Fingerpaint Wedding Dress: Summer is definitely over...

I sure wish I posted a blog post more than at the beginning or end of a season...

I've really had it on my mind to do a blog post summarizing summer. Right now, I don't feel like I will forget any of the amazing adventures we had, but I also know myself. And I WILL forget. So, for the sake of my dim memory, here is a list of things we did and places we went this summer...

*We checked out a book at the library called "Ice Cream Summer". We all really liked it.

*The boys went to Grammy and Poppa's house over our 10 year anniversary weekend in June. It was nice. And quiet. Not exactly the way we had pictured spending our 10 year anniversary, but enjoyable nonetheless. We hiked in Forest Park and went out to sushi. My cardinal memory of that long weekend will be Buying The Flex. The boys were pretty excited to be brought home in a new car.

*My solo adventure with the boys was next. We drove the new Flex to California on the Fourth of July to Northern California. We arrived at the Rembleskis and celebrated the holiday at their house with the Browns and the Mowrers. After a couple of days there, my favorite girls and I went to the ranch for a few days. It was the second time for Val, Dani, and I, and we invited Donna along as well. I love those trips. I get so much uninterrupted time with friends that I love. We spent a day in Yosemite, and did a short hike to Lower Yosemite Falls. Although fun most of the time, this was the day I was almost ready to pack up and drive home. I carried Atticus almost the whole way, and Ezekiel cried about a bunch of little things. After that little sub-trip, we spent a couple of days with the Childress family, which I really enjoyed. And then we drove home!

*Next up was our long awaited trip to Crater Lake with the Mowrers. This trip was everything we hoped it would be...and more! The Mowrers are flexible and fun and the best vacation friends. We played lots of games (not as many as we hoped), and ate a lot of good food and then a lot of candy. We spent a day driving to and touring around Crater Lake, since we were staying in Klamath Falls. We did a short hike at the beginning, and then caravanned around the Lake, which was amazing, from every angle. The house we rented was delightful, and we spent some time at the pool, which all the kids enjoyed. Overall, a truly memorable and enjoyable trip with great friends.

*Followed by Cascade Friends Summer Camp! We were a bit nervous about this, it was our first time there, and we didn't know what to expect. We ended up making some new friends (hello Keehns!), and reconnecting with old friends (hello Erica!), and we had a really good time. The boys loved it, as I knew they would. Ezekiel was excited to earn his lanyard on the last day, and Atticus did all kinds of cutting paper with the crazy sorts of scissors and swinging in hammocks. And they ate lots of popcorn and candy. We will definitely go back again.

*And finally, the also much anticipated camping trip with the Smays at Nehalem Bay. This was good. We love the Smays. Of all our travels this summer, this trip felt the most comfortable and relaxed. We all know already how our lives work together, so there were no surprises. Except when we temporarily lost Atticus and Sadie. That was a surprise. We found them hiding in the back of the Flex. We spent a lot of time at the beach, both in the sun and clouds, and Kyra and I walked around Manzanita a bit. I love that little town. The kids all played together great, and we enjoyed getting to know the Wickerhams a little better. I'm ready to start planning our next camping trip together next summer.

*Inserted into this somewhere should be Nathanael and I's trip to Boise for the Youth Summit. My mom came down and stayed with the boys. That was a fun trip. We listened to most of Serial Season 2. We still need to finish that. And we got to float down the Boise River with the kids.

This blog post is longer than I like my blog posts to be. But we did SO MUCH this summer. It was really great, and I enjoyed everything. Even still, I think we'll do less next summer. I just don't know what we'll cut out.

School has been in session for a month now, and we're finding our routines. I was so ready for it. Not necessarily for Ezekiel to be gone, but to find my new routines. Fall/school starting is my favorite time of year because of the new beginnings it brings, and also all that fall stuff that everyone loves. It's like New Years, but better.

The weather is definitely fall-like. Summer is definitely over, despite all the planning and anticipation of it. I hope every summer is as full of fun as Summer 2016.

And now, here come the holidays. I hope I'm ready for it. I also hope I can blog more. I always have hope.

A smattering of photos from the summer of fun.