Happy Summer, friends! Time to reflect on all the fun we had in May. Afton keeps getting spunkier by the day!
One weekend, we headed to Foley, Alabama for the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival! This is something I've always wanted to do. I've been fascinated by hot air balloons ever since my dad made up stories about them to tell me at bedtime when I was little, but I have somehow made it 32 years without seeing one in real life! We waited patiently for dusk to come, crossing our fingers that the wind would stay calm.
We passed the time exploring the carnival and snacking on tasty treats.
Sadly enough, dusk came and went with no balloons to be seen because of the wind. :(
It was a bummer, so I think we'll have to try again next year for sure. We couldn't stay sad long since the next day was a beautiful Sunday, and Afton and I wore the happiest flowery dresses we could find. ;) (Yep, that's the other side of her reversible Unbroken Circle dress that showed up on my blog last month too.)
Afton has decided she likes to climb trees!
We had a laid-back but lovely Mother's Day. After church, we had a relaxed and tasty lunch at the Government Street Grocery with Lucy, our favorite soon-to-be mom!
We're super sad (and possibly still in denial) that our dear friends the Lillys have now officially moved to Nashville, but we were honored to host Lucy at our house for the last few days of her time as a Mississippi teacher (after Tom had already moved!). Lucy gave Afton this adorable tea set a while back, so it was perfect that these two got to have tea parties together! Afton is surprisingly polite when she's serving up "tea" but clearly hasn't learned the etiquette of wearing pants. ;)
Alex has been working on the finishing touches of a bit of remodeling (photos of that coming soon!) so Afton and I have been playing outside while he's working in the garage because she wants to see all the action!
I commented that her bangs needed some trimming, so one day during some indoor playtime, Alex chased her down with the scissors to give her her first haircut! Not exactly what I had in mind, but you can be the judge of how he did. ;)
One evening, we enjoyed a picnic at the Gulf Islands National Seashore park. The glowing light was so perfect as the sun was going down.
Afton has started watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and I think I love it as much as she does. I loved Mr. Rogers as a child, and it is so wonderfully nostalgic to hang out with these characters again!
The playground in our neighborhood is still a favorite, and there were so many lovely things blooming along the way on our last walk there!
Afton has so much fun swinging, sliding, and generally exploring all the fun stuff at the park! And she brought along her toy camera, which I must admit makes me so happy!
My best friends from college bought this adorable toy camera for her before she was born, and I finally decided I could trust her to play with it. She loves to say "cheese" when she's holding it, which is funny because I never say that! I don't know where she learned it, but in any case, she's pretty good at cheesing! When she wants to, anyway. ;)
At the end of the month, we enjoyed a delicious meal with our friends the Palmers at their house. Afton and Navarro were obviously not interested in photos, but the always-photogenic Baby Solomon came through for me as usual. Not to mention this pretty food!
So that's our month of May in photos! It's such a joy for me to spend time reflecting on all the sweet and beautiful memories we make every day. I love the way photography allows me to savor the beauty of every day life, and I appreciate those of you who let me share it with you. If you like what you see here and want to make sure not to miss anything, sign up below to stay in touch!
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