And they are off...

First and second grade never looked so cute!!!

My stay at home companion is pretty darn cute too!!

Love the classic Indiana bus stop with the corn in the background!!!

End of Summer

It's hard to believe that the kids head back to school tomorrow, but I'm more than okay with the proposition.  I need to miss them a little bit, if you know what I mean.

But, before we begin with the school year, it becomes necessary to dump some pictures in fond recollection of a few of our summer funs!

Diving Lessons for Grant and Grace

Grant finally learned to ride his bike all by himself.  Thank goodness!

Fourth of July fun

To the beach... to hang out with our China friends!!!

We've had a great summer, and I'm sad to see it go, but I'm looking forward to a fun school year!!

Playing Catch-Up

This has been the CRAZIEST, BUSIEST summer EVER!!

First week of summer break, landed us at Boy Scout camp all week. Grace was able to go a few days with Grant as a tag-along.  They both LOVED the experience.  It was a definite kid win.  Then, Grant did basketball camp, and Grace spent the mornings at art camp.  Two weeks, back to back camps, totally amazing if you're a kid.  Not so much if you're a mom.

Play in the sprinkler.  Even our sensory scared Trent got in on the fun!

Wash the car.  This is also called: do a poor job of washing the car, only to end up having a rag throwing water fight where the rags end up on the top of the car for Mommy to get while the kids soak her with the hose.

Eat Candy for Breakfast

Visit another state's capital, go to the zoo, ride on a train, ride on a merry-go-round, go on a pony ride, and visit a City Market, go on a road trip, swim in a hotel pool, finish 10 books each (Grant's winner of the bunch:  Son of Neptune and Grace's winner: Frozen),  ride on a roller coaster (Grant only... Grace, much to this roller coaster loving momma's dismay, has declared she hates roller coasters) and visit a science center.

Thank you, Columbus.

As a side note, Trent talked about the train ride, his pony ride on Nick and that merry-go-round non-stop for days.  It's still his main course of dialogue.  I guess that day at the zoo had a large impact.

This picture is actually for Grant's pen pal in Austrailia.  It was kind of hard to find pen pals at first, but now the kids have pen pals from Africa, Austrailia, Tasmania, the UK and Canada.  It was such a great moment when Grant said, "Mom, can you take a picture of me with the flamingos?  I want to send the picture to Aroha (his pen pal in Austrailia) because it is her favorite animal."  Success, friends.  Success. 

Oh, and Grace lost her first tooth!

And, a little late: Our little penguin loving five-year-old had enough nerve to have another birthday!!  We celebrated with her choice of dinner, a cookout with family, and a night out at her favorite Chinese restaurant.  She is still the sweetest, most helpful, full of manners young thing I can imagine, and we just adore her.  She loved opening some accessories for her bike, a new sewing machine, some fun craft thingies, and a movie or two.  Feel crazy blessed to call her ours!