Summer Fun

School starts next Monday so this is our last week of summer vacation.  With our old Georgia schools already beginning their third week back, we definitely feel like we got an extra long summer.  We had 3 fun weeks in and around Utah, 2 1/2  exciting weeks in the Guest House, and by the time this week is over 8 weeks in our new home.  For the entire summer we’ve been a one vehicle family… but that didn’t stop us from having a fun couple months…

Ryan {twelve} spent the summer… riding bikes  .   playing soccer with Charlie (new friend two streets over) at the park  .   jumping on the trampoline  .   learning how to play ‘Axis and Allies’ on the laptop with Dad and being completely obsessed by it  .   asking to play BANG all the time  .    playing Zug um Zug (Ticket to Ride Europe in German) with Mom, Dad and Katie ALMOST EVERY NIGHT  .  playing Lego  .   taking care of Matthew and Luke  .  playing Wii  .   doing lots of jobs  .   earning nearly 2,500  points on the summer points chart   .  going on overnight scout camps and his first week long scout camp which he LOVED (check out his blog), hanging out with Tate  .  going to a full week soccer camp with Katie, and friends: Tate, Riley and Ian  .  going to YM/YW combined activities and scout activities  .  going to the Frankfurt temple to do baptisms for the first time  .  going to Holiday Park with Tate (big amusement park)  .  reading the Shanara Series  .  doing a report on the Eiffel Tower for upcoming Paris trip  .  watching movies  .  babysitting  .  building cool train sets for Luke  .  having a BANG game night with lots of friends  . 

Katie {ten} spent the summer…  riding bikes   .   picking blackberries  .  going to the park with the girls  .  playing soccer with Ryan  .  jumping on the trampoline  .  playing Ticket to Ride with Mom, Dad and Ryan ALMOST EVERY NIGHT  .  watching movies   .  staying up late  .  playing house or restaurant or school or with the girls  .  drawing  .  doing her hair or asking me to do it  .  creating folded paper cell phones  .  doing jobs  .  playing with her American Girls  .  listening to music  .  playing with her stuffed animals  .  making up fun activities for the girls  .  playing ‘primary’  .  reading  Ramona books during reading time  .  babysitting (with Ryan)  .  taking such good care of the little boys  .  Having play dates with Lindsey, Lindsey and Natalie  .  practicing Taylor Swift concerts for Mom and Dad  .  Wishing Activity Days would start (it finally started today)  .  cooking with Mom or making cookies by herself  .  doing backbends  .  going to a full week soccer camp with Ryan  .  exploring new parks  .   doing a report on the Eiffel Tower   .  doing puppet shows and making Emily laugh and laugh  .  doing a ‘spa’ for each other with pedicures, manicures and backrubs with comfy robes, sweet pea lotion and shimmery black nail polish  .  deciding what outfit she should wear and giving suggestions to her sisters… even allowing them to wear her clothes so they will look cute  .
 
Emily {seven and a half}  spent the summer… riding bikes  .  picking blackberries  .  going to the park  .  jumping on the trampoline  .  doing lots of jobs with a very happy attitude and saving all her points  .  watching movies  .  having play dates with Emma and Brooklyn and Ellie  .   going on vacation to Garmisch with the family  .  cleaning up her room (which she doesn’t like because it takes so long)  .  playing for hours up in her loft bedroom  .  playing ‘spa’  .  playing with American Girls and their pets  .  having tea parties  .  dressing up  .  practicing Taylor Swift songs  .  inviting mom to her restaurant  .  reading Series of Unfortunate Events  .  organizing her clothes in PERFECT piles in her drawers  .  drawing  .  reading Junie B. Jones to Megan  .  taking care of Matthew and Luke and Megan when Mom and Dad went to the temple  .  playing Uno and Zug um Zug and BANG and Ticket to Ride, and Dominoes with the family  .  checking to see if her other big tooth is coming in (it’s not)  .  quoting Disney movies ALL the time  .  playing Wii with Ryan  .  and just giggling all the time  . 

Megan {five} spent the summer… doing everything Emily did.   Oh, and … getting excited about kindergarten  .  being wonderfully cooperative and happy OR sulky and blatantly disobedient (depending on her mood)  .  riding the scooter  .  learning how to ride a bike without training wheels BY HERSELF (Yeah Megan!)  .  going to the park with the kids  .  asking for a snack or asking what’s for lunch  .  showering by herself  .  playing with the American girls and stuffed animals  .  doing whatever Katie suggests  .  practicing Taylor Swift concerts for Mom and Dad  .  carrying Matthew when she’s not supposed to  .  having Mom read her books but not really wanting to practice reading  .  having play dates with Naomi, Brooklyn and Macey  .  exploring new parks with the family  .  watching movies 

Luke {two years and nine months} spent the summer… asking for a drink!!!  .  playing trains  .  watching movies – especially Finding Nemo, Geotrack train movies, Bambi 2, Fox and the Hound, and the Incredibles  .  riding his motorized jeep  .  jumping on the trampoline  .  playing at the park  .  refusing to take a nap but falling asleep on the couch at 4:30 and then staying up late with Mom and Dad  .  walking to go get gelato.  putting his little toys in a line and playing follow the leader  .  reading books with Mom  .  playing on the girls floor  .  screaming… lots and lots of screaming  .  lots of time alone in his room playing with blocks (from Grandpa W.)  .  hugging/pushing Matthew  . 

Matthew {fifteen months} spent the summer… smiling  .  being blocked off on whatever floor we were on  .  pointing at whatever he wanted  .  giggling while jumping on the trampoline with the kids  .  taking long naps  .  playing blocks with Luke  .  wanting to go ‘ous’ (outside) and trying to run to the front or back door any time they are opened  .  walking towards me and lying down when I say, “change pants” even if it’s Luke who I’m trying to change  .  eating anything we put in front of him and wanting to do it himself  .  giving kisses  .  saying “yeah!” whenever he hears the kids getting excited  .  wanting a drink too (whenever he sees Luke with one)  . 

Chris spent the summer… watching lots of world cup soccer games  .  playing Axis and Allies with Ryan  .  playing Zug um Zug with wife and kids every night  .  fighting over the Shanara series with Ryan  .  researching Audi cars to purchase  .   reading every SINGLE article that comes out about BYU FOOTBALL and Independence  .  anxiously counting down the days till the first game of the season  .   getting his work office organized and rearranged  .  finally back to reading CT’s, MRI’s, Mammograms, Ultrasounds and Radiographs and enjoying it  .  celebrating his 37th birthday  .  doing executive secretary calling stuff  .  walking to the gelato place with the family  .  organizing finances  .  doing whatever ‘around-the-house’ jobs Lisa can think up for him  .   researching vacation destinations and vacation rentals  .    playing soccer with Ryan and Katie and kids  .

Lisa spent the summer… watching Taylor Swift concerts and plays by the kids  .  doing laundry  (LOTS and lots of laundry)  .  making breakfast  .  cleaning the kitchen  .  making lunch  .  cleaning the kitchen  .  making dinner  .  cleaning the kitchen  .  bissel mopping my tile floor several times a week  .  watching movies with Chris late at night  .  eating popcorn  .  driving Chris to work if I wanted the car for appointments or play dates  .  organizing the house  .  going to ward parties  .  seeing the four castle lighting with friends  .  making the kids do jobs  .  reading Rick Steves travel books  .  going to parks with new friends  .  attending girls nights out  .  more laundry  .  hosting and going to BBQ's  .  more cleaning (never enough to get the whole house clean at once though)  .  planning baptism themed FHE activities for the next month  .  doing ‘spa’s with my girls  .  sleeping in (thank you Katie)  .  staying up way way too late  .  organizing service for compassionate service calling  .  talking, talking, talking with the kids  .  enjoying the scenery anytime we drive anywhere  .  counting my blessings  .  going to the Frankfurt temple for the first time  .  registering the kids for new schools and attending parent orientation meetings...