97 degrees

It was 97 degrees at 1pm (nap time) the girls and I enjoyed the best morning outside today. We filled the pool, pulled out the chaise lounges and all the toys - Turned the patio fans on and took the occasional respite in the cool - breezy - shade of the patio. We played, ran, splashed, laughed, sunned and thoroughly enjoyed being outside today. Now, we've been outside here and there this summer - We've had morning walks or trips to the pool - We've gone to the playground and taken evening strolls - But not in months have we spent 4 hours outside and lived to tell about it. I do not honestly recall thinking today "God it's hot out here!" or worrying about the kids playing in the heat. There are probably a number of things that happened while we were outside that I thought were great... My favorite however - the absolute maker of my day - was bringing all the lunch stuff out to the new bar, cranking up the grill, chopping, prepping and plating the food on the bar and sitting down, under the fans in the shade with my girls at the patio table and eating lunch and laughing. I cannot even tell you what was funny or why we laughed so hard, but we were outside we were together and we were having the best time. This fresh air morning is a luxury I do not take for granted living in the Valley of the Sun.

The pictures were just before nap time and after lunch. Grace thought it would be fun to run around in Mommy's hat and tried to get Lily in on the action. Lily did not find my hat amusing at all. In fact quite the opposite.

What a great day!