The Simple Joys of Summer

Once again I am a little overwhelmed by the myriad of activities that seem to be eating up our summertime.  I had envisioned this summer being a time when I really put my blogging hat back on and started writing interesting posts again, but alas I am not there yet!  So as per usual, here are a few pictures I've taken recently that I felt like really captured the essence of summer.  I love how Ellie will still pose for the camera without complaining and I wish she'd rub a little bit of that off on some of her siblings, so my blog wouldn't look so much like I have a favorite child.  :)  

JOY IS....

Going for a leisurely stroll with a friend....

Trying to catch some minnows in the neighborhood stream ...

Having a pleasant conversation....

Getting a little soaked in the neighborhood stream and not caring a bit....

Running, giggling, and playing....

Splashing down a water slide....

Showing off your sweet swim moves (she got 5th place in backstroke in her last swim meet)....

Holding hands with your new best friend....

Pushing, playing, wrestling....

What are the simple summertime joys you remember from your childhood?  What about now as an adult?


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contest answer

What I need to blog about:

1. two sixes
2.  luna moth mating rituals
3.  trip to creek
4.  star struck at a fireside
5.  trip to waterpark
6. spontaneous day exploring the underworlds
7. bounteous fruits from our garden.....

(never mind I'll just throw this picture in and call the garden post done)

oh yeah and although I'm rather enjoying all the comments (kind of like the days of yore when I had a brain that functioned and I could write a somewhat witty, well-formed blogpost)  I guess I better put my dad out of his misery and give the answer to my last blogpost since no one was even close to guessing it right (although Mika was the closest).   

The reason for all of our crazy shirts was.....

 that we were trying to laugh and enjoy the stupid waste-of-good-money shirts from Unique, because laughing is way better than being annoyed and stewing over them. 

(sorry dad, you'll just have to read between those cryptic lines) 


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Half-way...

Have I mentioned lately how much I totally love having 4 of us 8 Crain kids living within an hour of here? 

Because  I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, love it! 

And I think my kids might love it too.  :)

Flashback Friday: I'm Okay.

Once upon a time summers were a relaxed time to be cherished and enjoyed.  Field trips, lazy afternoons at the pool, and good old-fashioned hanging out with friends consumed the better part of most days. 

That was then. 

Now, partially due to me overcommitting myself yet again and also the kids growing older,  our summers are now about as crazy as our school year schedule.    Although no one has had to remind me that I have my hand in too many pots, I didn't realize how out of sync and busy I really was until today when someone mentioned that I haven't been blogging much lately and they wondered if I was okay. 

While it's true that my blogging habits are often a good gauge as to the general state of my mental health, I didn't realize that it's how some people know whether I'm alive or not.   

So, yes.  I'm okay. 

And here is my blogpost....

A long, long time ago I had a good friend named Brenda.  She lived right upstairs from me in Alta Apartments and she hung out with Glen and I a lot before there really was a true "Glen and I".   We had lots of fun together and she ended up becoming an honorary roommate in our apartment.




Brenda and I did all sorts of things together.... like going to Preference together in a big group (pre-Glen).   Later on we wooed Glen with dyed-green chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream after he busted his shin open on a double date. 



Eventually Brenda was called on to serve in the DC North Mission (notice Glen IS in this picture).  :)  Shortly after Brenda left on her mission, Glen and I started "hanging out" a lot.


Fast forward a good 17 years or so...somehow the green tinted ice cream worked and I convinced Glen to hang out some more with me and Brenda lives in Oregon with her husband and five kids.   If I remember correctly I hadn't seen her much since her mission farewell.  

Then a few weeks ago she emails and says she's coming into town for a wedding and would like to visit.   Glen and Spencer were out of town for the day, so I brought the rest of the crew with me and met her and her 13-year-old daughter downtown. 




Cami and Aubrie hit it off fabulously...

It was a fun visit and easy to remember why were such good friends all those years ago. 



And now I'm done blogging and everyone can rest assured that I am alive and well. :)

Craft Club 2011

This was our third year of having a summer craft club and  by sheer numbers it's definitely our most successful year yet.  We ended up with a full group of 5-6-year-olds, another full group of 7-8-year-olds, and two full groups of 9-10-11-year-old girls.  While I'm happy that so many girls are able to participate this year and especially that Ellie gets to be with girls her own age for the first time, I did end up a little disappointed that I couldn't keep all of the girls Emma's age together in one group. 

We hosted the first meeting for Ellie's age group at our house and I enjoyed seeing first-hand the fun they had together.   Since about half the girls were from church and half the girls were from school, I was a little nervous that they would separate themselves into groups, but it turned out fine. 

We had an ice cream theme for the day, so we started off by making sand-art ice cream necklaces

Then it was cute to see their little wheels turn as they used their creativity to make design-your-own paper dolls (holding ice cream cones to keep with the theme).  We made them using foam bodies,  scrapbook paper for clothes, buttons and glitter for decorations, yarn for the hair, googly eyes, and whatever else they felt like using. 

After those crafts, we went on to the highlight of the day...making our own ice cream!  We followed this recipe for Ice Cream in a Bag.   The kids were excited to give it a try and especially loved a quick jump on the trampoline to keep the bags in motion. 

In the end, they had cold hands and limited patience, so we just decided to open them up and eat them as they were.   Some were thick and creamy, as they should have been....

While most of them ended up more like ice cream soup....

Of course it was nothing a few sprinkles couldn't fix...

 All in all, it was a fun day and definitely worth all the stress of figuring out the dynamics of getting the groups started. 

Coming soon....a post about my girls' hairstyles in the summer vs. the school year.   Er, never mind.  I forgot where the brush is. 


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The Story of the Hat

Once upon a time there was a man who decided to go to the local consignment store to get himself a pioneer hat for Trek.  

While there the man also found a child's hat hailing from his beloved alma mater.    Despite the low price on the tag,  the man's sense of style got the better of him and he decided not to purchase the dated hat.   

Then, at the exact moment that he was setting the hat back on the shelf, he happened to notice a little something on the underside of the bill.

Adam thinks his new Steve Young autographed hat is awesome.  

The end.

A Homey Fourth

On the morning of the Fourth we went out and did a little exploring at  Dyke Marsh,  where we hiked a bit....

 and did some birdwatching....


The kids brought their bird journals with them to add in and sketch the new birds we saw that day (an osprey and eastern kingbird)....

Afterward we went out for lunch and some Georgetown Cupcakes.  Too bad the line at GC was like 37 miles long, so instead we ended up at Baked and Wired (a few blocks away).  The cupcakes were every bit as overpriced as Georgetown Cupcakes, but we loved the fun flavors and short lines!

After all that exploring we came home and settled in for a nice homey Fourth of July!  We made these awesome layered patriotic drinks: 

And Glen grilled these stuffed pizza burgers (recipe coming soon): 

 Then we just chilled until it was almost dark and headed over to our neighbor's house for some light-your-own fireworks.  Most of the kids (Ellie excluded) were enamored with the opportunity to light their own fireworks,  especially since we don't usually don't buy any ourselves.  The boys--Adam and his friend Caleb were especially enamored!

After that we walked an entire 1/2 block to a culdesac around the corner from us and sat and watched the local firework show, which as of a couple years ago is directly across the highway from our neighborhood.  We get front row seats, 100% without the crowds!    It's about as awesome as awesome gets.    

Ellie jabbered away to our neighbor (an adult) the entire way through the show, then after the grand finale was over we walked 3-minutes through the empty streets to our home and put the kids to bed instantly. 

Good adventure, good food, good friends, good fireworks.....can't beat that kind of Fourth!!!!

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Trek

Youth Conference started at the crack of dawn for Spencer and Cami (and by default, Glen and I as well). 

Even though we were just helping at Trek Youth Conference for the day, we decided to still dress the part of pioneer.  I raided my closet and the kids' dress up basket for my costume, while Glen supplemented his with some accessories from the consignment store. All in all, I thought we looked pretty awesome.  :)

I found this sight of my pioneer man pumping gas as somewhat ironic, so of course I had to take a picture.  The cashier in Safeway laughed and said he looked like the man on the Sam Adams beer signs. 

I don't know, beside the frothing mug of beer.....what do you think? 

Then it was off to Trek with both minivans stuffed to the gills...



After arriving, we spent the entire morning setting up and getting prepared for the youth to arrive.  Right in time for lunch, the mostly smiling kids pulled in with their handcarts and families. 

After 12 miles, Cami found herself with a few blisters, but thankfully her friend Sydney spared her the pain of walking a few extra feet and carried her to the Nurse's station for a bandage. 

Of course, she was all smiles within about 1.2 seconds of her bandaging session and her and her Trek sister Katy had a great time enjoying all the activities Glen and I helped plan!

Spencer still has a camera phobia, so I put my telephoto lens to use and took some photos while he wasn't looking...

After all our planned activities were over, it was time for dinner and skits.  Thankfully I didn't have anything to do with the dinner plans, but since I was the one who created the skit planning binders I was highly interested to see what the youth made of my mostly goofy skit ideas. 

Of course, they were awesome. 

And now I am sleeping. 
ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


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