Summer Summary

I thought I'd give a short description of our summer to go with the photo collage.  Summer didn't really get going here until June, since we still had 2 feet of snow in the yard until the last week of May!  But since then, we've tried to live it up.  We've spent an unbelieveable amount of time playing outside-hiking, biking,  canoeing, and now that we have a TINY little camping trailer, camping.   And I can't forget to add, FLYING, since Steve has been doing so much of it lately for Idaho Fish and Game, Hatch Marketing and as a flight instructor.  We've taken trips to Jackson Hole, West Yellowstone, Sun Valley and last week Bozeman, where the kids and I spent the day at the Museum of the Rockies.  (Too bad we forgot the camera).  We are lucky to be able to tag along on Steve's working vacations, since we wouldn't be able to go otherwise.

We've been to Utah a few times-for a Roberts reunion in Midway that was super fun, and for a visit that ended up as a marathon sewing session for new camper cushion covers (Thanks, Mom Roberts).  During that one, we also got to meet our new niece/cousin Freya Irene Schultz who is of course adorable! And this last weekend we went to Logan where we got to see our friends the Belands sealed in the temple to each other with their beautiful 6 kids.  Now that Steve's sister Amy's family is in Pocatello (yay!)  We've been able to stop on our way back and forth to see them, too, which we've missed since leaving Logan 2 years ago.  (I can't believe it's already been that long.)  

Summer projects have included Steve's building of the shed-turned-mostly-playhouse, my de-junking ALL of the cupboards, drawers, and closets in the house (still working on it!), fixing up and stocking up the new camper, gardening (too short of growing season-there's tons of bright green tomatoes that I'm sure will never ripen), and lately berry picking and jam-making: wild huckleberry, serviceberry and chokecherry.  (I can't believe I've become so domesticated--my mom is especially amazed.)  And of course, spending a huge amount of time doing school prep.

(This year we are focusing on reading, writing, math, the middle ages and earth science).  

The kids and I had a great time with some new homeschool friends doing weekly "American Girl School" and "Cowboy School" sessions; swimming lessons were cut short by a leaky pool but they both were amazing in Red Cross level 3.  Evan learned to ride his bike and turned 5, Steve had a few near-death experiences/adventures of his own in the canoe and while instructing a couple elderly flight students (I don't like to hear about those particular ones).  

We have tried to stretch out the summer as long as possible and keep brainstorming to figure out a way we can avoid the long Ashton winter, which I am absolutely dreading.  Of course, we can't come up with a way to do it.  I'm just glad summer has been so fun. . .