Summer is flying by...good-bye July

I was telling the kids earlier this week that around the end of May I start dreading the idea of summer and finding enough activities and events and scheduling play dates and just generally having the feeling that there will be all this sibling fighting and whining and boredom.  And, don't get me wrong, there is that to deal with.  But, here we are at the beginning of August, with only one month left of summer break, and the long days of summer have gone by so quickly. And every year at this time, I start dreading thinking of fall coming and homework and sports and activities and living by the schedule of it all.  I love summer more and more each year,  and, as always,  I'm wanting to slow the time down and enjoy the laziness of sunshiny days.

July did not disappoint in the heat department.  Woah, Nellie...it got hot, hot, hot and there was no rain this month.

It was so hot that I captured Logan sleeping with a blowing fan aimed directly at his face.  Our air conditioner didn't seem to be cooling our house down so we had the AC man come out and he filled our unit up with coolant.  Ahhh, the sweet comfort of a cool house.

July 3rd, Dave and his Dad took the kids to an Apple Sox game. 

 Harper and Presley both started gymnastics this month.  

We cleaned out the garage and had a yard sale too. 

It's really hard for me to go through boxes of the kids' old "stuff".  We had so many clothes and each little outfit brought me back to a different time or a special memory.  I saved some of Harper's things for Samee and Nate's baby and Harper inherited some of Presley's things and Ry some of Logan's clothes. I came across these Power Ranger jammies and Harper and Ry have had a fun time playing in them.

Presley and Logan (August 2006, ages 4 and 6)

Harper and Rylan (July 2013, ages almost 4 and 6.5)

Samee texted me and told me she's really enjoying swimming this summer.  I sent her this picture and told her she's welcome to use our pool anytime.  

Oh, Ry...

Play time this month. 

Logan was leading the kids in some game this night, where their eyes are supposed to stay closed. 

The kids had a fun couple of weeks with the big inflatable slide in the backyard. 

We spent lots of afternoon at the Cashmere Pool.  

Cristy and my Papa went to a lookout on Blewitt Pass and came by to surprise visit us.  That would have worked out so great, but we didn't know and we were at the Cashmere pool and I didn't get the text til later in the afternoon.  They hung out in our backyard and then met us for a quick ice cream treat at Tom, Dick, and Harry's.  Harper saw Cristy and immediately asked her, "where's Geezer?"

Papa was telling Ry and Presley something funny. 

Logan is growing up and he needed to have a man chat with Dad.  I don't know what they were talking about but I went by the window and saw them sitting out there talking for a long time.  

At the end of the school year Presley signed up our family to help out at Sunnyslope Garden.  This last week of July was our week to pull weeds and water the plants.  Presley took the watering business very seriously. 

Two little conversations with Presley: 

She told me she thinks it would be really fun to have a picnic out in an orchard for a first date. 

We saw a teenage boy get out of his car and help out another driver who's car had stalled by pushing the car to a gas station.  She said to me, "This is what I like about teenagers...they always do the right thing."  To which I quickly replied, "yes, and they always listen to their parents too."

Ry tried a tomato fresh from the garden. He didn't like it. 

Oh my,  this rough and tumble girl.  She has taken quite a few falls and has many scrapes, scratches and bruises from playing and riding scooters.  She was crying one night after falling yet again and Dave made her this award with an old lanyard he found..."Tough Girl Award".  She was quite proud. 

I love making summer memories with these kids!!