being unplugged and staying cool...

Last week was a wonderful time to unplug from all media.  I'm not going to lie, it was really hard not to want to pull out my phone and check pictures on Instagram and read my favorite blogs.  The time away was so needed though, and I think I will be carving out time to do it more often.
There is a simplicity and peace that comes from being in that type of quiet.  I realized how much I needed it!
The time was spent in prayer and scripture (I got a copy of the Jesus Calling by Sarah Young for a daily devotional), playing with the Littles, reading, crafting, and taking naps...
Yes, it was a very good thing to unplug!♥ 
Kit and I also chose something in the food category to fast from.
I chose carbs and Kit decided to do a full week of smoothies: no coffee, no soda, no alcohol, no fast food, no solid food...
Goodness gracious, it was tough...
The Lord was very gracious in meeting us in tough moments and
I am thankful for the experience that the week of prayer offered.

Our blender has never been so busy!

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We have been having some 100+ degree weather here and that has made it pretty miserable to be outside.  Within five minutes of being outside, both of the kids' cheeks are red and Ryder is wanting go someplace cooler. Not so fun when you have an entire day ahead of you.

Here have been some fun things on our "try to stay cool" list:

In addition to tackling little science project ideas from Pinterest like here, Ryder has been having lots of fun with puzzles, legos, reading time, and Playdough.
Making lego guns and rockets is a huge highlight.  

His dinosaur puzzle is definitely his favorite:

(Thanks Grandi and Monkey Papa!)

We also have a pirate puzzle that we had fun doing too!

I love watching him concentrate and then get so excited when he finds a piece that fits...

 I love watching him sit and use his little mind to make new things.  We have two lego sets, one is for a car and one for a small speed boat.  He makes rockets and space men and puts wheels on all sorts of things.

Eden loves her books:

(Pulling all of them off the shelf and then putting them back is also a very fun game...)

Both of the kids enjoy being outside so we can go a little bit stir crazy if we are cooped up too long.

My sister-in-law Mallory gave me the idea of freezing toys in water and then letting the kids play with it until the ice melts, using cups of water to melt the water around the toys.  They have been LOVING it! We have a shady part of our yard and that combined with the cold water has made for a very fun outdoor activity on these hot summer days...

 Little miss taking a break to watch her brother.

When all else fails, we just turn the sprinklers on,

 and take a nice cool bath:

When I think back to these days, though they can feel long, I will remember these really sweet moments.