Summer wind down

How is it that school is starting and summer is coming to a close? I am so not ready for this, but I guess I can't fight it. I just had hoped to get so much more done over these 'free' months that turned out to be not so free after all. We did enjoy so much all being together this summer and getting outdoors (when it wasn't miserably hot). With the heat of the summer, I am beginning to long for Fall and it is just around the corner. Here is a wind down of our summer activities and a few pictures I just wanted to share.

Blue-berry picking time...I got to pick a ton of these for the freezer from Mom and Dads this summer. So delicious!

My "helper" who eats all of his work

 This summer Uncle Ben was offshore way more than we/he wished. He spent nearly the entire summer at sea and we all were so glad when he got back home. The kids love hearing about him getting "bit by alligators" and all his other ocean adventures. I love that my little - big brothers will let my kids curl up on their laps and play.

Laney listening to Uncle Ben's tall tales

Cartoon time

Caleb so loved having his sister home this summer. The two played and played and he would end up falling asleep anywhere. He just wore himself out and would have to get a nap in anytime he could. He is really going to miss his playmate when she is back in school.

Sweet lil sleeper

  Mid-summer me and the kids had our week to host our groups playdate. We couldn't decide on a theme, but finally decided an art party would be fun. So, we went with that. We had an Art Playdate in our church parlor. Instead of going with the typical paint and canvas that I first thought I would get, we went a more child friendly route. Didn't want to ruin all the littles clothes and have a huge mess. So, we had a foam craft table, a "painting table" (watercolor pages) for the girls, one for the boys and a playdough table. The kids all did so well at this. I wasn't sure how so many little ones would do, but they loved it. All the girls went for the princess watercolors and all the boys huddled around the playdough. It was funny that they seperated themselves out to girls and boys. They all stayed so occupied with their projects that we moms got to have some conversation of our own. We enjoyed a snack of apples, strawberries, blueberries, strawberries and goldfish,and then finished up with some side-walk chalk before we called it a day. This was a fun little morning and we really enjoyed it. We missed most of our playdates this year, which I really hated, but we seemed to have such a busy summer and had a lot of time conflicts.

Girls table ~ these ladies all look so cute. Love K's little art bun, looks like she belongs in an art studio

Boys at the playdough table making their creations

Well, school starts for us tomorrow, so glad that Laney will only have to go 2 days this week, atleast we get to break in easy. Then next week its full steam ahead. Goodbye summer...