Summer recap--part 3

In July we created:

Flagpoles for Boy Scout lashing requirements,

Beds for growing kids,

(Which created smiles)

Happy, dirt, day camp messes,

Fun memories at the zoo,

Adrenaline rushes and wet clothes at amusement parks,

And an occasional candy mess.

Summer recap--part 2

June brought: trying out our new kayaks,

Dressing like your cousin (accidentally) and going to the movies,

Getting visited by WA friends,

Enjoying the local splash park,

While older brother (#4) sweats it out at tennis camp,

(#3 did volleyball camp, but it was indoors),

#1 and #2 went to stake YW girls' camp,

We goofed off at friends' houses,

And just kept cool....

Summer recap--part 1

Oh, how could I have let my favorite season pass by and not said a word? Well, maybe because it was busy. Not doing anything particularly important, just busy because everyone was at home and #5 still had his 20-30 hours a week of therapy. I only completed about half of the things I wanted to. But, everyone was happy and well and we still found some time away. Here's a few photos of summer 2015!

Starting the first day of summer break off right with a 4 hour sail around San Francisco Bay. We can't wait to own our own sailboat one day!!!

Bay Bridge with cute new 4th grader.

Her heart will go on....

Little chilly in the wind, batten down!

Coming up on the forgotten Treasure Island...

Coast Guard lighthouse and caretaker's home...

Of course the sun came out when we docked. Oh well--we still had a lot of fun.

Heading down to the beach to do something we've always wanted to--

Beach comb with a metal detector! Here the kids are digging up buried treasure on Treasure Island. We went home 27 cents, a broken picture frame, and a few old screws richer! Ha ha!

The younger kids stayed home with grandma, just chillin'.

From out of nowhere--

--some random thoughts...

--I haven't blogged in a while because I felt uninspired, too busy, and wondered if anyone still read this dinosaur.

--turns out people still read it, aha--inspiration again!

--I want to get a more savvy template--the kind that look seamless on both mobile devices and computers. I know I could pay a small fee for someone to do it for me or figure it out myself--but I don't have time! Thanks for putting up with the dinosaur for now...

--I'm blogging right now because I have a 3 hour layover in Phoenix. What to do when you travel without children--oh! The possibilities!!

--True fact--my mother-in-law has lived with us for 9 months, on and off, this past year and a half.

--True fact--we got along pretty well! There was only one spat when she got so mad she stormed out of the house and took a drive. While my husband was trying to make peace, between us, I told him, (no joke), "I'm the queen bee!"

--True fact--we made up and I totally don't even remember what we were fighting about :-). (But I am the queen bee--in my house at least!!!)

--Sad fact--the baby is now potty-trained. She learned so well and fast. Where has my baby gone?! She is still my little cuddle bug. She is such a perfect note to end on, since we had to end somewhere (I'll be 40 in two years!!!!)

--Final fact--I am in a nice bubble being a stay-at-home mom. I get to try to create a heaven on earth in our home. Being on this trip I've heard the f-word a hundred thousand times, seen people openly looking at digital filth, and quite frankly--I am tired of the world. Jesus, can you please come soon!! Well, at least it gives me a reminder about why I am doing what I am doing and a giant, reminder-of-a-slap-in-the-face of what I am up against. Mothers of the world--take courage! Bee a good queen bee!!

Spring in to Summer

Spring is well almost over but it's still not super hot here so I'll keep calling it spring. Though, school just got out--it must be summer?

First off--from January to April, five people celebrate birthdays in our family! Two birthdays in the spring:

9 years?!?!

And

4 years! (Mom assisted!)

And of course projects!!

Spring plantings:

I took the square foot gardening literally--marked off my square feet like a true nerd.

One month later:

Everything's coming up green and good!!!

Painting:

ALL of my home has beige interior walls. I don't like it in any of the rooms in our house except one of the kids' rooms:

 

Dining room: 

Taupe and "baked earth" paint with Asian-inspired ginkgo stenciling. Took a while but I found the stenciling relaxing and very therapeutic.

 

 

 

 

Over spring break I enlisted the help of my two oldest daughters to paint their room. We did "urban sunrise" (a fancy name for a shade of gray) on three walls and one accent wall in a lovely mix of turquoise /peacock blue on one wall.

 

 

Tackled the downstairs bathroom next. It is quite a small space so I painted the ceiling the same color as the wall and used broad stripes to create the illusion of a bigger room.

Taping took all day--literally a whole day! Do not attempt without a yard-stick level tool!

 

Add some nice decor:

I love the final look!

 

Being that there are only 3 kids in my husband's family, getting together for impromptu family reunions is quite simple! His sister came over from New York and we hung out and took a little weekend trip to Lake Tahoe too. (First time his sis, her hubby, their two kids, and my mother-in-law had every been!!)

 

Almost all the Blissful grandkids--one was napping--lucky 13!

 

Let's not forget all my children:

 

Spring meant final choir concerts for #1 and #4.

 

(blondie in the very middle--below a fellow blonde)

(little blonde kid bottom left--singing to the crowd!)

 

 

#2 gets contacts and secures family record for amount of green kiwi frozen yogurt consumed:

 

 

 

#3 gives speech at 5th grade promotion:

(this is after the speech, receiving his promotion plaque)

Other fun stuff:

#1 and #2 get rabbits (one was in time for Easter!) Hubby made the hutch.

(2 girls--we don't want no babies! Clover, on left, and Poppy, on right)

As an end-of-school treat we took the four oldest on a sailing adventure on San Francisco Bay.

 

We hope to own a sailboat one day and it took about 5 minutes to convince the kids that, "Oh yeah-we want one of these!!!!!)

 

 

Can you guess what hubby's and my new hobby is? There are lots of places to kayak around here and we are in on the action!

 

 

 

And, because I seem to have no picture of #6--here she is now. Please note that she has finally grown hair and no longer looks like a boy!

 

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!!!