Summer Remixed

Hello avoided blog, I've missed you.  I thought I'd check-in before Summer is officially over and the First Day of School post goes up.  

PRESCHOOL GRADUATION WAS A HOOT HOLLERIN' GOOD TIME!

What better way to start a Summer post than with the graduation of my two preschoolers back in May.  For August this was his 2nd and final Preschool Graduation.  This was CC's first graduation and if all goes well she will also have her 2nd this year too.  It was  a cowboy theme.  I wish I had a better quality and sound tape of the performance becuase it was priceless, but the quality is really bad and my video skills would end up being annoying than enjoyable.

JUNE:
June was a whirlwind that began with a visit from my Sister from Utah.  She stayed with us and we shopped and ate out and had a great time!  She is one of a kind and I'm so glad she came down to visit.  It was especially fun to spend her birthday with her.

I had a great Birthday...all I know is that I really appreciated all of the thoughts and activities to commemorate my big 36.  I really don't think 36 feels any different that 26...isn't it all them same after 21 anyway?

GIRL'S CAMP!  This year it was  ward camp and we went up North to a friend's cabin.  It was so much cooler, the cabin was awesome and housed 15 roudy girls rather perfectly.  The hike was beautiful, food was good, and showers hot.  What more could you ask for?  Oh and the Snipe hunt-"snipey".

Lunch with Grandma and Aunt Stacey. Let's face it lunch with three wild children is always "fun" but since we had family it was extra special!  My little Quinn especially enjoyed and soaked up every last lazy minute she had of summer.

Some of the fun things we do during the summer to keep (our) cool are:

One of the many community pools, our favorites being the Basha and Hamilton pools and the closest Mesquite Pool with friends.  We like the bouncy places and save up our Groupons for those long summer days.  We did Amazing Jakes a few times and went early for lunch, hung out all day, came home for a short break and go back for dinner until they close.  Those were extra fun days for Mom.

We do open gym at USA Gymnastics, the splash pad at Tempe Town Lake is an old Favorite and of course lunch at McDonald's is a decent crowd pleaser.  Don't get me wrong, the kids have spent plenty of time in front of TV and they think Redbox is just like Safeway's.  We go there weekly .

QUINN'S BAPTISM:

In June my parents drove down with two eight year old cousins in tow to pick up our Quinney and take them away on a week long California vacation that included the San Diego Zoo, Disneyland and one night in beautiful downtown New Castle.  This is a tradition my parents started with their first grandkids and is now something the 8-year olds of the family look forward to.  Quinn and her cousins had a great time. My parents are super troopers!  I think they had just as much fun as the kids!

Up to Utah we went so that Quinn could be baptized with her cousin Gracie since they are only a couple of months apart.  What a special day.  So special that cameras were not allowed...or maybe pictures were just forgotten in the excitement of it all.  Both Tyler's and my whole family were able to come and my brother and his in-laws.  It was a very special day to see these two cute girls get baptized and confirmed.  We had a little get together at the park afterward and it was just perfect!  This picture really does it all justice don't you think?

I also got to meet up with an old friend Jodi. Jodi and I were besties in high school.  She was the kind of friend every girl should have through high school.  Easy going, impulsive, happy and funny. We shared so many experiences together in that short time.  Unfortunately we haven't seen each other since we got married. It was so much fun to reconnect with her and her four beautiful childeren!  We have promised to keep in touch now, so hopefully we don't go another 15 years without pics of her and her family on my blog.

John and Jude celebrated their 50th Anniversary on June 30th.  

50 YEARS!!!  We celebrated at the first of the year by going on a family cruise.  For their actual anniversary we all went to the Temple together on the 30th (at Jude's request) and had a great Open House that night at Mike and Tam's.  Now they are on an Alaskan cruise to celebrate with friends. I hope we get to do a year of celebrating our 50th when that time rolls around. My parents are not only considerate of each other, totally in love still, but they are party animals and I love them dearly!

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This next little ditty won't mean anything to anyone if you don't know or haven't seen Kid History.  Or rather Kid Histories.  They are funny short little stories told by kids and acted out by grown men.  Mostly 5 brothers.  Well, once your kids watch them they will be hooked and they'll start quoting them around your house and in your car and at the grocery store.  They are sweet, innocent and when edited very comical!  

My brother-in-law Mike, is the eldest of the Roberts Brothers and while were up the kids were taped for the upcoming Kid History 6.  AND they got to meet the actors.  That was funny.  Richard on the end is the only non-brother.  He is a main character and his name on the eipisodes is Kyle.  When he introduced himself to the kids at Richard, they didn't believe him and said, "No it's Kyle".  So funny to see them star struck at such a young age.  These are the nicest guys and were really cute with the kids.

Watch episode 2 here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXChsJCHNVM

And look for episode 6 to come out the end of this month to see my two little munchkins make a small appearance.

We spent two weeks in Utah this summer and part of that was over July 4th.  I do have to say now that Utah lifted the fireworks ban we got a great view of fireworks popping like boiling water as we drove from the District in South Jordan to Wasatch Blvd.  Too and from our family's homes was like our own little private fireworks show each night.  We spend the day with the Kimballs up in Park City.  We at breakfast up there at a little pubish type place where I had the yummiest bread pudding french toast.  Then we went to the Alpine slide and stopped by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory for some sweet treats.  We actually saw snow flurries between Park City and the Freeway...only in Utah.

TGI-SCHOOL!
ONE day and 14 hours left, tick, tick, tick-but who's counting?  Seriously ready for my kids, who did more activities and got more fun crafts than I ever did as a child over the summer, to have some structure back to their day.  I should clarify...structure that is NOT imposed only by me.   Summer is finally winding down, and I am prepared.  We have bought all of our school supplies, new backpacks, back to school clothes and are anxious to meet our teachers tonight.   I am a little torn as my boy heads off to kindergarten but then I know he is more than ready to stretch his little legs and jump into kindergarten.  It will be strange to say goodbye to both of them on the bus...instead of Auggy running next to the bus trying to race the bus home as it drives away to school. I better stop writing now before I change my mind.  Haha. I'll be back in One day, 13 hours and 55 minutes to do the annual "First Day of School" post.