Summer Catch Up

The summer has FLOWN by!  Literally it was here one minute and then gone the next.  From the beginning of July until the end of August our weeks have been full and memories have been made.  To keep up to date with life as we know it, here is a brief update and highlights of our past two months.  Hopefully September and the return of school will bring back some normalcy to the Summers' Family blog and I can get back on recording the everyday details of the kids' life.  I do have to formally apologize to Lyv and Max…who's childhood sometimes gets the short end of the stick when it comes to details.  Life continues to march on at an alarming pace, and I'm doing my very best to keep up.  

4th of July was spent in Yakima, minus Sam who went to Idaho a week early to stay with the Robinsons.  We wen thinking at Boulder Cave with the Reeds.  What an adventure - taking the creek instead of the trail back down.  Jack and Lyv slid down the natural water slide and swam in the ice cold glacier water.  It was a fun day, and ended with a private firework show provided by our neighbors up the road!

Girls Camp - the next weekend took us back to Boise to take the younger three to my mom and dad, where they would stay while I was at Girls Camp with the young women of our ward.  I'm so so grateful wonderful, helpful family that allows opens up their homes and arms to my family.  The kids were excited to spend time with the cousins… and boy did they have a great time.  Sand Dunes, hiking, swimming, bridge jumping, endless hours of fun, and an endless supply of popsicles made for a great week!

I on the other hand was living it up in the woods with my cohorts - and what a great group of cohorts they were.  We had such fun leaders, that I think we had more fun than the girls.  Early mornings and long nights made for tired girls, but the 13 young women we had were amazing.  No fighting, no problems - it was a great week and I'm always amazed at the power of women!

Sam's Birthday - the worst mom of the year award goes to me this year.  I was called to be the Girls Camp director and our week of camp fell on Sam's birthday.  So instead of celebrating 11 years of his sweet life - he was shipped off to Idaho to stay with cousins and grandparents.  I don't think he thought that was a bad deal, but boy did I miss not being there with him on his special day.  Thankfully his grandparents and cousins spoiled him rotten.  He celebrated with a crepe breakfast, a trip to the red-neck water slide (a favorite of my kids), a homemade chicken noodle soup dinner, and brownies…and an I-pod.  He decided to go halfsies with Grandma Julie to purchase the new iPod.  I am not a fan of technology, I admit it!  I think it just gives me one more thing to yell at the kids about so I hate introducing new gadgets and gizmos…but Sam has shown that he is mature and responsible and we have had very few problems.  For that I'm grateful. Boy do I love this boy!  He has been my right hand man for 11 years, and at times my second spouse.  He is reliable - he works hard - we can ask him to babysit, mow the lawn, do chores and be confident that things will get done safely and completely.  I am so grateful for his kindness and love, especially that he shows to me daily.  What a special treasure he is as the oldest!
I got home on Saturday and woke up early Sunday morning to make the 10 hour drive to Idaho.  I couldn't wait to see my kids!  As Shawn and I had a day just us at the house…it was so strange to not have the sounds, the giggles, the yelling, the pitter patter of little feet.  I hope I get better at being alone as they get older, because it was so discomforting to be in such a quiet house!  After many many hugs I had to take a picture and send it to Shawn, who was left at home for one more work to bring home the bacon!

I got right into the swing of Idaho summer hitting up our favorite spots - the Sand Bar, Twin Bridges, the red-neck water slide, sno-cones, and Big J's.  I did cry a little not to have some Chiz…but all things must come to an end.  The three older kids all braved jumping off of Twin Bridges, which was so fun for me to see.  Jack didn't even consider jumping off the bottom - he went straight to the top on his first jump!  Lyv wasn't quite as daring, but she was determined and after shedding a few tears - and me finally leaving her to her own devices, she made the leap to the cheer of the watching crowd below!  I love seeing the kids enjoy the things I enjoyed as a kid - and the older the cousins get the more fun it is to cart them around and watch them experience all this together.

What would a trip home be without a roll in the potato field??  Jack took full advantage of the Summers' Farm fresh and ready mud!

 Pioneer Day!!  Woot! Woot!  It had been 3 years since we had been to one.  Sam ran in the 5K that morning, we sisters were assigned a float to decorate (per usual - Mom engineering another great idea that allows involves help from her kids!), we paraded, picnicked, rodeoed, and enjoyed being with family!  There is something so special about pioneer day - its just one of my favorites!

Jake and Mailee's Wedding - What a fun, beautiful day!  We had the privilege of witnessing the sealing of Jake to his eternal companion Mailee!  These two have had a whirlwind year, and I'm so happy to see them so happy!

 We took advantage of the wedding clothes to take some adorable pictures of the kids - the colors and wedding were beautiful!  We had a great time visiting with family and friends, and enjoying being with the happy couple.

 Finally on our departure day, we were able to be apart of Grant's graveside service.  Such a humbling and patriotic experience to see the servicemen pay tribute to a fellow seaman.  It really was such a beautiful experience.

After making it back to Yakima and jumping right into football for Sam - Shawn, awesome Shawn, helped me check a bucket list item off my list.  John Fogerty Concert Baby!  That's right the vocalist of CCR is one of my favorites and I've been dying to see him in concert.  He did not disappoint and we had an awesome night and AMAZING seats.  I even got a guitar pick at the end of the night!  It was so much fun.

 After our weekend concert - I got a call that my dad's brother DeLoy had unexpectedly passed away.  I boarded a plane that Friday and flew to be there to support my dad and say goodbye to my sweet, funny Uncle DeLoy.  He was such a quiet, kind, patient man - and I'm grateful I got to see him weeks before at Pioneer Day.  I also got a unique opportunity to be there with all of my siblings. As the years go by this is becoming a few and far between occurrence.

 DeLoy is buried in the same cemetery that my brother Ryan was laid to rest, and I found that as DeLoy's service ended, my entire family had congregated around Ry's headstone.  We felt drawn together and the spirit there was so strong.  It was great reminder of those things that matter most - FAMILY.  I am eternally grateful for these 8 souls that have impacted my life for the better.

Back to Yakima we didn't miss a beat!  My parents came three days later with Grandma Jeanne to attend the sealing of the Cedergreen Family in Seattle.  It was great to have Grandma Great here at our home - and I'm forever grateful again for the power of the priesthood and to witness the sealing of a family!  Again another beautiful reminder of where my priorities should always be - and what I need to be putting my energy towards are those relationship that last beyond this life.

The next week - realizing that summer was officially winding down, we met up with our besties the Lancasters and headed out for an adventure and found Bumping Lake.  It ended up being a great place for the kids to swim and play.  The rest of the week was spent playing with friends, swimming, and slip-n-sliding, and preparing for one last adventure!

 Hayden Lake!!  Woohoo!  My favorite spot on earth - we were lucky to manage to squeeze in a short weekend with Aunt Kate.  The kids love this place as much as I do, and this year a special treat….Sam water skied for his first time!  It was so great to see him conquer this feat.  And as always watching Shawn ski, makes me fall in love with him all over again…not really, but kind of!  He is just amazing to watch.  Jack even tried skiing, but decided to give himself one more year:)

 The next day we headed to Silverwood to hit up some awesome rides!  The kids had each read 600 minutes to earn passes to the park, so we thought this would be a great way to end the summer.  However - the biggest mom fail in history was about to occur.  I forgot the tickets!! Thats right.  We had 4 free passes, and I was so excited to save some $$, then sitting on Hayden Lake, soaking up the sun it dawned on me that the tickets were sitting safely in an envelope in my laundry room!!! AHHH!! seriously I wanted to drive home right then and there and get them…but the park was still visited and the rides were still conquered, and the kids had an amazing time!  Even though a cost a little more than we had hoped.

School starts in 5 days, and ready or not, here it comes.  We have had a really fun, full summer and I'm again grateful for the beautiful, healthy, happy family that I have.  I am grateful to live in such a beautiful area - and have a hard working husband that works to provide us these opportunities.  I'm excited for the kids to start a new adventure at school (even Max will be at preschool this year), but I will dearly miss the unstructured days, the swimming holes, the hikes, and the impromptu fun that summer allows.  I will also miss seeing family for another long period of time, but again am grateful for technology that allows us to stay connected.  My goal for the 2016-2017 school year is to be more patient - to let more little things go - to be my kids GREATEST supporter, rather than critiquer - and to put my time and my energy into building the relationships that are eternal.  Thank you summer 2016 - you were awesome!

Saying goodbye to Grant

Near the end of May we got a call from Shawn's mom that Grant had been to the doctor after not feeling well, and they discovered cancer all over his body.  He was given about two months to live.  With the kids activities and Shawn's work, we didn't have a weekend to get up to see Grant before he passed away, June 25th 2016.  Shawn was able to call him and have one last conversation with him and told him that he loved him.  This picture was taken in November 2015 on our way through Boise to Rexburg.  We had a great conversation with Grant that morning and he had set the kids laughing with stories of growing up with 10 siblings in Shelley, and kept them awe inspired with stories of WWII.  We met as a family this past weekend to celebrate and remember Grant and the wonderful full life he lived.  He had such a great impact on all of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  His sense of humor was what I loved the most about him - and will miss his amazing life stories.  Shawn said that Grant taught so many things - he taught him how to fly fish, how to play the card game golf and shuffle cards, he taught him that most things can be done by very few men and no women at all…and to date fat girls because they will give you shade in the summer and keep you warm in the winter.  He gave wonderful hugs and had a broad range of knowledge and interests that allows made for good conversation.  We will miss Grant but are grateful for the memories and times we had with him! He would have been 96 years old today!

End of School and the CRAZY Month of June

The end of May brought the end of baseball season.  I love baseball!  I really don't know why, but there is just something about the sun, the seeds, the uniforms, the struggle - and watching my kids out there that just hits me just right.  Shawn had the great opportunity of coaching both Jack and Lyv on the Yankees this year.  What a fun time for these two to play with each other and be coached by their dad.  I am grateful for Shawn's willingness to donate his time to these activities, its not always easy, but it was so fun to watch!   Both Jack and Lyv had a great season, and continued to improve.  Jack was awarded the most improve defensive player for his great fielding and Lyv was award the Best Stance and Dance - she had a great batting stance, and loved to shake her groove thing out in the field!

Sam's team battled until the end!  This team had great potential and won several games, but often would  start out with a decent lead only to give it up with errors.  Sam's last game was intense and really an illustration on how the season went.  They ended in a tie, and played a Kansas City over time - which we lost by 1 run!  It was heart breaking, but Sam's play was consistent all year.  He has developed a great swing and his fielding has improved a ton.  He tried his hat at pitching this year, but struggled until his last three games and fell into a great pattern.  He also played every infield position imaginable. He was usually shortstop or 1st base, but the last game played 1st base, pitcher, and catcher at the very end!  He is such a fun player to watch - and I love his huge heart!  He has such  desire to do well!  Great season Sam - next year its the Major's and he'll be playing with the big boys!

Memorial Day found us with beautiful weather and a free weekend - something we hadn't known since baseball started.  So we took advantage and went hiking in Cowiche Canyon to help Sam pass off his Weblo's badge.  

We followed the hike up with a movie and dinner at Famous Dave's….I won't mention in detail Shawn's struggle with the food he ordered that night!  It wasn't a pretty sight the next day:(

 50 Mile Club Day - all three kids made it to the 50 mile club this year and we part of a huge group of kids from Cottonwood that run their booties off this year!  So proud to be pink!

 Lyv got Max into coloring and most of our afternoons consist of a drawing/writing session.  There are many a reams of paper that have been lost to this project, but Max has impressed me with his writing and drawing.  It just keeps getting better.  The thing I love most about this - is that it is self driven.  I have only taught him how to write his name - simple…MAX.  All the other letters, numbers, names, are his own!  Love this kid!  He usually draws pictures of himself and Lyv, his favorite gal!

Gap2Gap 2016 - What would our year be without a Gap2Gap entry?  This tradition began our first year here and has grown to a love/hate relationship!  Mostly love - it is a crazy busy morning, and sometimes I feel like my body is going through the race too as I try to get from one point to the next and watch both boys compete.  This year Jack joined the Animal Four - and did the running leg.  He did awesome!!!  His goal was not to stop and walk - which for Jack is huge.  Mileage club was never his favorite, and running in general is something you don't see Jack do… but he even passed some kids!  He felt like a rock star!

Sam joined forced with Cooper Ditto and divided the course with Sam biking and doing the steeple chase.  He did great!

As our luck would have it - Gap2Gap was the same day as Lyv's dance recital…so we had baseball, Gap2Gap and recital all within 24 hours of each other - a typical crazy weekend, and we got to enjoy that time with Shawn's parents, who came to support the kiddos!  We are so lucky to have such great grandparents - and the kids felt extremely special!

 This cutie pie was amazing!  She danced so well - and even though the recital lasted 3 hours long - she was a good sport!  She looked so adorable in her costume and she new each step by heart.  It was so fun to watch her do her Thunderbird Dance!  Uncle Jake came to support the kids too, so we snapped a picture with them and Julie!

 Sam finally received his 100 mile sweatshirt!  This is the 3rd sweatshirt for Sam!

The kids' last day of school was a day early due to a trip to St. George that we would be taking so we had to celebrate with a school's out for summer leap!  It took about three tries to get a photo:)  Lyv's graduation cap was adorable and she was so excited to start her first of many summer vacations!

St. George is a tradition my kids look forward to…however this year the tradition was almost not going to happen….after our end of school leap, I put the kids into the bath to get them ready for a long plane ride tomorrow.  While bathing Lyv I noticed something that I thought was dirt…dirt that wouldn't move, and that eventually turned into living moving disgusting bugs…LICE!!!  Holy crap!!  I about died.  I had to google a picture of it to make sure, and there it was staring back at me on my phone… an identical match.  I left Lyv in the tub and ran to the store, purchased some Nix, and enjoyed some lovely distance between me and the cashier…who was terrified that they would jump off of me onto him.  We started treatment and then began the most terrible, long, insane search for these nasty sneaky critters!  Because her hair is so long, and just the right color - not too dark, not too blonde, they were nearly impossible to see.  The brush they gave to help comb the nits out - (which nits are basically glued to the hair follicle) did nothing.  I finally resorted to pulling them out with my hands, and trying not to freak out with each new discovery.  Then after 3 hours in Lyv's hair, I treated the two older boys, and myself just to make sure.  Then we bagged every stuffed animal, pillow, toy, etc to suffocate the life out of them, vacuumed and scoured the house, washed sheets, clothes, blankets, pillows with liquid hot magma water…and then vacuumed and scoured again.  I was threw back packs and pillows away…I considered shaving Lyv's head bald…I felt itchy/crawly/infestation on my own head and thought I was going crazy!  Then I realized we were supposed to be leaving to St. George to spend a fun weekend with cousins…and I was bringing Lice cover Lyv with me!  I told the kids we might not go…tears!  I felt terrible.  So we contacted our pediatrician, and a family friend whose an ER doc and asked what the protocol is.  They both reassured me that she was fine to travel, and that once they're treated they shouldn't spread.  So I thankfully told Shawn's family that we were coming - lice treated, and braided Lyv's hair and prayed for the best.  And away we went!

 St. George as always was a hit!  We swam, we climbed cliffs, we ate, and ate, we shopped, we danced, and we watched some pretty awesome theatre - Peter Pan, this year - it was a great time, and I'm so grateful we were able to go in the end.

We flew home on Sunday night and prepared for our next great adventure - but before we were about to introduce the next great trip - I did another lice check!  Yikes - I found more!!!  WHAT the!!!  So treatments started again…and I became an ultra paranoid, lice killing machine.  This time I spent 1-2 hours each night picking and pulling, combing through sections of hair…determined to get each and every trace of lice out of my home, out of my baby's beautiful hair!~  Two weeks later we are finally lice free, but it took an insane amount of time.  It is something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy!

Tolboe Time!!!  Hooray for friends that last a lifetime.  Our medical school besties came up from California to attend a podiatry conference in Seattle - and so we reunited the families for a weekend of fun!  We became the ultimate tourists and city passed our way through Seattle.  Harbor Cruise was the first order of the day!

 Brooklyn and Sam have known each other for 10 years!!  Crazy to see how much they have grown - and to think they were both just toddlers when we met.

 We followed the Harbor Cruise up with a trip to the Aquarium - the kids loved the tide pool!

The next day we walked to the Space Needle

 and then hit the Woodland Park Zoo!

 Addi and Max became fast friends - and I can't wait to watch these two grow up together!

We finished up our trip with a day at the Science Center.  Rocket building and the butterfly house was the hit here!

After saying goodbye to the Tolboe's summer officially started - and we spent the first week running the boys from tennis lessons to basketball camps and the kids to birthday parties and play dates.  I was starting to wonder if we would ever feel the lazy days of summer…ever!

Then week two brought the lazy - warm - peaceful days of summer!  and a beautiful yard with grass!!! Hooray!  I cannot express in words how nice it is to have grass and not dirt surrounding the house.  Grass and a play set have made our days wonderful!

June wouldn't be right without a bowl full of blueberries and cherries!  I love Yakima during this time of year - the harvest is plentiful and delicious - and the prices can't be beat.  It really is such a blessing to live here!

 The toro's are our favorite variety - and not only are they huge - but they are delicious!

 Our final act of June was a slip and slide party at our friends' the Diaz' house - a perfect summer night!