Friday Favorites

I cannot believe that it is JULY 1st!!!  Where did June go?!?  It was a great month for us, but I hope that July pumps the breaks a bit because I am not wishing the rest of our Summer days to fly by.  We have a long list of fun things we're hoping to do in July.

The best parts of our week were:

1 // Our Yard

We picked out trees weeks ago, waited for them to be planted and it's so fun to see them in yard now!  We have a row of 12 trees along the back fence for some eventual privacy and 4 other maples.  We also are enjoying the wild blackberry bushes along our property.  The kids love eating them, but I'm curious to see if they ever sweeten up enough to enjoy.  We still have a lot to do with grass and future projects, but things are coming together!

3 different varieties of Maple trees along the fence line on this half of the yard.

Kevin has always loved Japanese Maples.  We thought it would look pretty against our white brick background.

2 // Dinner Road Trip

Some of my favorite ladies from Terre Haute (our last city) met me for dinner this week!  I drive about an hour north and they drive about an hour south and we meet in the middle for dinner.  It was so good to catch up with them.  My face hurt the next day from smiling and laughing the night away.  Can't wait to see them again soon!  I'm still dreaming of those Old Chicago Pizza Rolls & Italian Nachos.  I love these ladies!

3. Our biggest house project yet!

My Dad and I are working on a really fun project for our house!  We have been talking about it for months, but the building didn't begin until this week.  It turns out that my dad's schedule now that he's retired is a pretty busy one!  I've got all the ideas and he's doing all the hard stuff - building, measuring and making my built in dreams come true.  I can't wait to show you more!!  Here's a sneak peek:

4. Jordan Bakery Box

I love holiday themed foods and I'm excited about these red, white and blue cookies for the 4th!  If you're local, message me to order.  I would love to take care of your holiday desserts.

5. Puzzles

I randomly picked up this cute Summer puzzle at TJ Maxx last week.  I surprised the big kids with it and we had the best time working on it when Leo was napping or in bed.  I don't love doing puzzles normally, but it was really fun to have a special thing to do with them for several days in a row.  They're ready for our next puzzle!

6. Teacher Friends

One of my dear teacher friends from Utah happened to be in town for a Square Dancing Convention!! and we met up with her for ice cream.  We taught together for years in Utah and she retired the same time we moved away from Utah.  We met up with her in Savannah when Olive was a toddler so it was really neat for her to get to meet the boys this visit.  We chatted and had the best time.  I LOVE when friends find us when they make their way to the Midwest.

7. Creatures!!

Our yard seems to have an abundance of frogs these days (and snakes - ewww!! - I'm really hoping we can get that under control ASAP) Let's focus on the cute frogs we keep finding!

This photo perfectly captures 6 year old Fletcher.  I hope I always remember him this silly age.  Although I have a sneaking suspicion that he will forever be our silly guy who loves to make us laugh.

8. Organizing

If you follow me on instagram (@polkadottyplace) you know that I've been working hard to organize, declutter and not spend any money on these projects.  I'm using what I have and trying my best to give my cabinets and closets some breathing room.  It feels good to have space in my kitchen cabinets.

9. Walking Buddy

Leo and I got back to walking together this week.  The weather was so nice!

10. Cousins!

We have "cousins" on our Summer to do list and are trying to find fun ways to hang out together.  Olive said she loved having so many girls in our house :)

11. Topher is a teenager!

Our sweet Topher turns 13 today.  He's so handsome and loving.  He has lived all over the country - Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi and 2 cities in Indiana.  He has somehow gotten friendlier in his old age and has grown to love the kids.  I'm still his favorite person, but he has grown to love the big kids and trust that they'll be nice to him.  He tolerates his kitten sisters and is my alarm clock most mornings.  We love Topher!

 

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!!  We have some fun plans with family and friends.  I'll see you back here after the holiday :)

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