Au revoir, summer!

Simon building a sandcastle

The summer of 2010 came and went.  It literally lasted 8 weeks this year beginning in July and ending in August. I grew up living in the desert where the heat set in in April and didn't let up until October.  Summer has never been one of my favorite seasons, but I am already missing it.  I miss taking the kids to the pool just about everyday.  I miss the sky lightening up before 6:00am and darkening after 10:00pm.   I miss the smell of burning charcoal and barbecued hamburgers.  I miss the look of my children's beet-red faces from riding their bikes outside all day. 

Ava and the neighbor girls washing their bikes while "Bob" flags down speeding cars; Brahm at the pool.



Pioneer Day in Salt Lake City.  All of the cousins got a chance to hit the covered wagon pinata.


Pioneer Day

 Simon with a cherry stained face.



The boys playing ball.

 

The kids swimming in the backyard.  Don't look too closely at my poor, neglected garden.  The cool temperatures coupled with a newborn baby made for a terrible harvest.

Nicholas and his cousin, Liz.


Brahm and Ava at the park.

Sand fight.


Lavender festival with Grandma Hanks.

Drawing with chalk in the backyard with cousin, Malin.

Liz and Mr. Nickels again.

Au revoir, summer.  Until next year!

My Brahm

Who couldn't love a face like this?

Or this.

Or this.

Or this.

McCall

In early August, our family took a day trip to McCall (a mountain town an hour and a half north of Boise).  We spent the day swimming in the Payette Lake, building sandcastles on the beach, picking huckleberries in the forest, and gorging ourselves at a local restaurant called The Pancake House.

Back to school

Simon Warren, 2nd grade

The start of the school year has been bittersweet for me.  Life will definitely be easier around the house with one less child.  But, I feel like the summer flew by without giving me a sufficient amount of time to spend with Simon.  I will miss him these next 9 months!

Back-to-School brunch

This year I decided to host a "Back-to-School" brunch. I invited neighborhood/ward friends and their children over to my house for food, fun, and lively conversation. There were 12 women and 13 children in attendance.  All of the kids played to their hearts' content while the women chatted and munched on cheddar chive mini quiches, coffee cake, breakfast potatoes, fruit, and sipped virgin margarita milkshakes.  I had a most enjoyable time and would love to host another event like this in the near future.

The Miraculous Journey

I love well written, beautifully illustrated children's books. At the beginning of the summer, my sister recommended that I read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to my son.

I was very moved by this story. It is about love and sorrow, vanity and humility, life and death. Even though this was written for children, I would highly recommend this chapter book to adults. 

Reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to the kids in the hospital.

Baby blessing

Nicholas Andrew Warren

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Locust Grove Ward

Nicholas

These are some pics taken by our friend Kim Hodson. She is a great photographer! You can check her out at kimhodsonphotography.blogspot.com.