We love to read over here at Refined + Rugged. Though I don’t have the opportunity to read as often as I’d like to, I set the goal to read three books this summer and I’m nearly finished with the third. Along with reading for personal enjoyment it is a pleasure and priority to me to read with my children.

Together as a family we finished Winnie the Pooh last Spring, and before school begins again, I wanted to offer up a few books we have embarked upon this summer. What are some of your reading picks for children? Do you have any sensational books you’ve read together as a family?

I hope you have a magnificent Monday!!!

XX, Megan

1. Shel Silverstein (anything, everything) 

2. We Are in a Book by Mo Willems

3. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White 

4. Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne 

5. The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery

6. On The Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier

7. Everybody Needs A Rock by Byrd Baylor

Bonus: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

You know those moments that are picture perfect. The moments you want to remember every detail of for as long as you remember anything. Moments like your wedding day, the birth of your children, stepping into your first house for the first time, that rejuvenating tropical vacation?

Sometimes the moments you want to remember are micro, seemingly so small, but SO IMPORTANT. The surge of love and energy and safety in your partner’s embrace on a bad day, the joy that rises and swells when your child smiles at you with that light in their eyes that lets you know that everything is right with them and therefore everything feels absolutely right, the beauty of a landscape or vista that takes your lungs and seems to compress them into your heart with the grandeur, the achingly gorgeous manifestation of the natural world.

Once in a rare while we capture those moments on film, in picture– trying to hold the joy, and love, and beauty closer. Sometimes those moments and memories are simply for the living, the act of being part or experiencing them is our gift.

My husband, Perry, surprised me this past weekend with a party. It was an unbirthday party of sorts because my actual birthday falls during the winter. He told guests that he wanted to throw me a proper birthday party, but it was so much more than that. If I backlogged all of the reasons the PEOPLE– friends, family, neighbors, soul companions, and superior humans– in this moment were and are important to me it would fill some pages, for sure.

I just wanted to record here in my little piece of inter-space that it was one of the most magical evenings I have lived. Perry and his mom made ALL of the food (I am so proud of him!). From a killer queso recipe, to fresh guacamole, to a delicious arugula pesto salad, to bite size italian caprese skewers, every bite was delicious!

Our backyard, the space Perry has put so much time and effort into over the summer, was in fine form. Complete with the latest addition of a natural gas fire pit and gorgeous built in benches. The air was fresh, and filled with the sound of everyone’s children playing and laughing and trying to decide what part of the feast they would take to the “tree house”. (My boys have been working on ‘building’ a treehouse in a seriously overgrown bush at the end of the street, apparently it’s turning into a home-away-from-home.)

Then there were the guests. People from every part of my life, each beautifully walking their lives. New friends, old friends, and friends who I’d always hoped would meet others of my friends. The smiles, the happiness, the chance to nibble and nosh and catch up with all of these wonderful people was the best part of it ALL– PRICELESS. Thank you to all those who came whether 500 yards or nearly 3,000 miles.

All of this and so much more, and not ONE picture got taken of the event (that I know of). Besides a selfie of some of my girl friends and I. It made me smile a bit. It reminded me that sometimes the sweetest moments in life are only recorded in memory, only locked in our hearts and minds for us to carry, to cherish, to pick up and hard or long or seemingly insurmountable days and refresh us once again.

So in the spirit of LIFE, I’ve complied some of my favorite life pics from lately. No pictures from the party, but a lot of goings on and goodness.

I hope your summer has been sweet, and that you feel celebrated in your everyday!

XX, Megan

Sometimes friends bring you fresh flowers and it makes your MOMENT! DAY! WEEK! Thank you Bart and Jeanette Scheuller!

Laugh out loud. Maybe my car is trying to tell me something. “Keep those kids away from my receiver hitch, darn it!”

More stripes than I care to admit, perhaps, but NO APOLOGIES! I LOVE STRIPES!

This salad is quickly becoming a summer staple, along with another chopped salad that my friend David generously shared with ME! (Recipe coming soon to the blog!)

My inner geek is having a party for the fly by that New Horizons did of Pluto this morning! We’ll be coming back to this proto-planet on Friday, and I still wish that dear Pluto hadn’t been demoted. I remember going into the Air and Space Smithsonian after Pluto was down-graded and seeing the empty display (no joke) that once contained Pluto’s stats and facts. Sad day then, but this latest picture fest is a happy encounter for us planetary geeks and freaks! Go Pluto!

Sno-cone addicts! Almost everyday at every spot around town, I refuse to pick a favorite!

Bikes. We are loving the Weekly Race Series. A Wednesday race for adults and kids of all ages. Thank you to Euclid Timbers and others for sponsoring this awesome event!

More bikes.

Lake.

More lake!

This lovely lady also conspired to surprise me! Thank you, Melanie for traveling 2,902.7 miles with your littles to hang out with us! Showing up on my porch on a random Wednesday really was the most wonderful surprise a gal could as for! A gift, a treasure, we had the best time EVER!

Fish.

More fish.

There he is. The guy who really knows how to make the magic. I’d gush on, but he might blush. Suffice it to say that he is WONDERFUL! Thank you for the very merriest unbirthday bash! ❤

Summer projects including duck-tape wallets for all the kiddos. Practically pointless, but always fun!

Making Homemade Root Beer for Miles’ Birthday.

I cannot believe that June is nearly over! I just can’t. I looked forward to this summer for what seemed like forever, and now it is FLYING by!

Perhaps this is due to the joy we’ve had in our everyday as of late. I did an outtakes post a few months ago, HERE. I talked a lot about balance, perfection, and REAL life moments that take place behind the blog curtain, and thought that it might be the perfect way to talk about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness openly and honestly here on the blog.

I’ve already mentioned that we’ve had the most WONDERFUL opportunity to have some special friends visit our house a couple times a week this summer. First of all, these two sweet little ladies are GIRLS and their dispositions, attitudes, and personalities are very different from my two BOYS.

The contrast has been delightful. They all seem to genuinely enjoy one another’s company, and have even been known to ask for one another through the weekend. As in, “When are Little J, and Miss I coming back to play?!?”

I’ve also posted a few pictures on Instagram, but along with our friends we have been able to take horseback riding lessons every Monday. (Thank you Sue!!!!!) This opportunity has been absolutely priceless. The girls have had a lot of experience with horses from birth right on up. They have their own horse, and are honing their horsemanship skills.

The boys are totally new to horses and horseback riding. My oldest is especially excited and counts down the days each week until he returns to the ranch. I cannot properly describe how heavenly that spot is for us. The first day of riding they got up and dressed themselves in their finest cowboy attire which was really code for their old Halloween costumes and went to it!

The blue sky, lazy clouds, smell of the deep, rich earth, hay being cut and turned and baled and brought in. The tall grasses and clover, the dance of the flies and the breeze across the flood-irrigated fields. The warm sun and the trips around the arena on Peppy, or Dan-o, or a special ride on Zoro behind Mimi. Alta and Finn, the two yellow labs, and after-lesson rides on the four wheeler to check on water, or see the progress of haying. Heaven.

Another highlight of this summer has been the renovation of our backyard. Affectionately hash-tagged #sheddeckfence, my husband went TO TOWN on all things backyard construction related. From the outdoor lighting to custom window well covers, to the perfect adirondack chairs, to the finishing touch of the prayer flags he has carefully styled every part of this project.

He is still busy finishing a backyard fire pit complete with natural gas pipping, built-in benches along the fence, and a beautiful fire bowl to finish things off! It’s all in the details, and I love him for it.

Other high points have been time spent on the river for Father’s Day, and many miles logged on bicycles. Yes, there is photographic evidence that our kid ate a donut the size of his head, and the Farmer’s Market started up again on Thursday evenings replete with pupusas, grilled corn, sweet mint limeade, and local music.

The boys’ received a go-cart for a shared birthday present front their Grandma! Thank you, Robin! And I received some fresh eggs from Tonya, Yum, yum. THANK YOU!

Water sports of every kind from the slip n’ slide, to sprinklers, to water balloons are in full effect. The frogs in the last shot are Miles’ favorite toy. Shiny, cuddly, colorful, filled with tiny beads, specially ordered by our local grocer to make him smile! 🙂 Thank you Lindsay and Rena!!!

We’re doing all this while trying to keep the toilets clean, the laundry at bay, and the dishes from turning into a scene from Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout!

Summer, you’ve been good to us. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have other goals I need to tackle. I read an interesting article about FUN today in the Deseret News. Brooke Romney, the author, wanted to point out that we’ve grown up in a culture that worships that term. We base a lot of our time and effort and energy in the pursuit of this FUN, and sometimes we need to realize that being a fun chaser actually just leaves you thrusting for the next created high.

What about the value of hard work, trying to give your best in all you do, developing the skills to be a true friend, investing time into hard tasks. These things don’t often get the hype and the excitement, but they actually can be enjoyable, fun, and allow you to deepen your success, satisfaction, and personhood. You can read her article here.

I still need to jump on a chore list for my boys, and figure out how to set up a balance where they are asked to be responsible and contribute to home life maintenance before I end up writing them a letter like this, WORTH THE READ! I hope you are all experiencing an awesome summer however you’ve chosen or been able to use your time!

XX, Megan