Summer

oh summer.  It is always too too short!  I prepared physicaly (charts and plans) and emptionally less for this summer than any other.  Mostly becuase it never felt like school actually started.  Until this fall it has felt like covid summer since March 2020.  I was a little worried though.  I had noticed that school breaks and Saturdays were really hard on me and the babies.  I am always feeling stressed, out of control, and worried about what everyone is doing (or not doing).  I worried I would feel this way all summer.  Than I decided to issue a challenge to my family, Sunday School class, and myself - to read the Book of Mormon over the summer.  I started and within the first 2 weeks of summer I noticed that the stress, worry, frusteration, and chaos that accompanies every school break and weekend didn't come.  I had peace.  I found that the peace came from reading the Book of Mormon everyday.  It wasn't part of my "normal" scrpiture study every morning.  I read it in little moments througout the day.   I put paperback book of Mormons EVERYWHERE and when the babies were playing happily bythemselves I would read instead of look at my phone.  It was the perfect life hack for the summer.   

Well... to the fun stuff.  We never really got in a groove.  Our groove was, "do what ever".  I took the babies on outsings... sometimes.  It was hard becuase Even had 2 naps a day all summer.  So our only time to do outsings was 11 to 1.  But sometimes I would leave Eve.  Everyday was different.  Sometimes a big kid or 2 would come with us.  Sometimes everyone would . Brock had football everyday.  That was new.  That was hard.  I don't like when my kids are gone. 

One day we went to Belleview Park.

The kids rode their bikes, scooters, and rollerblades all. the. time.  Seriously.  They all went on hour long rides everyday.  Madison is our resident roller blader and has been teaching everyone else.  She doesn't love being the expert at stuff. (wink).

Dane spent most of his days playing with trains.  It was his thing.  

We did bubbles.

 Jason and I try to have one on one "special time" with one older kid every month.  For Brock's special time I gave him a driving lesson.  It was a lot of fun and he did great.

And she is adorable!

The girls had a tent sleepover.  We actually watched Finn and Zoe for 3 or 4 days and had A LOT of sleepovers all summer.

We tried one splash pad, the babies didn't love it, I think next year will be better.

The girls baked, a lot.

For the last week of summer we did one last family activity - swimming.

Since Brock refused to swim he was baby slide duty.

 I mean.... come on!  

When the outdoor pool closed we went indoors.