Jon had this past week off, and we had a good time with him home. We're slowly redoing our house; last summer, Jon tore down the ceiling and walls in the dining room, then the two of us put up new drywall and primed and painted. Now Jon's got most of the room he's working on done. Just the painting is left. And really, picking out colors is such fun!

Also, a friend gave us a tent, and we camped out two nights. Though the ground is hard (!!), it was fun. The girls loved it, and I'm sure we'll do it again many more times this summer. (And I'm sure we'll lay on more blankets!)

Earlier this week, we celebrated Bubby's (Beth) fifth birthday and the whole day is one of those days that you think of when you think of a perfect summer day. We went to the park, had a ton of fun with Bubby's new slip 'n slide, had cake and ice cream sundaes, played with sparklers, and camped out that night.

And now that Jon's back at work, I'm trying to work on Jill's story. I've made it a goal for myself that I want it done by the end of this month. I was up till 1 last night, but I think I finally found the voice that works with that story. And then I'm going to try to write another story by the end of August.

And now I'll leave you all with some pictures. :)