Summer is half way gone and what have we done?
Well, first and foremost, we really like camping. We've only been officially out twice, but went for five days both times so to enjoy the time there. And you're going to spend the same in gas whether you go five days or two, so . . .
This is our favorite spot in Kilgore. The campsite is perfect, it is shady, there is a creek that runs right behind where our camper is parked, there are easy hikes nearby, someone has made huge log benches around the firepit, and there aren't nearly as many people there as Island Park and Palisades - both places I also love.
On our second trip, our friends came and stayed a couple of the nights we were there. This is a picture of the kids after we hiked to Salamander Lake.
Kaden & Jackson fishing at the lake.
This is what Kaden likes to do most during the summer. His goal was to catch 100 fish this summer, not sure what the official count is, but I would think that he has probably reached that goal already.
Courtney celebrated her 12th birthday in Kilgore. I CANNOT believe that my baby is 12. She got her much awaited ipod, and makeup, and shaving equipment. She is growing up much too fast and is turning into a beautiful young woman - which she has been very happy to graduate from Primary and go to Young Women too. So glad I get to be her mom.
And finally, here is a picture of my boyfriend. He likes to take me to the mountains and play his guitar for me. I am most happy with this arrangement.
Other things we have done this summer:
I got to travel to Boston for work in June which was much fun. If I get really ambitious, I will post pics of that trip and tell a little bit more about it. During the time I was gone, Courtney got to go and stay with Annie for a week - which I think they both loved, and Kaden and Greg went to Boise and caught up with Greg's friends and family. We were all very glad to see each other at the end of the week (especially after I ended up sleeping in the Denver airport on the last night of my trip).
Courtney got to go to girls camp in Mackay - which she loved and Kaden got to go to High Adventurer Camp in Copperbasin - which he reported was "ok", (do not be alarmed, I think he had fun, "ok" and "not bad" are standard answers for 14 year old boys).
Kaden has been taking golf lessons, which I think he also likes, and Courtney has been in swimming lessons twice, which she will openly admit that she LOVES. She got to do a week of swimming lessons when she stayed with Annie and now she is taking two weeks of lessons with her cousins Shelby & Kesley. She loves the water and she is becoming a great swimmer. Courtney is also still taking violin lessons and is very talented. She had to change teachers this summer because Vanessa moved, but I think we are settled in with her new teacher and she is planning on taking Orchestra this year in school.
Greg picked up an old fishing boat off of Craig's List and now has it in good working order, so we have also done quite a bit of boat fishing this year. He is a miracle worker mechanic, I swear he can bring back almost anything from the dead and is pretty handy to have around most of the time.
We have also been trying to get projects and general cleaning done around the house. Deep cleaning each room in the house, washing windows, yard work, etc. Not as much fun, but good to have it done.
One of the projects I recently finished, the quilt I made for Courtney this year. I love how it turned out. (Jellybean Pattern by Thimbleblossoms, Ruby fabric by Bonnie & Camille)
I have also been running lots this summer. Because of the nice weather, I have been running consistently since March-ish and am planning on running my 2nd Half Marathon ever this Saturday.
In May, I ran The Dam Run with Annie, my brother-in-law Brett, and cousins Nick & Becky at Lake Walcott. And what a Dam Run it was, it was freezing cold and the wind blew the entire time. The first four miles or so were directly into the wind and there were times I thought we were probably just running in place. Because it was so cold, Annie and I waited in the car before the race started and when it was about five minutes before we thought it should start, we got out and headed over. We saw people lined up at the starting line and figured we had plenty of time, so Annie went and used the bathroom while I waited for her. We moseyed over to the start line and found Nick, when we asked him where Becky & Brett were, he started laughing and informed us that he was waiting for the 5k run and that we had completely missed the start for the 10k and that they had left about five minutes ago. So, the spazzes that we are, we completely missed the start of our race and now are the idiots in the way back trying to catch up with everyone else. Don't worry though, we didn't come in last and we both had a real good laugh over it.
Well, that's what we've accomplished thus far. Hope to get a bit more camping & fishing in before we are all freezing again. How about you? What have you done this summer?
