FIRST DAY Pictures!

 Kate...

Natalie...

Scott...

Scott measured 5'6" at his 12 year old check up! 

A quiet house makes for a sad puppy...

           

Summer Wrap-Up

Mike, Jon, Scott, & Scout ventured to a hiking trail and had a great day! They hiked for 10 miles!  I am thankful that they were able to have some male bonding time, and I am even more thankful that they left me at home!  Ten miles would be about 7 too many for me!:)

 I've been practicing my French braiding skills this summer.  Still have some practicing to do, but I'm starting to get the hang of it!

 Kate lost her front tooth and the other one is loose!  Love this phase!

These girls have gained a lot of strength at home this summer.  Natalie has practiced liked crazy on her tumbling and watched how-to videos.  A few weeks ago, she nailed her round-off back handspring.  I spent years working on this skill and didn't get it until high school.  I was impressed that within months of setting her mind to it, she is doing it! 

I continue to be amazed at how long Playdough can hold their attention.  Natalie & Kate will play with it for days for hours at a time.  I'm also amazed at how much of a mess it can make.  I have to just ignore the floor during their Playdough sessions.

Kate & her school buddies again- in case you didn't recognize them upside down. 
                                      

Jon & I celebrated our 15th anniversary last month!  He's my best friend, and I am so thankful that I get to be his wife. 

                                                 

Scott flew through the teen Left Behind Series and the Chronicles of Narnia series this summer.  I love it that he loves to read! 

 

Despite the restrictions and such, it turned out to be a nice summer.  I was talking with some moms the other day, and we agreed that it was the first time that we actually felt like we had plenty of time to spend together and that it was time to return to school.  Instead of being sad that our summer flew by too quickly, I think we can say that we are all ready to return to school and get back into the routine.  So here goes... (Insert foreign sounding early alarm clock!)
                                           

Summer Marches On

Despite these comments by the kids, we really do try to practice good dental hygiene.  

Kate one morning before church:  Mom, can I not brush my teeth today?  
Me:  Go brush them!
Kate:  But I'm wearing a mask!

Scott after leaving his dental cleaning appointment:  They spent forever scraping all of the plaque off of my back teeth- the ones no one can even see! 

Always a treat when the kids get to play with their cousins!

I'm not sure what's more impressive- the double rainbow or the stacks of firewood that Jon has cut.  Anyone have a marshmallow that needs roasting?  We've got you covered!

Kate with her school buddies

Swim lessons were a hit again this year!  The kids continued to make progress, and Kate became much braver in the water. 

Living Room ballet production

Celebrating the 4th of July!

A couple of neighbors put on quite a fireworks display that we enjoyed from the front porch!

The Great Getaway 2020- Part 4

Our final destination was the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. 

 Natalie loves the waves!

Ironically, the only open hotel pool on our trip was at the beach.  Therefore, we took turns at the beach and the pool, and the kids equally enjoyed them both.  

Our last long day of the trip was spent driving home.  It was actually Scott's 12th birthday that day, but he was a good sport and was okay with us singing "Happy Birthday" as we drove down the interstate.  He opened up a small present when we stopped at a gas station.  Signs that he's getting older, I guess!   

                             

All in all, it was a nice vacation that came a great time.  We are grateful that it all worked out, and we were able to get away for a bit.  

The Great Getaway 2020- Part 3

For the next couple of days, we explored the Smoky Mountains. 

The picture above shows a glimpse of goofy Kate. She was a riot and had us all laughing throughout the trip.  Long car rides bring out her absolute silliness.  Most of the time, she was quite entertaining to us all.  Jon and I looked at each other several times and were like, "Where does she come up with all of this?!"   

My favorite part of the Smokies was when we spotted some bear friends.  We saw a mom and her cubs!

 Look!  More waterfalls!  Let's take a picture. 

We hiked until we could hike no more on our last day at the park.  The kids were troopers!  (So was the wife.)  We all had our eyes on the prize though- the next day was the BEACH.