Summer Break--week 1

 Wow--I'm not sure I've ever been this far behind on our blog.  I was thinking this afternoon that if I keep telling myself that I can't blog the current events until I catch up with the past events, that I may never get current.  And I don't want to loose all of our current events.  So, today I am going to blog about the things going on right now, and later I will go back and fill in the holes.

This weekend was one of those that only comes around once in a while.  It was a near-perfect weekend.  Last week was the first full week of summer break for the kids and we worked hard on getting into a routine that involved them doing chores, outside time, workbooks, and scripture reading in order to earn electronic time.  By the end of the week the boys were easily doing chores on their own and I watched them with a happy heart.  To see Finn wiping down the kitchen table and making the bed on his own accord without me telling him....there are no words.  And to have Kai do some chores to surprise me was so sweet.  Finn, who in general is my reluctant student, was sitting down to do his workbook pages with a smile on his face.  They aren't being done perfectly or completely, but they are being done.  And that matters more to me than anything else!  Even Bree has stepped in with chores so she can get some star stickers (ok, yes there a rewards system....my kids aren't that perfect!).  On Tuesday we also had the chance to drive down to Pueblo to see one of my oldest and sweetest friends, Esther.  It was so nice to be able to see her for a few hours, have a picnic lunch, watch the boys run around, and just chat.  After we got home from Pueblo I realized just how much I miss having her around. Her laugh is infectious and she knows just how to make me feel loved. I guess being roommates for 2 1/2 years can do that to people.  There are things we know about each other that not many others do.  It's a precious relationship.

On Thursday we had our first playgroup of the summer.  Since I am currently the playgroup "coordinator" our family was committed to going but I was worried that no one else would show (that's kind of been the story of the year!).  Well, I needn't have worried.  We had our largest turnout that I can recall in years.  It was so fun to see over 20 kids from the ward running around the park and to see all of the moms sitting and chatting.  Thursday was also AFA graduation day which means we get to see the Thunderbird show.  We were able to walk just about a block from the playground we were at to a good lookout point for the show.  The ward kids were all running around and enjoying the show and the moms were enjoying the patriotic feeling that seeing those Thunderbirds always invokes.  After the show we are headed back to the playground.

I didn't get any great pictures this year, but this is proof that we saw them!

Friday Reid was able to come home early since he had logged in so many late hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  He came home at 1pm and we were out the door by 1:30pm and headed to the Butterfly Pavillion.  We got there about two hours before they closed which gave us plenty of time to see everything.  Right when we first walked in, Reid jumped at the chance to hold Rosie the tarantula.  The boys were too scared and Finn wouldn't even watch Reid do it!  Finn is definitely going through a "nervous nelly" phase as once we entered the butterfly exhibit, he got very upset.  He was quite "scared" of the butterflies.  Even bribing him to be brave did not work.  Eventually the "rain" of the rainforest had me worried enough (potential bacteria being misted through the air) that I decided to take him out.  He enjoyed the kid's play area while we waited for Reid, Kai, and Bree to watch the butterfly release.

Kai touching a horseshoe crab

touching a sea star

Bree admiring a butterfly.  She wanted to touch them so bad, but she's such a good listener.  I only had to tell her no once and she never tried again.

The butterfly Bree was admiring

This was the only type of butterfly Finn would get near

putting cloth "butterflies" in a wind tunnel where they would fly up and out the top

Eventually, we all had some good time in the kid's play area and then decided to go back for a second look at most of the exhibits.  The butterflies had settled down since the sun had gone behind the rainclouds, so we didn't stay long.  But somehow Kai got up the nerve to hold Rosie.  Of course, there was no one left in the exhibit area and Rosie was put away, but luckily one of the employees heard us and offered to get Rosie out for Kai.  I was impressed with how brave he was!

Bree had to take her turn once she got there

I just adore the expression on her face in this picture

Bree LOVED walking across these suspension bridges.

One last walk with the butterflies

Watching the turtle crawl

My boys

The best shot of me and all of the kids

Kai holding Rosie!

After the Butterfly Pavillion we took the long way around to get to Freddy's for dinner.  During dinner Reid offered Kai $1 if he would try a hot pepper.  Kai did not take the bait but when the offer was extended to Finn, he immediately started considering it.  After about 10 minutes of working up the nerve, he grabbed the pepper and went for it.  We were very impressed!  And Kai did not want to be left out so he also tried a pepper.  It was a fun dinner and we were having a good time just being together.

Saturday the weather was great and so we spent the morning cleaning up the house and doing yard work.  After lunch Reid and I were able to cash in on a Groupon that we got for our anniversary for a zip lining trip.  It was a really fun trip.  I felt like I was a 20-something again and was really enjoying the time away from the kids.

And finally, that brings us to today.  This morning our house phone rang at a little past 6am.  I was drifting in and out and trying to justify staying in bed despite needing to get up to finish my lesson for singing time.  But I wasn't about to answer the phone.  I figured if someone really needed us they could leave a message, I would check it in a few minutes and then decided what to do.  But then my cell phone started to ring.  At that point I could see the caller ID.  It was Reid's brother-in-law, Erik.  I answered the phone to a chipper Erik who told me that he had been driving up I-25 (he is here with the Boy Scouts from Kansas for their high adventure this week) when he hit a razor blade just near the exit to our house.  Wal-mart's tire center doesn't open until 8am and he needed to get to the airport to pick up another scout.  He wanted to know if he could borrow a car.  Of course we said yes and then he told me that he was actually at our house right then.  We rolled over and made ourselves decent and headed to answer the door.  Despite the nature of the visit, it is always fun to see family.  We were grateful to be able to help out.  Erik drove to the airport and back before we had to leave for 9am church.  The boys were able to see him when he came to return the car and we were able to fill up his water cooler so that they had some water for the day.

It's been a good weekend.  We have had some fun family memories, some new adventures, and an unexpected visit from family.  I have to say our summer is off to a good start.  I'm exhausted with all we have done and accomplished this week and I'm looking forward to more.  This week is another big week for us.  Kai is getting baptized on Saturday and my mom is flying in for that.  We're hoping to have some more adventures real soon.