Picture overload

For some reason, my husband loved reading this blog way back when I would actually update it. I kind of like having it just so I can keep all of the blogs that I follow in order, but Chris has been asking me to update this blog for months now, so I'm finally getting around to it. This summer has gone by so fast! I can't believe it's almost over. So without further adieu, here is our summer in pictures...

We started the summer off by watching my sister graduate from the best school in the state, OSU..

.. then she moved in with us for a minute..

we kept joking that it was so nice having Amy around because she ran alllll of our errands, cleaned for us, cooked for us, etc. Those things were great, but we mostly just liked having her around. Sadly that didn't last long.

 {more on that in a minute. I'm trying to go in chronological order.}

.. we celebrated my birthday..

.. this man is one of those that pays close attention to you when you say you really like something and then totally surprises you with it as a gift... like the silhouette..

.. Amy, Chris, Rooney & I went to Spiro to be with my family on my actual birthday..

.. and sadly missed this little spider man's birthday. I get to share a birthday with my nephew, Ben, and this year we happened to be out of town for his party. I felt terrible, but didn't think he'd even notice with all of his friends and family around. Wrong. At a pool party a few weeks ago, he called me out on it and said, "Ummm, Gena.. why weren't you at my birthday party?.."

.. In Spiro, we posed for ridiculous pictures on the side of a lone road connecting Spiro and Poteau just to get a picture of Chris with his favorite gas station called Tote-A-Poke..

This is his favorite gas station because of their radio jingles saying, "Tote-a-poke- OH when I get so hungry...Tote-A-Poke.. I could almost eat a donkey.. tote-a-poke.. I want me something crunchy... like a sandwich or a twinkie.. or somethin' cold to drinky... TOTE-A-POKE." And yes, I know the whole song---That's how you'll know if someone is truly from Eastern Oklahoma. We all grew up with that song, and know it by heart.

.. we made a couple of trips to San Antonio to Casa de Belden..

.. spent some time in the Steve's cellar with their little ones..

..Chris' MBA work has been never-ending...

{He's going to kill me for putting this picture on here, but I couldn't help myself when I was browsing the album on my phone. I tied my scarf on his head & came back a little later to find him still wearing it. This is what you call some serious focus.}

.. We attended/hosted a lot of wedding showers, baby showers, weddings, birthdays, etc. My sister-in-law Ashlee gives us a hard time for not attending family events because we're always at some wedding or shower, so as a joke I started texting her pictures of the invites we were receiving..

..not complaining by the way, I live for this kind of thing.

..Speaking of showers, we just had a shower for our new little nephew, Grey Belden..

.. All weddings and showers aside, we have managed to sneak in some time to relax..

You should see the awesome tan line he got after napping in the pool one hot Sunday. Think chevron "v" pattern on his legs.. in hot pink.

If you were wondering, I am in fact passed out on the dog bed here. I laid down to pet our little fur baby & just completely passed out for the longest time. Chris found me like this in my bathing suit cover up and after several attempts to wake me covered me up with a blanket. Turns out that little bed is pretty comfy. Spoiled dog.

Here I am again sleeping in the strangest place- the living room floor? So turns out that after a summer-long struggle to keep my eyes open {among other signs and symptoms}.. I find out that my thyroid is jacked up. Now that things are under control, I am less narcoleptic-like.

.. I started learning how to use my silhouette machine and made this for my dear friend, Laurin.

..the next weekend, I got to be a part of their beautiful wedding where she married her high school sweetheart..

.. then my sister got a wonderful offer to be a graphic designer for some guy in Wisconsin & she up and left. Before we could process it all, she was off..

She is loving her job, and the cooler temps, and being closer to her special guy.. so it's looking like Wisconsin may be her TEMPORARY home. That's what I keep telling myself anyways. Temporary.

... These are a few hilights, but it's almost 5:00 so I'll leave you with a picture from this past weekend..

This picture melts me..

We went to Tulsa to spend the weekend with the Reid's and their sweet baby, Lilly Grace. Chris got to squeeze on her & drink root beer in frosted mugs with Chad until his little heart was content. We loved getting to spend some time with them & as always wished they lived here.

Hope you're having a great Monday!