Dead days of summer

These last couple of weeks of summer have been super lazy.  The weather has cooled down a little but it hasn't really stopped the kids from getting in the water.

We visited a new pool and Katie asked if she could try the driving board...she didn't want to get off.

My siblings have been in and out of our house.  Heather came to stay with us for a few days.  Addy cried hysterically when she left.

Visiting uptown

Addy on the catwalk--she sometimes scares me

We have been doing lots of art, Katie thought up the project below that involved paint, marbles and a cookie sheet.  The art turned out great.

Addy does not conform, she does her own thing

 We have spent lots of time with friends, swimming, going to the children's library and playing at the park. 

Dax, Marcus and Katie--Dax is Marcus' best buddy

Wed we went to the Raleigh temple to be with Hannah.  Uncle Chris, who was going to watch the kids while we were inside, was late, so Alisa and a temple worker watched them (Sarah's 3, my 3 and Tony and Gabby) while they waited.  I heard rumor that she had them cleaning the bathroom because they got a little rowdy.

After the temple Bethany, Eric and Hannah came back to Charlotte to be with us until B & E had to fly back to ID on Friday.  We had a great couple days with them.  Thurs morning my sisters and I were talking about going shopping and Marcus, who was listening, got upset and said, "I don't want to go shopping!"  We told him to go talk to Eric.  Eric agreed to stay home with him.  Addy didn't want to get dressed, so she stayed as well.  

Friday we attempted to go swimming, but it was too cold.  We left after an hour.

 When we were at the music festival, my kids saw my younger siblings on top of my parents van.  They have been wanting to climb on top of a car since then.  When everyone was leaving we couldn't find them, we walked outside to find this...

Goodbye summer, I will probably miss you in a couple of weeks, but right now I am ready to be childless for a few days.

Party time

So Miss Hannah is leaving us for 18 months and as sad as it makes us we are so proud of her.  She is going to serve a mission for our church in the DR.  She doesn't leave until mid-Sept but she gave her farewell talk at my parents church a week ago.  

We went up Sat and met EVERYONE at a bluegrass music festival.  (Everyone was there but Johnny and Jenn and family.)  Mark was a little nervous about the music, but he ended up really enjoying it.  The kids played with cousins and aunts and uncles but mostly they just danced.  Addy literally danced the entire time we were there.  She took a break or two for water and food.

Marcus and Jake-they were so excited to see each other

Katie with Grandma, Grandpa and Tony

My siblings and I with Wayne Henderson our childhood mailman turned musician

 We stayed with Flossie that night.  My kids love her house because it is in the woods and they can explore where they want and yell as loud as they can.  

The next morning we went to church.  Hannah gave a great talk.  My kids did not ruin the service by being too loud (although it got a little close when Marcus started playing with his animals with Cohen and Colby, and you start hearing growls and roars coming from under the chairs).

After church we had lunch before we headed home.

La familia loca

Gabby, Talia, Karleigh, Marcus

Hannah

Hannah we will miss you, but we don't want to see you again for 1 1/2 years!!!

Take two...

As I am typing this Mark is introducing the kids to one of his favorite movies "Rudy", it is at the climax and the crowd and players are chanting "Ruuudy, Ruuudy"  poor Rufio is pacing and barking at the screen thinking they are calling him.

Flossie decided to come to Charlotte for another cousin trip...hoping that this time did not include another hospital visit.  We met at Sarah's pool again.  Ashley and her kids came as well.

The kids built a 'boat' out of chairs ate dinner there.

Katie with Nate (Sarah's newest)

 Flossie and her kids slept over at our house.  The next morning we walked down to the train tracks.  This time I remembered to bring pennies with us.  My kids have been bugging me to put pennies on the tracks since I mentioned it to them when we moved in, we just kept forgetting to bring the pennies when we took a walk (and it has been WAY to hot to be outside for the past few months).

While we were there, a city truck drove by and told us we better leave before the police saw us bc someone had been hit by the train a few days before.  Why thank you sir, for saying this in front of 6 children.  The kids then wanted to know where and wanted to walk down to the scene.  (I am assuming since this is within walking distance of my house and I knew nothing about it, and because you can see and HEAR the train coming in plenty of time, that it was someone impaired who was hit.)  Of course we did not visit the site, but we did wait around for the train to come and collect our flattened pennies.  (The kids continued to talk about the dead guy for the trip home and the rest of the week.)

 On the way home we passed the fire station and the kids talked their way into a picture.

 Then we headed to Discovery Place

Katie on the bed of nails, you push a button and they emerge until you are literally laying on a bed of nails.

 After Discovery Place we supported Chic Fil-a, I'm not sure they want our kind of support though because my kids ate all their mints.

Utah

This summer is going by so fast...how is there only a few weeks left?

A couple of weeks ago we had a very full and fun trip to Utah.  The kids, of course, were super excited for the airplane ride.  Our flight left at 7am so we had to get up early, we parked the car and piled into the parking shuttle.  The kids were all in a little bit of a trance from getting up at 5am so Addy is clinging to me.  A nice lady sitting next to us looks at her and says; "wherever you are going I hope she is coming back with you, she looks a little attached".  I smile, trying to tell myself not to be offended and said, "of course she is coming back she is mine."

The flight was great.  It was straight and the kids are at a great age.  They were so excited to see everyone.  We headed from the airport straight to Cafe Rio.

The first few days were full of family, fun and (yummy) food.  The kids had a blast in the back yard and on the neighbor's trampoline.

Addy and (Emily's) Mike had a no-smiling contest which Addy won everytime, seriously, I don't know how she didn't crack a smile even when he started picking his nose.

Uncle Mike had a birthday complete with cupcakes. 

The kiss got her a second cupcake

Thanks Riley for the fancy nails

Katie got her fill of babies

We hit the lake one day.  Mark's parents rented a jet ski.  We spent the day in the sand and water.

Mark and Rosie

Addy got the award for best passenger, she is the only one who let me go as fast as I wanted.

While we were at the lake a big wind storm hit.  EVERYTHING blew away.  All the kids were hiding in the shelter of the bathroom while the rest of us ran around like crazy people trying to catch plates, hats, clothes, etc.  Katie got a little scared, because she thought a tree was going to fall on us.  But despite her fear she helped us gather up all our stuff.

Wed Mark's grandparents arrived.  We all went fishing (we cheated a little bc it was a trout farm, and we would throw food in and drop the hook in), but despite our cheating, we were not able to catch the 4th fish we wanted.

 

 

Thurs we headed to Bear Lake for a family reunion with the Sanofsky family; Mark's grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  It got crazy fast and was lots of fun. (Bethany and Eric drove down from Rexburg to join us for the day on the lake.)  More Jet Skis, sun, sand and water and everyone was happy for a while.

Marcus, Nick, Matthew, Rosie, Katie and Addy

Except for Marcus when we tried to get the grandkid (above) picture.  He would not smile or sit, Mark told him we was going to dump his Gatorade in the lake if he didn't behave.  He was good enough (no smiling) until we tried to take a family picture, and then Mark dumped the drink and Marcus lost it.  Emily was great enough to capture it on film.  

Our sneaky little drink lover had been hanging out at the shelter talking a different adult into giving him another soda or Gatorade.

Katie chasing some random dog--mostly just missing Rufio

One day we took a hike, we had a great time in the shade,  but when we walked out into the sun, the kids started whining and it turned into the longest mile of my life (it wasn't that bad, I will just remember to never take my kids hiking in the sun).

Marcus, Mark, Addy and Grammy

There was a pool where we stayed, where my kids spent quite a bit of time.

Addy and Katie in the hottub eating Bear Lake's famous raspberry shakes.

Mark and I had many a late night playing cards with his cousins. 

Our attempt at family pictures, we got all ready and it started raining, we will see how well these turn out edited. (Thanks Em!)

The clan