Last Days of Summer

Time has really gotten away from me.  Our schedules have really changed, as Katelyn and Brooklyn have started school, and we are still getting used to it.

After our visitors left, we had our first slow weeks of the summer with not a whole lot going on. 

The big girls participated in Spanish club at our church this summer.  It met every Monday morning for 2 hours and they learned some Spanish words, as well as learned about missionaries and Bible Verses.  They did some fun activities and ate food to help them learn about Mexican culture.  They really enjoyed this.  On the last day, they had a party as there was also a birthday.  Madison and I went early for the party.  The kids all sang a song in Spanish for the parents and then there was a pinata and cupcakes.  I thought I took pictures of the kids and the pinata, but evidently not.  Here is one with Madison enjoying her cupcake.

 We took out our pool again for a few days.  We even had a friend over to swim with us one afternoon.  (Sorry, these pics aren't great, I took them for another reason.)

For Brooklyn's birthday, she had a gotten a certificate for a mani-pedi at a local kids salon.  She really wanted to go and have her nails done before school.  She really enjoyed it.

Purple glitter - of course!

Madison continues to make us laugh with all her shenanigans.  (She also wears me out.)

I walked into the kitchen to find this mess one day.  It took me a minute to figure out where the tomato had actually gone - into the water bottle.

 I came downstairs after my shower one morning to find this scene.  She had dragged to stool over and gotten a box of cereal out of the cupboard.  Breakfast will not wait for this girlie.

 We have been a little hesitant to take away the pacifier for her because this is how bed time goes with it.  (She only uses it at bed.)

Madison, like the other girls, loves books.  I walked in on her reading this book aloud one day.  I tried to capture a video, but it wasn't as good as when she was doing it by herself.  Still such a cutie though.

 The girls started school on Wednesday the 17th, so that Monday and Tuesday we crammed a couple of things in.  On Monday, we drove up to my sister's so that she could give all three girls a hair cut.  It was a good thing we went that day, as the Blue Cut Fire started the next morning, and we could have gotten stuck up by her house as the freeway was closed for a couple days.

Waiting with Micah after their turn.

On Tuesday, we headed to the beach as a family for one last trip of the summer.  Kyle worked a half-day from home, and then we headed out to the beach after lunch and a short nap for Madison.  It was a nice way to finish off the short summer.

Brooklyn playing catch with Daddy.

Digging a big hole.

Daddy and his workers.

Getting buried in the hole at the end of the day (they made a friend).

Then, the next day, it was off to school - I hope to get that post up later this week.

Visitors! ~ July & August 2016

The last weekend of July & first couple days of August brought us a couple of visitors. 

 My dad came for a quick visit which also meant I saw my sisters quite a few times and the kids were able to enjoy time with Poppa & the cousins.

Snack time after swimming at Aunt Sam's with the cousins.

The days were hot, so we went to the local splash pad.  This was the first time the girls played really well at this particular one as the water features come down from above and they haven't liked that in the past.

Madison cuddling with Poppa.

My cousin and his girlfriend also came out to visit all of the California family, so after my dad left, we spent a couple days hanging out with my mom's side of the family.

Brett & Jessie buried the girls.  This was their favorite part of the day.

Breaking Free!!!!

Madison & Grandma going down by the water.

Ruby's on the pier for dinner!

Camping in Santa Barbara County ~ July 2016 - Weeks 3 & 4

As I am sitting here at the end of the summer watching the Olympic opening exercises, I am looking back on one of highlights of the summer.  We spent 3 nights camping near a lake in Santa Barbara county with another family.  It was a great time getting to spend a lot of time with our friends and getting to know their kids better and watching our kids play together.

Someone got ahold of a phone and snapped a few selfies.

The lake level was SUPER low, but we still took the kids fishing for their first time.  Brooklyn really enjoyed and went a couple of times, but Katelyn was done after about 5 minutes. They did not catch anything.

The weather ranged from very cool at night to very hot in the afternoon.  One afternoon Kyle took the big girls to the public pool in the county park where we were camping while Madison took a nap in the tent.

The mornings were pleasant and we went for some bike rides and a short hike.

Snack in the back of the car after our walk.

On our way home, we stopped at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara.  We walked around briefly and let the girls put their feet in the ocean.

Brooklyn always needs a crazy picture.

When we got home, we had just a little bit of laundry.  This is most of it waiting to be folded.

I also had to go get groceries to restock the fridge.  The girls always pick their dresses to wear the day after they are cleaned in the laundry.  The decided Sam's Club was the perfect place to practice their twirling.

We got a book from the library on drawing people, so Katelyn has been practicing.

Madison enjoys dancing along to her tv shows.  Her is a video of her dancing (at least the beginning).

I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone.  Our summer was a little shorter this year because the girls are going back to school in mid-August for the first time.  Less than 2 weeks left

4th of July & Swim Lessons ~ July 2016 - Weeks 1 & 2

The Fourth of July was on a Monday this year and we had plan to go celebrate at the home of some friends.  Unfortunately, Madison got sick a couple of days after we got home from our trip and I realized Sunday night that I had gotten sick from her.  So, Madison and I stayed home from the party and Kyle and the big girls went to swim in the afternoon, but came home to grill dinner with us and do some fireworks with us.

Mmmm, firework popsicles.

Getting ready for the fireworks to start!

Kyle getting ready to light the first one.

At the beginning of June, Kyle started a new work schedule.  He is now working from home 3 days a week, in Orange County 1 day a week and in west LA 1 day a week.  His LA day is usually a long day with both the drive and an longer hours in the office.  This has been great as we are eating dinner as a family and seeing him more than ever.  One of the advantages of his working from home is we can now run errands or do activities in the evening.  This has never been an option for us before, unless he got off super early.  We recently took an evening to make some returns and play a little at Bass Pro Shops.

They always enjoy 'driving' the boats.

After Bass Pro, we had ice cream at McDonalds.  Madison made a little bit of a mess.

The girls enjoy watching Daddy plays games.  They also will nab the i-pad and play on it as much as we let them.  Madison is especially good at grabbing it the second I lay it down within her reach and does not give it up willingly.  She is also starting to grab my phone and run off with it.  I frequently find her hiding in bedrooms on one of the devices playing a game.

For the last few years, it has just worked out that Vacation Bible School at our church has been the same week the girls are in swim lessons.  I would rather not do that as they get wiped out, but we have had a busy summer and it was one of the only weeks where they would be able to attend every session.  We went through a different local program this year where the sessions were a little longer, but it only last 1 week.  We have been swimming quite a bit this summer and the girls are really improving.  I think they were already familiar with swimming for the summer when they took lessons and they seemed to really learn a lot.  It is now a couple weeks after swim lessons and Katelyn just jumped into the deep end and swam to the side without any assistance!  Brooklyn usually uses her floaties on her arms, but is getting pretty good at 'ice cream scoops' and getting where she wants to go.  She also will jump in and swim unassisted with floaties on!

Madison reading her Frozen book while waiting for her sisters in the heat.

Brooke is center on the far side.

Brooklyn

Katelyn working on her backs stroke.

Katelyn

Brooklyn waiting patiently.

Katelyn (on the left).   She made a good friend and really enjoyed going every day to see her.

On the last day, all the kids lined up to jump off the lifeguard chair.  Katelyn is about to jump in this photo.  She just climbed right up and jumped off without assistance two times.

Brooklyn about to jump off.  Her teacher jumped with her.