August--summer wrap up & SCHOOL!

Summer mostly consisted of 3 things: Cousins, the backyard pool and the occasional outing.  The boat was not used as much this summer--but I think it's because it was kind of a windy summer.  We did get up a few times.

 We had one last fling and went up to Bear Lake with Davey and his fam.  We left just as this fire starting--luckily they got it out quick.  It's one of my favorite views.

 I didn't take any pictures of  the AMAZING water that is Bear Lake, but I got a few of a cave that we hiked through.  Bigger than Timp Caves and pretty cool.

School started the 3rd week of August this year.  While I was at that "Been there, done that" stage, I felt like we got robbed of our summer.  It's SO HOT still and they come home with red cheeks.

 Kesley got the teacher she wanted--Gavin was thrilled with his teacher, and Jenna--she got stuck in AFTERNOON kindergarten which started a WEEK LATER than the older kids.  So anti climactic.

Brent came to drop Jenna off at her first day too.  He was the teary eyed one this time--I think I was skipping out of there!  Here he is giving Jenna one last smooch before class started. He does this to Kesley too--only it's EVERY Sunday just as Primary is beginning--she loves to hate it. :)  My husband is one of a kind!

Oh, and a week into school, Gavin wanted to cut his beautiful hair.  That was a hard one for me--but he loves it, so what do ya do?

 School started off great--but 3 weeks into it, I threw a huge wrench into everyones lives....but that is for the next post.

July: part 2--Oregon Coast with the Pattons!

For the first time in a long time, we camped for a week along the Oregon Coast.  Chrissy and fam came with us.  It was one of the best trips to the coast we've ever had--but I think that had everything to do with not having a baby or a toddler along for the ride!  Sad, but true.

We did all the usual stops and ended the trip with a jaunt down to the Giant Redwood forest---SO AWESOME!! 

Favorite day: Roads End day.  We had a super low tides that made for spectacular tide pools

and we searched for treasures for hours

Other highlights of the trip included: kites

Pearle Beads--for hours!--check out Jenna's hysterical funny face--we couldn't capture that again if we tried.

Beach fun--more than we've been able to do on past trips because the weather was PERFECT almost every day!

I had hoped to recreate our last family picture that turned out so perfectly.  I am not sure why some families are so photogenic and some are....well...not.  We belong to the nots.  You can see from the shot above that Chrissy and her family belong to the ARE'S.  I blame Brent for a 50% of that and Gavin for 35% and me and the girls round out the last 15%.  Here are a few of our attempts: 



Brent likes this toothless smile..me, not so much.  And what's with the AWKWARD hand holding? 

Pose #2 seems like it should work--but--not so much.

  and it went down hill from there...

Here is attempt to pose #3... Thank you Brent.  But in all fairness, I now I understand why Brent always says this dress is not very flattering on me--especially when you walk INTO the wind!  So bad.

Our small jaunt down to the Redwood Forest turned into a 12 hour journey.  I think Brent and Charles were in hell.  We did have a few good stops along the way at Heceta Head Lighthouse, Cape Perpetua and Shore Acres. 

The highlight of the day was a nature walk down the Hobbit Trail.  Chrissy had made treasure bags for each kid that had paint swatches inside.  Each kid had to find things along the trail that matched the colors of the paint swatches.  So fun!

 Oregon has the best treasures--like banana slugs!

 And amazing mushrooms.

The drive was not the funnest, but nothing beats the MAJESTY of the Giant Redwoods.  Pictures do not do it justice.  Your driving along on a normal dirt road with small pine trees and then BOOOM!

It feels magical.  Spiritual.  Amazing.

I made Chrissy take about a million family pictures of us--hoping one would work.  You gotta do whatcha can when you are as un-photogenic as our family! :)  Sorry, Chrissy.

The perfect end to a great trip. 

July--at least part of it.

 July, July---fun month!  I can only post the first half here because I want to add all the pictures.  Things started off with a bang--quite literally.  4th of July festivities:  They actually started off with Grandpa Smiths famous breakfast--but I don't have any pics!!  Next year.

 

The Balloon Fest of course:

The Shumway Spectacular, Spectacular

Followed by the firework show--on the hot pavement in front of the stadium.  Yes, it was my year to choose!  Tradition!

Linda's will forever be the epitome of a perfect summer Sunday night.  The kids will not let me miss it.  Going or not going gives me so much POWER over them.  hee hee.  I'm pretty sure every VanCott uses Linda's as a way to parent with manipulation and idle threats!  Thank you Linda!!



 July also brought my 20 year high school reunion...no joke.  I got to go with my 2 best friends from high school, Chrissy and Marianne.  It was such a surreal experience to be in the same room with all those people 20 years later... Some hadn't changed a bit, and some...wow! they had changed more than three bits!  I was surprised by how the old insecurities just came flooding back--but it was also a good experience to be there as an adult, and to realize that we all had the same insecurities back then--popular or not.  It is hard to be a teenager!  I was really reluctant to go, but I am really glad I did.

 Check out our class picture!  We must have made some pact together to try to look as ANGRY as possible!  Chrissy cheated at the last minute!  I'm in the middle left, Marianne is center and Chrissy is middle right.  Awesome.

  July also brought a lot of yard work.  I was proud of my little herb garden and my front containers.  I also added a perennial garden in the back, leveled and layed pavers around the pool area, took out shrubs and leveled a spot for the tramp--which I moved by myelf--DIAGNOLLY through our aspen trees and almost broke my back...  Lots-O-work.

 Gavin captured this hummingbird with my camera--amazing shot!

 Now, for the second half!