You asked for it...

Dear Kristin...this one's for you.

***Note...you are not allowed to read this post unless you comment on Rick's post below first!****

Summer has been a blur. It started out with me dreading the very thought of having to entertain my children for a full three months. Our summer officially ends in 6 days. If I am not a drooling, blithering idiot in a straight jacket by that point it will be some kind of miracle...here's what we've done this summer (with pics) in or out of order. Don't be picky people. This is a monumental post...

So we started out summer with a serious routine...reading, math, chores, etc. Then we'd go to Reagan for their free summer lunch where we'd meet up with friends and usually trade a kid or two (or three or four...). The routine mostly held up through five days of hot and sweaty scout camp which I got to attend. If I never have to do that again, it will be TOO SOON! People, I am not cut out for that kind of torture. It was hot hot hot and there was no shade. Since I had a group of boys by myself, there wasn't even anyone to commiserate (I mean chat) with...

Our routine went downhill after we went on our first adventure...Family Camp at Shaver Lake. It was a week full of food, friends, and fun. The kids went tubing, fishing, swimming, kayaking, bug hunting, hiking, and anything else you can think of in the woods. We had karaoke night, skit night, talent night (highlighted by Bella's dance moves), movie night and fireworks!



Mackenzie and Jake and Carter with their fish. Papa was even crazy...I mean nice enough to gut it for them so we could take it home and eat it. Too bad I conveniently "forgot" it in the freezer up there so we didn't actually eat the thing...


This is the huge water trampoline that really is more of a platform for wrestling...the kids just try to throw each other off of it. It's good fun.

Family camp at Shaver is my favorite week of the summer. The kids are happy to be dirty and disgusting and eating junk the whole time. And, best of all...I hardly see any of them! It's fantastic!

We were home for about a week and then we went jetting off in the middle of the day to celebrate mom's birthday with her. WE went to a place called "Shave it" where they have icees (how do you spell that anyway?) and ice cream and mixes of the two. It was TASTY! Best of all I got to experience the cool down of the evenings in Valencia. I had forgotten that it cooled off anywhere...it certainly doesn't in Fresno!

We went back to Fresno for one day so I could teach and then took off for our adventure to Texas. I will spare most of you the details...but in a nutshell...the car overheated 50 miles out of blithe so we got to drive with the heater on at 110 degrees for an hour or so. We did make it to Arizona that night where we spent time with Charlie...quite possibly the most adorable baby around...oh, and her mom and siblings too. It was great fun...except that you spontaneously combust when you open the front door and the pool is the equivalent of a warm bath...Next stop was Midland Texas...we drove the 15 hours with the "check engine" light on for 12 of the 15 hours. Luckily the car eventually made it to Texas the next day where we quickly took it to a mechanic. One timing belt, a water pump, some breaks and some filters and a lot of money later, we were all set to go.

Texas was lots of fun...as long as you like living in a sauna. It was high time we spent some time with the Texan cousins and let the kids get to know each other all over again...



We had to find indoor activities...so we went bowling with some free tickets we got from the library. The kids loved it but were sincerely disappointed that there were no candy machines. Seriously????



We spent some time with Rosie. Her only words to me were "No want it" (except when I fed her peanut butter directly out of the jar against her mother's wishes). She did, however, really like my kids. She has always liked Jake and she seemed to take to him right away again.



We got to celebrate the boys' birthdays with the cousins. Watch out world...they got bb guns. They have had a great time shooting targets with them...cans, cardboard, the swingset, our apple tree...whatever. They do, however, always wear their safety goggles so no one loses an eye...well, at least neither one of them.



We spent a lot of time in the pool. Seriously too hot to do anything else. Good thing there were plenty of pools to choose from.




And we went to the zoo. It was so hot, we lasted like 10 minutes before we found an air conditioned spot and ate lunch. Then we dragged our sorry buns over to the water park thing where the kids, at least, could get wet. I think our total time there was like 1 1/2 hours...definitely worth the $50 we paid to get in...or not. At least this giraffe exhibit was super cool. Check out the close-up!

The trip home was something to remember. After one hour of driving, the car started sputtering like it might explode or something. It was fantastic since I was alone with the kiddies in the middle of NOWHERE. I just kept calling dad, asking him this and that, and praying that we'd make it to Albuquerque, which we eventually did. We were watched over along the way and helped by a mechanic who took pity on us and fixed our car for free. What a blessing and an answer to prayers. We made it home to Valencia in time to celebrate Carter's birthday...



This is Malia's friend Elizabeth whom she met at the game. They had a grand time jumping on the benches, and walking up and down the stairs and flirting with the guys behind us. Yes, I did say flirting. Oh Malia...anyhow, they really took it to the next level when they decided to climb the fence at the top of the pavilion which was overlooking the parking lot. I have never seen so many people move so fast...security guards, parents, helpful onlookers...whatever, they had it under control the whole time.



Elizabeth's mom caught two balls during warm-ups! Jake, Carter, Brett, and Pops were all trying to do the same, but no luck. Carter got really close to catching one of the one that Elizabeth's mom caught so she gave it to Carter! What a fantastic birthday present!



Carter's request for his birthday was to celebrate with a Dodger game and to make Brett's special hot dogs with him. Brett's a good sport and we stayed an extra day in Valencia so they could make their pickle and cheese filled, bacon wrapped, heart attack in a bun hot dogs. We even brought two home for Rick...

We got to be in Valencia for Bella's friends' birthday too...it was fun to catch up with our fabulous Valencia friends. Man I miss them! It is so great to live close enough to go back often.

The days in between have been filled with Carter begging to go fishing and me being nagged enough that I end up taking him where he tangles his line in moss or trees and breaks it at least twice...but he's never deterred, even though he hasn't caught a single fish since family camp. The kids always want to have their friends over and we are lucky to have such wonderful friends. I should just wake up in the morning and start dialing to see who is free for the day. It makes my kids so much happier.

Our final trip was to Huntington Beach this past weekend. WE took three days to spend with Rick's dad. We went to the beach but we weren't prepared for the cold breeze so we only lasted an hour. The boys will tell you it was all worth it because they got to see some guys fishing and reel in a couple of sand sharks, a baby shark and miscellaneous other fish. Carter was completely in heaven. He even got to touch the baby sharks! The apartment we stayed in was fantastic. The boys spent most of the time out at this putting green with lots of holes to practice their golf game and we enjoyed the pool and hot tub. I forgot how cold it can be other places in the summer. Seriously, I would've loved it had I thought to bring a sweatshirt!

And now...we are home. I have one small overnight trip planned before the week is over...can't stay home more than a week in a row...must keep moving! And that's summer in a recap! Now that you are all sleeping and bored out of your minds, at least you aren't wondering if we are dead or alive...I will post more in smaller doses about some things that I've learned this summer...