Summing up Summer

JUNE:
Rainy, windy, and cold.
I did a summer store with my kids where they could earn "money" (monopoly money) for reading, writing, spelling, math, and physical education. They could visit the "store" (a plastic tote full of cheap toys, sports cards, bubbles etc.) anytime they wanted. Items ranged from $2 to $25. Many rainy June mornings were spent this way trying to earn money to go to the store. As expected, by August I had to beg them to do more than their required reading every day.


We also spent a lot of time at the farm. We went at least once a week to play. Where else can a little girl drill holes into wood, a young kid demolish pop cans with a hammer and drive a tractor alone, a two year old drive a three wheeler?

Not to mention, the jelly beans, ice cream and fruit for lunch! They were all in heaven on Five Mile!

Carter got to participate in his first ever golf tournament. They played 5 holes and he had a great time. He was most excited about the fact that Garth was his caddy. Later in the summer the two of them won a Father/Son tournament!
JULY:

It finally warmed up. We spent every day possible on the boat.

Carter skied a ton! (I'll post on that later)

This boating beauty became a serious swimmer and loved to do cannon balls off the boat.
Derek was an awesome boater despite his OCD fits about the skis, ropes, and jackets being in their proper places at all times!
Even Olivia got in on the action with her first tube ride (the little red-head with us belongs to our friends the Shelbys but she sure looks like she could be mine with that hair!)

Garth teased that Olivia looked like a "fat bridesmaid" in her new swimsuit. It doesn't help that she is constantly eating!

July also included our one and only trip this year. We ventured down to Rexburg, Idaho for my Ricks College Cheer Reunion (which I will post as soon as I get the pictures from a friend).

AUGUST:

Can you say "football"? That has been the focus of our August. Carter has had as much as 8 hours of practice a week and had his first game on Saturday.
The beginning of football put a kink in my favorite day of the week. Thursdays, while Garth was doing this. . .
my mom and I would do this. . .

Her fitness club has a 75 minute spin class with my favorite instructor in Spokane. The neighbor girl would come watch my kids and we would spin, and spin, and spin.

Today it is raining.

Tomorrow school starts.
It's hard to believe the summer is gone.

Look Alike

The big news around here is that Olivia's hair is long enough to do pigtails. I think she looks adorable. . .

Garth says she reminds him of Vera de Milo (the Jim Carey character from In Living Color).

Art Camp

In July, my kids got to attend a week long art camp called Picasso's Studio at the Corbin Art Center. After a rough first two days, (battling colds, first time away from home all day for Syd, tears from feeling inadequate) they really enjoyed themselves.

Here is some of Carter's best stuff. Portrait of Derek, 3D guitar, mask, abstract Picasso-like portrait.

Papier mache bull, clay face.

Here is Sydney's best stuff. 3D guitar,

Papier mache goat, clay face,

abstract Picasso-like portrait (notice how the right side of the face is looking forward, and the left side is looking sideways), mask


a happy/sad clown.


It was so nice to have them busy for a whole week, all day long. . .I didn't even mind the ruined outfits that much!

If You Chance to Meet a Frown

A few months ago, Olivia learned how to control her eyebrows. She went from being the smiliest baby in town, to such a frowner!

She's not just frowning at me because I left her outside and she fell off the porch causing that lovely lump on her forehead. She frowns at anyone who talks to her.

She's still the best though, who else in this family could be so entertained by her own hands and a coffee table?

The Sponge Bob Effect

Boys Room Before and After

This is a very outdated post. My boys' room was in dire need of some updating. We had my favorite kind of furniture (the free kind) but it was deteriorating and needed to be replaced. These are the befores. . . awesome free bunk beds from Garth's mom's ski condo that were so rickety, we didn't trust them one on top of the other. the closet was a mess and had Garth's old dresser from when he was a kid.

This is the after. . .One of the highlights of the room are the toy boxes that Grandpa Norm has made for the boys. This one is Derek's from Christmas.

This one is Carter's from when he was 2. Clearly the closet didn't improve much but at least there is a nice door you can close!
I love how this wall turned out.

The other highlight is the quilt that my mom and I made. My mom made one for Carter when he turned 2. It has monster trucks, tractors, and race cars, all the things he loved. Since I have nice bunks now, I wanted their blankets to match. We made this new quilt with the same colors, just with a sports theme.
Technically, it is Derek's quilt but Carter ended up sleeping on the big bed on the bottom so he thinks it's his, especially since he is the biggest sports freak on the planet!