Holding on to Summer

School started on a Friday, the following Monday we headed out to the lake for Family Home Evening.  It was a perfect night.  The weather was great, the company fabulous, the beach pretty much empty, and the moments a forever memory.  We played football on the beach, splashed in the water, built sand sculptures in the sand, worried about snakes (someone thought they saw in the water), and had delicious hamburgers and hot dogs barbecued to perfection.  A perfect, full moon rose and shined above, smiling down on us.   

We set goals as a family and talked about some family rules we needed to once again embrace now that school is upon us.   

 

Will

 Ike

 Jake

 

 

 

There is something about watching your kids play.  I love, love watching them run.  I am so grateful for their healthy bodies, that work and move and perform. 

 

 

 There is something about watching their backs that makes me happy.  They are strong and healthy and I can only imagine those strong backs growing up into tall, muscular, healthy backs. 

 

 

 And here is the Holly Terror as we like to call him.  Or HT for short.  What as sweet, mischievous, exhausting, wonderful kid who loves to run and play and make us question our own sanity sometimes. 

And here is my favorite sight in all the world.  The five manly stud muffins of my life.  This picture makes me catch my breath a little when I realize they are all mine. 

 

 

 

And here is a face that can't help but be kissed and snuggled and awed.  I love this sweet, little boy.  He is a calming influence and a joy beyond measure. 
We are enjoying every moment with our sweet Bracken.

 

School started.  So far so good.  It's weird to think that we have a 3rd grader and a 1st grader. I remember third grade very well and it sometimes scares me that we are in the stage of life that my boys will be able to remember when they are older.  I hope I don't mess it up. 

 

 Both boys are going all day now and even after a month of school, I still think Ike should be coming home to me at 11:05.  I miss him, and Will.  Both boys have good teachers though.  Ike is so motivated and is loving every minute, Will is a great kid and loves that they get to cook in his class on Fridays.  I know it's been a good cooking day when Will asks his teacher for the reciepe:) and I get a scribbed copy of it and a request to make it again.

 

 

 Just moments before we walked up to school. 

 I'm so grateful the school is just up the road and we can walk. It's pretty fantastic. 

 

Getting ready for all day.  Cute face!

 



 Brothers taking good care of each other. 

Will and Ike meet up after school and then walk and I meet them at our park.  It's a pretty good system and I'm glad Will is a good big brother who waits for Isaac.

 

The first few weeks after school started our pool was still opened.  It was the perfect way to end the evening.  We spent quality time there this summer with swim team and just surviving the heat.  It's always a sad day when the pool closes for the season.

 

Fun, Fun, Fun!

 

Now that school, has started, and the pool is closed, and life is getting back to a normal routine, Jake is doing a good job of keeping me company and busy during the day.  Does this face just say come and get me!  I'm going to do something.........maybe naughty. 

And then without fail he tells me he loves me and that I'm lovely.  And he uses such proper phrases like, "Mom I have a wonderful idea.  Lets go feed the horses,.. Shall We?" And I melt and even though there are about a gazillion other things we need to be doing I say.. "We shall, Jake."  And it is always the right, wonderful choice.