Monday, July 15, 2013

4th of July and My "Summer is Here" Realization

Wait a minute; is it seriously mid-July already?  Where the heck has summer gone?  I have a sneaking suspicion that because most of May and June were completely taken over by all things "new house," I kind of lost track of time.  But now that the calendar has jolted me back to reality, we are working to infuse as much summer fun into our weeks as possible.  And that was certainly true on the Fourth of July, as I was determined to make the most of the patriotic holiday!  Here are a few snaps from our holiday...

IMG 2268Our day started off bright and early at a nearby hot air balloon festival.  The 4:30 am wake up call was a bit rough, but it was totally worth it to see all the balloons in their early morning glory.

IMG 2229Matt and I have been wanting to go this festival ever since we moved to Chicago three years ago, but something has always come up.  But this year, with the help of the previously mentioned calendar jolt, we made it happen.  And I'm so glad we did!

IMG 2267Even Ryan managed to get up for the occasion!  PS: have I mentioned how much I love my little brother living with us this summer?

IMG 2231Later that afternoon, after serious naps and a some light work around the house, we hosted friends for a cookout.  It was our first time to invite friends to our new home, and it was so incredibly fun.  There was a moment Matt and I were buzzing in and out of the kitchen and laughing with our friends on the patio when I thought, "This is what we've always dreamed of."  Having a home of our own, hosting dear friends, and celebrating life's special moments.  It was pretty surreal and a major moment of gratitude.

IMG 2249After a big meal on the grill and more than a few bottles of Prosecco (thanks Max and Christie!), we headed to the backyard for smores.  One of our favorite discoveries after moving in and getting situated in our house, was that we have a pretty awesome firepit/chiminea set up.  We use it at least a few times a week, and July 4th was a no-brainer.

So there you have it; our official "oh my gosh, summer is here" moment!  Is time flying by for anyone else, and if so, what are you doing to celebrate summer to its fullest?  

PS: I know I've promised "official" house pictures by the end of the month, but for those that are interested, you can definitely see some sneak peaks on Instagram.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The balloon festival looks Ah-mazing! That must have been such a spectacular thing to witness. I would love to do that. The pictures you took look great, glad you shared them!

christie said...

We were champions with those "few" bottles of prosecco! It was so much fun, and your house looks amazing. By the way, Max has been making a lot of plans for your gigantic back yard. Hope you are ready.