Summer nights

The anticipation of sleeping on the trampoline is always a favorite for the kids - until at least two of them hear the siren song of their mattress calling them. 

Friend or Foe

I am holding this hummingbird because it hit our window, was stunned, and Jack wanted a new play thing - hence, the rescue.  So you would think I was a friend to nature wouldn't you?  But then I went straight in and changed the laundry, and out plopped this.......

 Can you tell what it is?  I had mummified a frog in our dryer, and I think I even put it through the washer.  Yeah - disgusting.  Where did all of its gushy innards go?  I don't want to know and since I couldn't be sure which load of laundry it came from I did them all again just to be sure. 

Silly, I know, to take pictures of these things, but how often do you get to hold a hummingbird?  And for that matter, how often do you mummify a frog? 

Freaking out!

Two things are on Emma's mind right now:  soccer and driving.  She is on the high school soccer team (even though she is only in ninth grade), and she is antsy about taking driver's ed and getting her license.  I wondered why Emma has been more than willing to help Ted put the boat away in the storage unit after we are done , but now I know why.  He lets her drive around the church parking lot, and she is loving it. 

Where we live she can get her driver's license at 15.  I have been absolutely opposed to this thinking it was far too young until I was calculating how many times I had driven to the high school soccer field.  When I figured out that over the course of ONE week I had driven that stretch 35 times just to drive her to soccer practice (and no - that is not an exaggeration) I changed my mind.  Now I am the one who is counting down the days until she can drive, and she couldn't be more thrilled. 

Now if I could just stop freaking out over how fast she is growing up and that next year she will be in high school we would all be fine. 

First Day of School

5:30 comes early when you are used to staying up late, but she did make herself wake up.  She may have been bleary eyed, but she was ready to go to early morning seminary and then over for her last year in Junior High.  She is excited for ninth grade. 

 Linc is in sixth grade this year and his last year of elementary school, but he is getting a sneak peek at Junior High.  He is taking math first period at the junior high since they don't offer his level at the elementary school.  The routine is that Emma leaves for early morning seminary at 6:15, Linc leaves with me (or the other mom who car pools with me) at 7:15 to pick them up from seminary and then drive them over to junior high.  (Junior High seminary was a lot more convenient when the church and the school buildnig were next door, but a few years ago they changed our subdivision boundaries to attend a different junior high which necesitates the driving).  After his first period we go and pick him up from junior high and he heads over to elementary school just in time for school to begin.  The only bright side to him not missing any elementary school is that during their math time he has time to finish any homework he may have. 

Sam is in third grade this year, and is mostly excited for recess to play soccer games again.  I have been fighting the bus situation and how early they pick up the kids - but he doesn't mind.  It gives them more time to play before school and he is just fine with that.  I wonder if his tune will change when it is 12 degrees outside?  Knowing Sam, he'll find something else to be happy about.  :)

 Tessa had a visit from her preschool teacher, and she is ready to go, but she doesn't start for another week.  Until then we will have lots of dates together.  However, when she heard me refer to the season as fall.....

 she went and got dressed in these.  She can hardly wait because she just figured out that Halloween is in the fall.  We have had discussions about Halloween every day since then.  Never a dull moment with her I tell ya!

"Let me 'splain. No there is too much. Let me sum up." --Inigo Monteya

So.....we were ready for summer.  Seriously.  It had been a crazy, busy, wonderful spring, but we were ready to hit summer hard - and we did.  Really hard.  I got my cast off and was dying to get out and enjoy the summer.  Now it is the first day of school and I'm grateful for the break, because summer was crazy.  Great, but crazy. 

You see, Emma had been busy with school.  She ran for class president and didn't make it, but instead she was made the ninth grade treasurer.  She also made the audition choir Mad Jazz.  She also had soccer competitions, piano recitals, end of year concerts, and in the midst of all of this she made the National Junior Honor's Society.   

Lincoln was also busy - he had track, soccer, piano recitals, and he quickly became Ted's biggest supporter for going out on the boat. 

Sam had a great end of the school year with playing the king in his class play, piano and violin recital, and spring ended with his team winning the soccer championship.

 Tessa finished her first year of preschool, and most of all was a good sport and was patient (mostly) and went to every concert, every game, every play, every recital, etc., etc.  In short, she was ready for summer too. 

When it finally got here we were off and running.  Here is the "sum up" of summer: 

SEATTLE

We began the summer with a trip to Seattle to see the concert we had been waiting to see for 18 months:  U2 360.  It was totally worth the wait!  We spent the weekend there taking an electric boat ride around to see the sights listening to music, eating an awesome chocolate bundt cake, and enjoying the beautiful weather.  It was amazing!

 Then came the actual concert.  Lenny Kravitz opened, and he did fine, but when U2 came out - Holy Cow!!!  It was AWESOME!!!  Totally worth the wait.  Totally. 

Lake Powell

We met Greg and Lisa and their family down at Wahweep for some fun in Lake Powell.  We were so new using the boat that we were nervous, but it all turned out just fine.  By fine, I mean we loved it.  We did lose our swim platform, broke a light, and even killed our battery once by mistake - but despite that we fell in love with Lake Powell....again.  The only thing the kids said they would change is that they would stay for one day longer.  We'll have to see about that......

Dave & Jessie

We were so excited to find out that Dave, Jessie, Noah, and Gage would be able to come stay with us for a few days - we don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like, especially now with them living in Singapore!  It was great having them here. 

Frank and Suz

After Dave and Jessie left we were excited to have Frank and Suz and their kids come up and stay for a few days.  It is great because the kids all join up together and disappear to play together - leaving us with some much appreciated time to hang out as adults (and we let Emma hang out too!).  Carly and Tessa have a love/hate relationship- right now they are loving each other. 

Checketts Cabin

Following our fun visits we headed to Island Park, Idaho to stay for a week at the Checketts cabin.  I swear the kids look forward to this all year long - they LOVE it, and so do I.  I go to bed each night with my cheeks hurting from laughing so hard.  We had a great time!

This year we were there over the fourth of July and went into West Yellowstone to watch the fireworks. 

It took the boys approximately .03 seconds to turn the glow sticks into light sabers - it was funny because nobody said anything about posing like they were holding light sabers, but being boys they knew what to do instinctively. 

Even Jack went out on the wave runners - I don't think he was a huge fan.  :)

We were home just enough for a piano recital (my camera died so I only have this one picture of Lincoln):

And then we headed to Five Star Ranch for the Wagner family reunion.

 It didn't take long for this game of "mild" water sports to go from this.......

 To this.......

 To this!

                       As moms we knew where the safe spots were.

 This was the end result - happy, exhausted kids.  Priceless!

Sprinkle in many, many trips out on the boat and you have our summer - more or less.  It has been one of those "go, go, go" summers, but we have had a good time. 

And now we are in the midst of dealing with this.....but more on this later. 

Right now the kids are at school, so I am going to go clean a room just so I can watch it stay clean for five whole minutes.  I loved summer, but school has its perks too!  :)