Football Baby!

Let it begin!  It is football season and the Summers' house in ready and rearing to go!  Sam had his first game today and he started as quarterback.  It is so fun to watch the quarterback position again and I was so proud of him and the effort he gave.  He handled the ball well and pitched and handed off like a pro!  We are excited to see this team progress and improve during the season.  Go Scouts!

First Day of School 2015

1st Day of School 2015 found the Summers' clan at Cottonwood Elementary.  That's right we're Coyotes baby.  Although we are sad to leave our sweet Summitview family, we are excited to start out a new year with friends from both of our ward families.  Jack and Sam started the day in their new duds - Sam is entering 4th Grade (Mrs. Womach) and Jack is starting 1st Grade (Mrs. Petre)

They do a staggered start for kindergarten to give the kids a chance to ease into school.  Lyv was so so excited to start her adventure in school, and was even more excited to see that her best friend from Preschool, Mae, is in her class.  They each hung up their apple during kindergarten orientation night as class of 2028!

Olyvia's first official day of school was Friday.  She is in Mr. Marshall's class and couldn't wait to get to school Friday morning.  She put on her new outfit, packed her lunch, and eagerly awaited the bus ride.

About two weeks ago I was more than ready to have Lyv start kinder.  She was acting up more than usual and teasing Max, and I thought she needs to get out and be with kids her own age!  So as the time approached for school to start, I was as eager as she was.  But when Friday morning came and I packed her lunch with a special treat and note, it made sad that I had wished the time away.  I drove the kids to the bus stop and waited…as soon as I saw it turn the corner towards us, I started crying.  My little girl is all grown up and off to her next adventure.  I was so happy that she was ready and excited to start school, there was no looking back for her, but I will miss my friend!  and poor Max will miss his partner in crime too!

Surf and Slide to end the Summer

The last great adventure of summer…..Surf n' Slide in Moses Lake!  We spent our last weekend of freedom swimming our hearts out.  Jack, Sam and Shawn did their best to master the boogie boarding and surfing.  All the kids played until they doors were closing, so it was a great end to the summer.

As usual, Max, the big giant stinker that he is waited until the last 30 minutes of us being there to finally try swimming and going down the slide.  He got a lot of trips down the slide in those last 30 minutes, so I hope it was a successful day for him!

Jake's Home Mate!

We took a final trip to Idaho before the start of school to welcome Uncle Jake home from the Sydney Australia North Mission.  It was so fun to see him after two years apart, the all the kids took to him like it was yesterday - except for Max!  It took a full 24 hours for him to warm up to Jake.  

As always - Idaho proved to be full of fun and cousins.  We made the most out of our trip; hitting up our favorite eats and fun spots.  We even laced up the old roller-skates for a fun afternoon of skating.  We were so grateful to be able to be apart of Jake's homecoming and have the kids witness the great experience that his mission was.

  

Jack and Lyv tested out Great Grandpa Frank's motorized swing.  Michelle moved it from Granny's house to hers after it was sold so the family still gets to enjoy it for generations to come.  Smiles all around.

Lyvie rockin' the limbo! and Jack was the man of the hour.  He had never skated and he was determined to figure out how to do it within the 3 hours there.  He fell literally a hundred times.  But bless his heart, he dusted himself off and tried and tried and tried and tried…..and tried again!

Riding the crazy Rollerskating Train!

Yakima Summer FUN

As I looked through the pictures I realized that Shawn must have taken a lot of them - I missing a lot and need to get them added to my phone.  We have been making the most out of every second of summer.  We really live in a great place with access to a lot of outdoor adventures which I greatly appreciate.  So here is a list of some of our adventures:

Ice blocking with the Lancasters!  Our buddies were taking their exodus to Utah in a few days so we got in as much time as we could with them.  We also tried out floating the Yakima River for the first time.  The maiden voyage wasn't that big of a hit because it was the one day out the three months of summer that decided to be cold!  We've gone two other times since and have loved those trips - it will be a regular summer activity for our family.

Hiking!  We had to make a trip out to Boulder Cave and we found a great cliff jumping spot on the river at the end of the trail.  The kids thought that was pretty awesome!

 I got to attend the temple with the Young Women and Young Men from Yakima 6th ward.  It was a great chance to spend time with these amazing young people, and spend time with a great friend - Sydney!  We of course had to include ourself in the picture...

 Oh yeah baby!! Football is in full swing here and Sam is trying his first year at tackle football for the West Valley Scouts.  He is super excited and looks like he might be playing quarter back for the team.  He is sporting #7 (Harry Potter's number) so we will definitely have more pictures of the action. (Shawn is LOVING LOVING LOVING this - can I say that enough - he goes to practice to watch four nights a week, and eats it up like he's wearing pads. I am sure he wishes he was, but man I haven't seen him this excited for a long time)

Other items not pictured but most surely enjoyed: Swimming lessons for the three olders, homemade slushy making and pizza making; late nights and more late nights, swimming at friends pools, and trips to Franklin Pool where Olyvia mastered the slide!  She was a very timid and didn't want to try at first, but after the first run, she was sold and wouldn't get off the slide.

Finally Max and me…. this will be the story of my life here in two weeks.  He is going to be my companion in crime!  I hope he's ready for it:)

We have one more trip home to welcome Jake home from mission to Australia, and then our summer will be officially over!  It has been a whirlwind summer for sure but so so so much fun.   I think the kids will look back fondly at the memories we made this summer!  (I might consider returning to school a vacation of sorts, but the action never seems to die down, and I really wouldn't want it any other way).

Hayden Lake 2015

Oh Hayden Lake!  I seriously am overwhelmed by how perfect this place is every time we visit.  The kids play from 8 in the morning until 8 at night… fall into bed half asleep and then start again the next day.  They never get bored of jumping of the docks, kayaking, paddle boards, boat rides and playing in the sand.  It is an ideal vacation.  This year we joined the Crapos again, which I hope becomes an annual tradition.  The kids have such a great time with each other.  The only down side to this trip was Shawn wasn't able to go with us.  He was at home, bringing in the bacon!  Poor guy because he loves the water here more than any of us.  Here are some highlights of the trip~ Enjoy!

 My Aunt Kate is one of the greatest ladies on earth.  She has always been the favorite aunt…and continues to hold that title with my kids as well.  She makes such an effort to get to know the kids each individually and still hits the water with them making sure they enjoy Hayden to its fullest.  She is always so generous to open her home to us, and we love spending time with her and making memories.