Summer 2016: The Best Ever

School has started and we're in a totally different mode now, but I have to report on the rest of our summer because it was magical. We woke up late, had adventures almost every day, and felt the love every day. I never thought I was a Summer Mom, but I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have school start because we all need to get back to work. We're already talking about next summer, though. :)

We spent many, many hours in the pool between swimming lessons and trips to the outdoor pool. I peeled three times. Not in the same places, so that's something. All the kids got so good at swimming! Emil made the most progress, probably. He just needs to smooth out his kick so he doesn't look like Shaggy from Scooby-doo in the water. ;)

We went on a lot of Pokemon Go hunts together. Colin is obsessed, of course, but Emil got into it, too. We got to know where all the Pokeball stops are and even caught some Pikachus. Fun for everyone. I feel like I could be awarded a BA in Pokemon.

My fancy New York City cousin, Allison, and her husband, Noah, were in Payson for a few weeks at Noah's parents' farm with their new baby. The kids and I spent a delicious day holding their beautiful new baby, picking and eating cherries, and having a real farm-to-table lunch. The kids still talk about it because it was that awesome. The baby and cherry-picking, not so much the fresh veg.

We tried participating in the city's Suds Day and failed. I was covering it for the newspaper. The kids waited in long lines to get into a bouncy house after being grossed out by a field full of suds and kids. Bridget's friend told her later that someone next to her in the suds puked. That's it for us! Someone else will get that gig next year.

We went to the outdoor movie at Thanksgiving Point with our food from JCW's. It's one of my favorite Summer Only activities. We snuggled under the stars and watched "Inside Out." When it was over at 11:00pm, I remembered why we don't do it every week in the summer. That walk back to the van with all that stuff! That's why.

My parents came a couple of times for quick overnight visits. Grandma brings one or more of her dolls and some new stuff for Bridget's dolls and Grandpa brings Feats of Strength he uses at the school where he teaches. We always eat well when Grandma and Grandpa come to visit.

The boys and I went to the starting gate at IM Flash to see the Tour of Utah cyclists start their fourth day (of seven) racing. At first it was miserable - I was carrying so much stuff, it was hot, the boys were antsy. But they tried the rock wall and Emil almost got to the top. Then I let them get tattoos and eat Waffle Love. When the race finally started, it was surprisingly magical. We were right there watching elite athletes doing the thing they do best. And now we know Emil is a climber.

We went to the parks A LOT and Bridget practiced her overhand serve. When she isn't nervous, she can launch it way over the net, no problem. She is almost always nervous, though.

 

The kids had a blessed overnighter at Grandma and Grandpa's house. While Grandma and Grandpa were having all the fun, Brian and I went to "Music Man" at Sundance and ate at the Tree Room. Then we came home and slept like the dead since we didn't have any little boys using our bathroom, then crawling into bed with us. Or a sweet girl talking crazy in her sleep.

Bridget had volleyball camp and fashion camp and sewing class every Monday, but she still had plenty of time playing with friends. One day I dropped her off at Brooklyn's and this was happening in the tree. It reminded me so much of my childhood and made me so happy.

Bridget's first time on Cannibal.

Emil, Colin, and Cousin Ian on a spaceship.

The soaking wet kids after Rattlesnake Rapids.

Of course we had our big Lagoon Day. Kodi joined us again this year and made it extra fun for Bridget. I mostly hung out with the boys and stood in lines. We caught up with my brother Rob and his family for a few minutes, which was the highlight for Emil and Colin. We only let the kids take us on Rattlesnake Rapids one time this year so that we wouldn't be totally soaked for hours. Nobody broke a phone this time and we didn't have too many tears when it was time to leave... after 9 hours.

The week before Bridget started school, we went all out, doing something every day that we could only do in the summer. The outdoor pool with nachos and Kodi!

Momentum Climbing in the middle of the day. We spent about three hours there and Emil RULED that place. Bridget and Colin were good, too, just more cautious. Emil was determined to figure out how to get to the "finish" hold every time. Bridget went all the way across and back without touching the ground on the youth climbing wall. They were beat afterwards - climbing muscles are all the muscles. (Momentum is so flippin' expensive! I'd be there every day if it wasn't. We had a coupon and it was still pretty outrageous.)

My favorite Summer Only activity was the day we slept in and did NOTHING almost the whole day. So glad I could sell that to the kids. ;)

Last, but not least, we went to see Dad at his work and have lunch with him. We kept saying all summer that we were going to do that on a weekly basis, but it never ended up happening. So glad Bridget got to spend her last day of Summer Freedom with Dad. :)

 

 

Then Bridget went to school and the boys and I had another week before Kindergarten would start. We kept the party going and I took them to "Kubo and the Two Strings" one of the days and then on the 25th of August we did something AWESOME. I took the boys on the Mount Timpanogos Cave hike. It happened to be the 100th birthday of the National Parks Service, so we got cake and nice feelings. You may recall, that hike is hard. I did it with Bridget last year and she really had to work. Emil and Colin stepped up big time. They looked for the numbers on woodblocks. They asked me a lot of questions, mostly about what we were seeing and hearing. At the top of the hike, we ate a picnic lunch, then went into the caves. I couldn't believe how closely they paid attention to every word the ranger said. Emil even hit his head on a stalactite because he'd turned to tell me about something amazing and didn't see it. I know it hurt, but he swallowed his tears and kept going so that he wouldn't mess up our perfect day. Colin pushed his way to the front every time we stopped so he could hear and see everything the ranger was talking about. We filled out their junior ranger booklets. On the "What Lives in a Cave" drawing they did, Colin drew a picture of Emil. And labeled it. Funny funny funny. The walk back down made my legs shake with fatigue. It was the Best Day Ever. So glad we did it.