party was to celebrate Grandma's 93rd birthday. I want to celebrate my 93rd birthday just like this one day. I've got 63 years to make it happen. And I plan on running this race just as hard, and following her example of what a true Jesus follower's life should look like: full of family, food, faith, fun and most importantly, forgiveness.

For a little more Grandma B goodness, check out this blog post that she wrote for me, sharing her wisdom on motherhood.

fun in the sun