This was an abnormally short summer (thanks Covid - ugh) but we managed to fill it with fun and friends and family! We split our time into days spent at home with a revolving door of neighborhood kids (seriously the door slamming has been the soundtrack of my life for the last few months!), countless kid lunches at the kitchen table, playing until dark, pool time, pokemon playing and trading, trips to the snow cone place and the lake, math facts, and reading book after book. And we also wandered to visit friends and have mini adventures! A summer full of memory making moments in a time that is still so foreign and surreal but continues to put a spotlight on what matters most and for that we are Grateful!
A trip to the driving range followed by a donut treat at this local gem! Love these two golfers!
A rainy day called for some creativity on my part...we had an "Interval Day". Basically I came up with some little activities (ranging from 20 minutes to an hour) and put them in a hat. The boys took turns drawing from the hat and that is what they did. It was an 6.5 hour playdate of random activities that kept these kiddos occupied and engaged. It turned out to be so much fun!!! One of them pulled this activity from the hat....learning to use chopsticks! First up a "how to" video on youtube
Followed by snacktime using ONLY chopsticks! :-)
Next up "Make Rock Candy" was chosen from the hat...precise measuring at its finest! Ha!
"Electronic Demolition" - this one was a big hit! We had an old DVD player that no longer works and I picked up a clock radio at Goodwill for $2. I let the boys destroy them! They loved seeing all the cool internal parts. Notice the canine helper :-)
Lake Days
Oh my goodness, one of our summer highlights was making our way south to visit our dear friends the Bochats! It was so wonderful to visit with them and share life again and talk and play and just be together. We are so incredibly grateful for their friendship! Luke and Mallory - a friendship that spans years and miles and is still so very full of love and laughter!
Erin. How I love this lady! She is such a role model for me and a dear friend to me. I value her friendship so very much!
The "Tochat Family"! J=18, N=17, M and Luke=12
And lucky for us about 24 hours later we got to hang out with this crew! Our very favorite coastal family!! We love our yearly summer meetup at a great waterpark and the kids had a fantastic time! We met the Retey family during our time in Florida and we love them so very very much!
Lisa is an absolutely selfless human being, a rock star mom, and an amazing friend! Love!
This extra photo of Luke and K just makes me smile because sweet K (age 6) specifically requested a photo of "just me and Luke" Soooo sweet!
A big highlight for Luke is that his beloved Pokemon tournaments have recently resumed!
We took Jed on a quick trip to HH to celebrate this amazing friendship in one of our favorite places. Ima and Shesh of course spoiled us with endless activities and entertainment and delicious food! Thank you! Forever and Always, Thank You!
Shell Tree crafting
Afternoon Bocce followed by the pool!
Shark Fishing! 22 sharks caught in 2.5 hours! A pretty good day!!
While we were in HH L was home preparing and conquering his first major hurdle in the PhD world. He did an amazing job and passed with flying colors!! We had NO doubt! When we got home Luke asked for a simplified version of his accomplishment so here is L teaching us about detrital zircons in a coastal system. :-)
And sometimes it is just too HOT to play outside so we do indoor yoga! :-)
Happy Summer to all!! School starts in the coming days and we are still trying to wrap our minds around that. We embrace new seasons and challenges so HERE WE GO!!!!!
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