a kickoff to summer

I feel like Memorial Day weekend is always the true kickoff to summer. Last year I wondered if I would miss that actual "SCHOOL'S OUT!!! IT'S SUMMER!!!" high, but, it's still there. I am still just as excited about a summer with my boys as I was last year. 

We have successfully kicked off our summer by hanging out with friends & turning our backyard into a small waterpark. I just don't have it in me to take daily trips to the neighborhood pool by myself. Chasing Grayson and keeping him above water is exhausting! This summer, I am thankful for a backyard with a fence. Here is what we have been up to lately in the 95 degree weather...

We got the crab pool out & I had an immediate flashback of last May when G experienced this pool for the first time. Allow me to reminisce:

My semi-chunky baby is now a big, skinny, blonde toddler! 

G wasn't thrilled with the crab pool. Instead of sitting & playing he prefers to fill up buckets of water and throw them all over the patio. Oh well. Whatever keeps him entertained, right?

I'm pretty sure G's favorite thing in the world is playing with his best friend/next door neighbor, Gray. They are 10 months apart & have so much fun together. Gray came over to play one morning last week & within 5 minutes, both kids were completely soaked.

This cracks me up...2 toddlers, 1 dog...all sharing water. Ha! 

Water slide? Sure! Please note the snack trapper full of goldfish in my child's hand. He takes his "nacks" very seriously & refused to put them down. 

See? Very seriously. No goldfish were harmed soaked during this activity.

Aren't these two so cute together? Two of my best high school friends, Alex and Phil, are making a temporary 2 year move to Birmingham this week. We had them over for dinner on Saturday & the boys had so much fun playing together!

It's hard to believe that 9 years ago the 3 of us were graduating from high school together & now we are all grown up, married, & with toddlers! G will  miss his buddy, Hutson!

Most of our weekend has been spent outside & we haven't passed out OR melted...I think I'll call that a success! Happy Memorial Day!