Summer Shoaf Mini-Reunion

The week of the 4th of July is always a favorite - that's when Thomas, Madison, and Micah are often able to come home for a mid-year visit. On Micah's first day here, I picked her up from the airport and met Mom, Tessa, and Alisha and the boys at the Museum of Art for lunch. The food was delicious and we all doted over Alexander - he's so big and so fun.

After lunch, Alisha and the boys headed home so Alexander could nap and the rest of us got a private tour from Sister Dittmer - mom's friend from the temple.

Later that week, Tessa brought Emerson and her friends downtown for a concert and Micah was waiting to pick Thomas and Madison up from the airport, so we met downtown for dinner at Bru Burger. Once the girls were at the concert, Tessa, Micah, and I hung out and enjoyed some sister time.

Over the Fourth of July holiday, we all gathered in Brookville, Indiana for a couple of days. I didn't take any pictures so I only have a few that Alisha took. The first day was a boating day on the lake, but Brandon and I arrived just as a storm was coming in so we didn't get to go on the boat. We went back to the lake the next day, though, to swim, then went to a fireworks show at a local church. We stayed in a big house with plenty of room for everyone. We played lots of games and enjoyed lots of good food. It's so fun to have everyone together - we were just missing Isaac's family.

Brandon had already scheduled a camping trip with his family that week, so I stayed the next night at my parents' and hung out with Thomas, Madison, and Micah before they all left town. We went to the Bartholomew County Fair and ate fair food and watched a tractor pull. I'd never been to a tractor pull before, but it was pretty fun!

Jackson's Shoaf Overnight

Before summer really got crazy, my mom had Tessa's kids over for a sleepover so Jackson joined them. He originally was only planning to stay for the day, but changed his mind once he got there and realized how much fun it was! They went to the KidsCommons, played on the playground at the Commons, and played games at Grandma's house.

Pool Day

Brandon was working one Saturday so Jackson and I invited his friend Ethan Lund and headed to the pool for a couple of hours. It was hot, but perfect weather for swimming!

Chicago Work Trip

After my school year was over, my colleagues in Chicago needed some help closing out some of their sponsor goals, so I got to go to Chicago for 2 days to visit some schools. Brandon came with me and explored a bit while I was at the schools and then we spent the afternoon and evening together seeing the city. 

We went to the Bean and Buckingham Fountain, where we stumbled upon a Pokemon Go Fest. Neither of us had ever really played, but we had time to kill so we downloaded the app and started catching Pokemon.

The highlight of the day, though, was the architecture tour we took by boat. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and it was such a cool way to see the city. I know very little about architecture, but it was really interesting to learn about how the architecture of the buildings really tell the history of the city. I loved it!

And of course, we ended the night with pizza, which was delicious. Brandon wore his Chicago Bulls shirt so he would fit in with the locals. :)

The next morning, I visited one more school and then we headed home to pick up Jackson. It took us over an hour just to get out of the city. Yuck. I am a city girl at heart and would love to live in a big city like Chicago, but I'd have to do it without driving because the traffic is horrific. We had such a great time, though, and I was so grateful it worked out to bring Brandon with me!

Father's Day

The week before Father's Day, we went down to my parents' to celebrate with my family. My dad is such a great example and faithful leader of our family. Being his daughter has been such a blessing.

Also, how are Tessa's kids so big?!

On the actual Father's Day, we had Jackson so we went to church, had Brandon's favorite dinner, and he visited his fatherly figures. I'm consistently impressed at what a loving, concerned, and attentive father Brandon is to Jackson. And between the two of us, he's definitely the fun one. Jackson adores him, and so do I.

Kindergarten Graduation

Jackson graduated from kindergarten in June, so we celebrated with him at his school. His teacher, Ms. Walker, had nothing but praise for him and he even won the citizenship award! He had a small speaking part and all the kids sang a couple of songs. It was adorable, and he had so many people there loving him and cheering him on.