Filling Our Summer Days

I have a love/hate relationship with summer.  Long days to fill, but they includes NO homework or practicing of any sort.   Here is how we have been filling our days:

Getting lots of snow cones with friends.

We've been having "Best Worker" contests at our house.  For example, we were doing yard work one hot morning.  Everyone was getting a snow cone for helping, but the BEST WORKER was getting a medium size snow cone instead of the small.  Man ALIVE that sparked some fire into my kids.  Abby was the winner.  Annie was the winner of cleaning up the kitchen after dinner.  Georgia was the winner of cleaning up the play room.  Carter is still working on it!

Annie went boating with some friends (she is in the middle).  She declared that we needed to get a boat!

Carter displaying our new garden sign.

These strawberries lasted 10 seconds.

My FAVORITE (seriously) summer activity - shelling peas in the garage.  It makes for some forced talking time.  I love it!

We decided to try our hand at growing potatoes this summer.  Yeah - they are growing!

5 gallon bucket 3/4th of the way full.  Plus a few cucumbers!

Staring contest

Donuts for breakfast occasionally

Sewing camp for the big girls!

Playing in Bridal Veil Falls

My favorite - RUNNING CAMP!  We have really improved since last year - yahoo!

The kids helped tie a quilt and everyone was happy about it!

We've gone through lots of sidewalk chalk.

Hanging with family at the park!

Grandpa's Hideaway

For the past 2 years, we've headed up to Lewiston, UT to play at Grandpa's Hideaway.  Tim's dad grew up on a dairy farm and his brother/nephew still own and operate the farm.  They have lots of farm toys and invited us to their piece of land to play for the 4th of July weekend.

Someone please feed this boy (FYI - he is sucking in for the camera, but he is skinny)

Slip and slide

Playing on 4-wheelers

Playing on Segways

Playing on zip lines

Playing in the pond

Playing on the canoes

Tim jumping into the pond (I love the expression of all the kids below)

Abby on a Segway

Georgia learned to ride a 4 wheeler all by herself.  She's not even in kindergarten yet!

My kids came home filthy dirty and beyond exhausted.  They didn't watch a stitch of TV or video.  They are asking when we can do it all again!  Excellent weekend!

Steels Days Fun Run!

WARNING...PROUD MOMMA MOMENT!!!!

My kids have been going to running camp all summer and decided they wanted to race the American Fork Steel Days 1/2 mile fun run!  Heck ya!!!

I'm so proud of each of them!  They all improved in different ways and had fun doing it!


Pre-race picture



Starting line



Carter (red shirt - # 332) - I yelled at him to sprint to the finish because he was in a cluster of boys about his age.  He placed 6th and was within 1 second of 4th/5th place.  He was disappointed he didn't get top 5 or the trophy.  His time was 3:52.

Annie (red shirt - #334) - I love her form! Time 4:02 

Abby (red shirt - #333) - She just loves to have F.U.N.!  Her time was 4:23. 



Annie and her 2nd place trophy!

We Survived 9 years....

Nine years ago (on July 2), these beautiful babies were sent to our house straight from heaven.  Lucky us....we hit the baby jack pot!  And we celebrate because we have survived 9 years!

Annie "Baby A"  5 lbs 3 oz

                                                 

Abby "Baby B" - 5 lbs 6 oz

Carter "Baby C" 5 lbs 14oz

9 years old!

Birthday cake of choice - cake pops and chocolate chip cookie dough truffles!!!!

Loving the Visa gift cards!!!

                                                                               

LOVING the Target gift cards!

I'm not very good at the "creative birthday parties".  So I offered each kid a $100 in lieu of a party (and $100 is waaaaayyyyy cheaper than throwing a party).  Carter was the only one who took me up on the offer.

$100 for a party

  Shopping at Justice with our birthday money!

Super Target...that money is burning a hole in our pocket!

The girls had a Tea Party at Thanksgiving Point.

Pinkies UP!

Such a great group of girls!

Summer Dayz

We've been trying to do a few fun things in addition to reading, school work and chores.

Dessert from the Waffle Truck....mmmmmm.

A failed attempt at a trail run by me.  I'm definitely not a mountain goat!

Summer movies with cousins!

A trip to "This is the Place Park" with friends.  This day was definitely a winner.  Cool weather, it was a "free day" so it cost us nothin', awesome friends, and free ice cream!