Summer Rush

This has been a fun summer, so much to do!!! 

Mike and I took the kids on dates!! Orignionally, it was supposed to be a family outing to the movies, but Lucy got sick (it's been quite the sick-o summer), so Elliott and I made a date of it. Don't worry, Lucy and Daddy got a date in the next week!

 

We have been playing outside a lot this summer, baseball games at the park, family walks, and sidewalk chalk fun!!

We went to the Discovery Center and even though the older kids rushed through, Archie enjoyed his first time there.

 This July was the 20th anniversary of one of our favorite movies, The Sandlot. To celebrate, they had a special viewing at the local professional baseball field, and several members of the cast were there to talk about it and sign autographs!

Archie is getting sneakier and sneakier!! One night he discovered the joy of taking off his diaper in bed.....ARGHHGHHHHGHH!!!! Several sheet changes and floor puddle wipe-ups later, Duck Tape saved the day :)

We began our 4th and July celebrations this year with a family walk to McDonalds again.

We went to Uncle Jason and Aunt Kristine's house for fireworks, watermelon and s'mores!

 Archie has inherited both my concentration scowl and Mike's furrowed brow. Pretty cute huh?

Elliott really wants to learn how to swim. He is embarrassed that he feels like the only one of his friends who can't get out of the yellow ribbon at the YMCA pool. So, we started him with some private swim lessons. He is much more confident now, but has a long way to go. His favorite part is diving off the diving board at the end of each class.

 We had Lilly over for a slumber party, and it was EPIC!!! We made suckers, rented a movie, went bowling,

Played arcade games at Big Al's,

And went swimming!!! We love having Lilly over!!

Mike ran another race. It was a landmark race because we ran the 10k leg last year, and this year he ran  the half-marathon leg. He beat his time from last year...GO DADDY!!! I was supposed to run it with him, but what can you do!!! My bulging disc is acting up, so I haven't ran an inch in 3 months!! Maybe next year Mike!

Did I mention it was a sick-o summer? Archie got a nice fever and ear infection, after a quick sunday trip to the doctor, he fell asleep on the kitchen floor.

The kids got to do some sports camps again through the YMCA. Elliott did tennis camp again.

Lucy did volleyball camp again. Elliott will do any sport that comes his way, but Lucy really seems to like volleyball...I hope she sticks with it! She's really good at it!

This picture was taken during a summer rain storm. It was Archie's first time out in the rain. He is doing the sign for "again".

Camping with Archie

We tried camping for the first time with Archie!! Mike has taken the kids camping a time or two since Archie was born, but he and I have always chose to stay at home. This year was the year, Archie is ready, but are we?!?!?!?

We outgrew our little camper. so we packed up the tent, loaded the truck and headed to Idaho City!

We picked a favorite spot of ours near a little creek. It kept the kids busy playing with rocks and buckets, and Mom busy watching Archie teeter on the brink of falling in.

The challenge was keeping the kids busy enough to occupy Archie's energy level.  So, we brought snaps for the kids to play with...

(nice double-snap-stomp move Lucy)

...and plenty of snacks ....

...a dump truck for mud, rock, dirt and water fun...

...big toys for the big kids, and what's more fun than a tent to play in?

Once it got dark, we had glow sticks and head lamps to play with.

The next day we went for a little nature walk and the kids found this log. They insited I take a picture of them posing on it :)

It was only a one night camping trip, but it was ENOUGH!!  Archie didn't take any nap, and stayed up until 11:00!!! and, of course, we were all up with the sun in the morning, so the car ride home looked like this:

Camping is exhausting, dirty, a lot of work, uncomfortable....so why do we do it? Look at these faces.....it is so worth it. :)