Ares, Cecelia, Chicago, Father's Day, Play dates, Rosemary, Vacation

Just June

Posted by Rachel Gaetz on July 5, 2018

We are a third of the way through Summer ’18! (Say it’s not so!) I’m happy to say that we’ve been definitely soaking up the warmth, checking things off our bucket list left and right, and just generally enjoying barefoot life, playgrounds, splashpads, the library, dance classes, extra ice cream, extra sunlight, and all that good stuff! Here’s a few of the highlights from this past month:

First things first. At the beginning of June, I decided I wanted a garden bed because I can’t really keep up with the tomato/cucumber/strawberry demand in this house. So Joe did what any husband should do… bought some boards, ordered dirt, took his shirt off, and built a garden for me. I went plant shopping, stuck all of those babies in the ground, and now we have a thriving garden! It will still be a little while before we can harvest enough to make a salad, but the day is coming soon!

Unlike last summer, I got brave enough to take the three kiddos to the zoo by myself to meet up with their cousins. It was a day of absolutely perfect weather. Everyone loved animal viewing, having a picnic lunch, playing at the huge playground, and ending the outing with a carousel ride!

To say Ares has been living his best life would be an understatement. He is picking up speed (and charm) by the day. I find evidence of his handiwork everyone (such as books thrown in the washing machine, q-tips scattered all over the floor, and lots of unrolled toilet paper). He loves having Cece home for the summer and he adores getting extra attention from his sisters and his sisters’ friends.

Mid-month, we celebrated Father’s Day the way we celebrate most Father’s Days… with Joe working most of the day. Still, we bestowed him with some gifts and a homemade cake once he got home. And we gave him all of the affection of course. We even managed one pic of him and all the kids before bedtime (and with Zuzu smiling!). Win!

Our family also participated in the MN Spartan race last month. It was a CRAZY day. Due to rain and lightening, Joe got pulled off the course during his run and later had to continue where he left off. I brought all the kids up and waited nearly an hour to get into the parking lot because they closed the parking during the storms (???). I barely got to the start line in time for myself to run. It was not pretty. I failed 5 obstacles for a total of 150 burpess. BUT I’m so glad I did this! I set completing a Spartan race as one of my goals for this year and even though it wasn’t exactly glorious, I did it! Cece also had a successful run but Rosie’s race got rained out. We were all a soaking wet mess as we were leaving, but everyone was in good spirits. We got home, bathed everyone, got dry and cozy, ate pizza and watched movies to end the day.

Our family also made a road trip to Chicago this month (above is Ares jamming on the piano at my mom’s house). Our trip was off to a rocky start as both girls each came down with sickness as soon as we arrived (Cece with an eye infection and Rosie with strep throat). So the first few days of our trip were spent in urgent care and taking all of the antibiotics. Eventually we all perked up and got around to seeing lots of family and friends.

While in Chicago, Joe ran the Spartan Super. It was easily the muddiest morning of our lives. I am immensely grateful that my mom babysat our kids and I did not have to literally drag them through the mud. Even just being a spectator, I was filthy and tired from just walking around the grounds. Joe made it through the course like the beast he is, but I must say, I had no FOMO whatsoever about not running that day! Plus, since it was a championship race, I got to be a fan girl see all of the Spartan celebrities run and cross the finish line so I can’t really complain!

Once the girls were no longer contagious, we had a couple play dates while in Chicago, including one outing to The Little Red School House. I hadn’t been there since I was probably Cece’s age and it was cool to see how it’s grown. It was an educational and fun afternoon spent with friends and not TOO much whining about nature and the hot weather.

We also went to Chinatown and saw my grandma and cousins. We caught up, enjoyed delicious food, and Ares consumed about 5 pounds of fried rice. If that’s not an excellent visit, I don’t know what is! Some of our other outings included a trip to see my Aunt Gina, Uncle Pete, and Grandpa Pete. We also visited Sarah and her kiddos at her new house. My godfather johnny also visited us and hegot to meet Ares for the first time! We also hit up Creative Cakes to see Auntie Robbo and her cake decorating in action.

On our last day in Oak Lawn, my mom took the girls to THREE different parks so we could get our packing done. Thanks again to my mom for hosting us and all of her help!

Once back in Hudson, we ended Joe’s last day of vacation (and the end of June) with a beach trip to Lake Elmo Regional Park where there is a a man-made lake. Ares loved playing in and eating the sand (mmmm crunchy), The girls loved using Joe as a water taxi. I was just thrilled to find such a nice beach close to our house! And we have a park pass now, so we will be frequenting it this summer!

I’ve been staying busy with photography as well lately! In addition to shooting some family sessions last month, I also got to second-shoot a wedding with Sweet Roots Photography. It felt good to get some wedding experience under my belt again, but not have the same pressure as being the primary shooter!

Also! One of my photos got featured on the cover of The Connector (which is a local publication in Woodbury). I’m excited to be doing a little side work with Best Version Media and getting some work published. I may have high-fived myself when this came in the mail and sent an extra copy to my mom.

As per usual, I have to end my post with a bouquet of flowers from our dining room table? Is this not the most perfect half-dozen roses? Fresh flowers are life, I tell you.

Well, ok! That’s June for us. Summer and life is going by far too fast, isn’t it?