June absolutely flew by. Between celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, taking one of our favorite family vacations ever to Oregon and the Redwoods, and settling back into our normal routine at home, it was a month I’ll always remember. If you’re new here or just catching up, here’s Life Lately June 2026 with all the little moments, adventures, and everyday memories from the past month.
Books I’ve Read
I didn’t read quite as many books this month as I typically do. Our family has been reading the Harry Potter series during our vacations each year. We listened to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince this month and the girls really enjoyed it. We watched the movie as a family afterwards and started Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
- The Wind Runner by pirateaba– Erin and Ryoka face the far-reaching consequences of war as they help rebuild a fractured world, confront new challenges, and navigate shifting alliances. 4/5
- The Titan of Baleros by pirateaba– Erin and Ryoka become caught up in world-changing events as powerful factions clash, ancient threats emerge, and the legendary Titan of Baleros plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of The Wandering Inn world. 4/5
Recipes I’ve Made
- Crinkly Crackly Butter Toffee Sugar Cookies– These are very tasty, but not too original. We liked them, but I’m unsure if I will make them again.
- Raspberry Brownies– These were easy since they use a brownie mix as the base. We all loved the raspberry flavor. I’ll definitely make again.
- Stammpot (Dutch dish of carrot and potato stew)– This came together pretty easily and tasted amazing. We all enjoyed it. I did swap out onions and used leeks instead to achieve the flavor I remember as a kid. The leeks added some nice color, too.
Currently
- Sparkling – During a recent girls’ night I had a dirty soda bar. The girls have been making so many sparkling drinks with the flavored syrups. They’ve made some really tasty ones!
- Grilling/Cooking – Honestly I haven’t been cooking as much as I typically do since we were traveling, had evening swim meets, or just headed to the pool. We do have some get togethers coming up I plan on making sugar cookie bars for though.
- Heating up – It’s quite the heatwave this week with temps in the 90s and the heat index far higher. The spin class room at the gym was sweltering. I think I will have to bring 2 towels next time! Thankfully, it should cool off a bit by this weekend.
- Using –Summer is a season for the outdoors. That means we have been using all the sunscreen and bug spray!
- Celebrating – We have so many things to celebrate! My in-laws celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary, my SIL and BIL celebrated their 11th anniversary, and Matt and I celebrated our 20th anniversary all this month. Of course, that doesn’t quite beat America’s 250th birthday this weekend, but I guess you win some and lose some.
- Family Updates
- Avie- Avie had a great start to her summer swim season. She has city times in almost every event and she is the fastest fly swimmer in her age group. She loves swimming on the relay teams and chatting with friends during the down time between events.
- Claire- Claire enjoyed volunteering at VBS for her second year. She and Avie rode their bikes almost every day there and back. Claire has had a great start to her long course swim season with some great time drops and regional time in the 200M backstroke so far. She also competed in her first open water race swimming 3K!
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- Me– My IT Band syndrome is slowly getting better and I was able to run 8 miles straight just before our trip. Fingers crossed the week off helped even more. We also adopted a cat this month and the girls are thrilled! It’s a Russian Grey (supposed to have less allergens), he is 7. We are still getting to know him, but he’s very sweet and loves sleeping with the girls and tolerates our dog. He does have his front paw amputated, but gets around really well.
- Matt- Matt has been around quite a bit this month between volunteering as an official for swim meets, attending meets, and our trip. Matt did all the driving during our trip which was stressful at times with the fog and windy roads, but he rocked it!
June Goals Recap
- Get tree planted- Done. We planted a bald cypress. I am hopeful it takes!
- Get quotes for window replacement- I have 2 scheduled for this week. I would have had one estimate already, but the company required both spouses there and cancelled on me. Although I was initially annoyed, I glad now since it was likely to be high pressure sales.
- Replace AC– Done!
- Schedule a few blog posts for vacation– Done! I was able to pre-schedule 3 posts and it really helped since we had very limited access to internet during our vacation.
- I also reorganized all Avie’s clothing clearing outgrown items. I pulled out the hand-me-downs we had stored in the basement and organized those as well. The basement storage room looks much better now. All of our donations are given away or dropped off at Goodwill.
July Goals
- Date night– Matt and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary June 30th so I’d like to plan a date night.
- Finish our Yellowstone album– I wasn’t able to work on it much lately since we didn’t have consistent internet.
- Try to make Lemon Berry Mascarpone cake- We had a piece during our trip and it was delicious! I’d like to try and make it myself.
- Try to go on instagram 1x/day– Ever since my account was hacked 2 years ago, the algorithm has not been in my favor. I’ve been posting and interacting less and less. It all feels a bit futile. But if I take just 10-15minutes a day I think it could get better.
- Get a shelf for Avie’s room– Avie needs a shelf for her trophies and knickknacks.
Favorite June Posts
Looking back at Life Lately June 2026, I’m so grateful for the adventures, family time, and little everyday moments that made this month so special.
LINKING UP WITH WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY, Currently
