Kicking Off Our Summer

Now that there is no snow on the ground, nor the impending threat of that yucky white stuff falling from the sky, we are able to enjoy our time outside.
Though Topher is not yet done with school, one of the reasons I despise year-round school, we have started our summer activites.

Summer Kids Movies

I can take the kids to a movie for a dollar each, Caroline is free. Last week we went to Hotel Transylvania for playgroup and this week we watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. With two theaters close by running the summer kids movies, we will go once a week I imagine.

Swimming

Of course we go to the pool every day! Daybreak has the splash pool just down the road from us, which is where we go most every day, but there is also a larger community pool up by the lake. I finally was brave enough to go with three kids. We survived. We will go again.

Maddie Mae has no fear of the water and loves to go swimming.

Topher is usually a shark, polar bear, octopus or some other flesh-eating-sea-creature.

Caroline is not a water bug. She enjoys running around the side yelling at the kids. Or eating all the snacks.

On our first trip we road scooters up there. It was so windy Maddie Mae could barely move. So now we drive. I figure it is okay if they don't get the exercise walking if we stay and swim for two or three hours!

Play Group

My friend asked me to take over play group for her, somehow she thinks life is too busy raising 4 boys, being primary president and having a husband in school!
So because I planned it - it stuff we want to do! Today we are going to Draper City Park. It is a fun park! 

I will try to remember my camera and add picture!
But every Wednesday we have some awesomely fun things to do!
Okay - so I did remember. It was great weather and quite a few people showed up despite having to travel! And here is what we did:
Maddie Mae twirled, climbed, hung and swung.

Topher played Star Wars with his friends.

Caroline hung out with mom and ate.

Just Hang Out Outside

In a pervious post I posted pictures of chairs Tyler and I were refinishing. After 3 coats of stain we decided that the chairs just were not taking to the stain. So we are now painting them.

We are also painting Tyler's bench he made in school. To bad because it had some cool things that will be covered by paint but it just wasn't stain quality wood. But hopefully in the next few weeks I can post finished products. 

We also have a new kitchen table to work on. I think we have settled on the colors for the top - we need to strip the wood before we get to that though! 

While we work outside the kids ride bikes and play on the playhouse.

Happiness

I think everyone, myself included, is happier in the summer. We get out. We do things. We are worn out at the end of the day. We eat better and less. (More and cheaper fresh things to buy and too hot to cook anything!

Well - most of us eat less. Caroline however...

 And best of all, I have so much to look forward to this summer. I have Tyler's family reunion next week. Three weeks I am in Georgia. I get to see so many people and perhaps best of all, my kids will no longer be Utahans who believe that fireflies are mythical creatures that Southerns make up. We are going to spend hours swimming (both at the reunion and at home), catching bugs (probably in Utah and GA), hanging out with family (of course both) and friends!

Summer is the best!