Our first day back to school was Monday. We were blessed with another beautiful day. The kids had fun on the treasure hunt, and Ellie decided to try and raid everyone else's backpack for goodies. It's hard to believe that this is our 8th year of homeschooling---the things I've learned in eight years!
Jack and Joe planned an "End of Summer Carnival". We all tried our hands at the different games they came up with!
Jenny showing off her bullseye!
Jenny showing off her bullseye!
My plan for the summer was to post more often about what we are doing and everyday funnies. Well, let's just say, we're going to Plan B which is a summary of the summer now! :) Here are some photos from throughout the summer---
Having fun in the bathtub---how many kids can fit in one tub?
Sharing a laugh with cousins.
Nate and Ellie as cowboys.
Nate and Ellie as cowboys.
"The Pond" made a surprise appearance in July this year. We usually see this in the spring when all the snow melts, but we had a summer day with lots of rain over a short amount of time. The kids had such fun playing in the brown water---yikes!
This water comes out of the well---very chilly, even on a warm summer day! Didn't stop these three monkeys!
Here is a shot on our trip to Bay Beach. The rain started to fall very heavily right after I took the picture. Bill and the kids had to take the stairs down instead of the slide.
Here is a shot on our trip to Bay Beach. The rain started to fall very heavily right after I took the picture. Bill and the kids had to take the stairs down instead of the slide.
Our painting projects have been on hold due to a broken toe and too many other commitments. We're hoping to get some serious painting done some of the weekends in September.
We also had an experience in July that has showed us how sensitive Nate is to gluten. He accidentally got a piece of "real" pizza and his speech is still not back to where he was. We are seeing more and more come back but now realize how careful we need to be to keep him away from gluten. He has added "privacy" to his vocabulary---used when he needs privacy in the bathroom!
We've had a wonderful couple of months---lots of time with friends and family and hours spent outside enjoying the warm weather. The older four kids love to swim, and Ellie loves to wade.
We spent a week up north with Grandma, Papa, Uncle Kevin and Uncle Pete's families and had a wonderful time! The weather was fantastic and the kids had so much fun swimming, fishing, canoeing, eating, laughing and playing with their cousins. It was a week to remember! 
A couple of things I've learned over this summer. Don't try to kick something out of the way with crocs on.
Make sure your 4 year old is doing something with his hands when you cut his hair---little hands can quickly knock off the end of the clippers and turn it into a buzzer.
Lists can't be followed too closely.
Never underestimate what a two year old can do.
