Summer fun

I knew that we wouldn't do anything too big this summer because I would either be very pregnant or have a brand new baby so I told the boys we would have fun around the house.  Here are some of the things we have done:

The boys made a lemonade stand with their friends.  They sold quite a bit but the highlight of the afternoon was when a teenage boy from our ward rode by and gave the kids 5 dollars for 1 cup of lemonade.  The boys were so thrilled!

We went camping with our ward.  I was 37 weeks pregnant and I debated whether I should go or just send the boys but we all went as a family.  It was really fun except the actual sleeping part.  I forgot to bring a mattress to sleep on so I spent most of the night trying (and failing) to get comfortable.  I'm still glad I went though, it was fun to visit with people and eat yummy dutch oven food and watch the kids have fun with the whole camping experience.  Then next morning we packed up and went for a short hike.

Micah, Conner and I stopped at the waterfall to take a break and rest.  Reed and Alan hiked up to the top of the falls.  Conner initially wanted to stay with me but he later changed his mind and decided he wanted to hike with dad.  It was too late by then so he was kind of grumpy as we waited on the bench:

It is hard to see but Reed and Alan are in the middle of the picture and the falls are on the right side of the picture:

Micah walked the whole way by himself.  It was nice to have a little hiking buddy so that I had a good reason to go slow:

We also explored new parks.  Some ladies in our ward started doing a picnic in the park every Wednesday afternoon.  We would pack a picnic lunch and then go to a different park every week. 

We discovered a park that had an area of old big tires - the boys had fun going through, over, and around them and playing hide and seek. 

And of course we played in the water.  We put Alan in swimming lessons again this summer.  He ended up with the same teacher that he had last year, which he was excited about.  They put him in a fairly advanced class - all the other kids were older than him and could swim better than him.  The first day they tried to get him to swim the width of the pool without any swimming aids.  I was surprised when he almost made it (I had never seen him swim more than 5 or 6 feet).  When I asked him how he liked swim lessons he said he liked it but he didn't like the part where he started to drown.  I hadn't seen anything like that so Alan explained to me that they wanted his class to tread water and he got tired so he grabbed the kid next to him and pushed off him so that he could make it to the wall.  Yikes!  By the end of it he could swim the length of the pool and tread water for 45 seconds.  Unfortunately I wasn't up to taking all the kids swimming by myself so Alan didn't get to practice much.  We did have a lot of fun with water in our backyard though, especially since it seems to have been an extra hot summer.

Playing in the pool and sprinklers

Playing with water balloons

Conner trying to get Alan wet with the hose:

The kids were so excited to play in the water that they didn't want to wait to change into swimming shorts so they got soaked in their clothes:

 

It's been a fun summer!

Last day of school

I know this post is horribly late, since Alan just started school again but I fell way behind in June and July so now I am trying to catch up.  Alan enjoyed kindergarten for the most part.  He did very well academically and he got along well with the kids in his class. 

 

A week before school got out I went on a field trip with the kindergarteners to the children's museum.  It was fun to watch Alan play with his classmates and I felt so popular on the walk to the museum and on the way back - I had 4 little boys all trying to hold my hand!

Alan dressed up as a pirate

Alan made the honor roll again for the second half of the year.  He is the one on the far right:

 

Alan standing with Mrs. Harrell, his teacher, on the last day of school

 

Alan holding his kindergarten diploma



 

Mother's Day 2012

On Mother's day the boys all got up early and made me breakfast in bed.  I love how excited they were to give it to me.  Then after church Reed got to come home earlier than usual and he and the boys made my requested dinner - carribean enchiladas - yum!  They gave me their gifts in the afternoon.  It was a great day.  I am so grateful for my children and for the opportunity to be a mother.  It is hard sometimes but it is what I have always wanted to do.

Alan and Conner made these flowers in primary:

Alan made a vase and a nice card at school.  The card is a flower that opens up and says "my love for you grows and grows".

I love my boys!