find joy in the journey

Grammar Avengers

Our costumes were pretty awesome (just ask me) so I just have to show them off one more time.  As a reminder, here is the reason why we did this.

All of our characters come from the sketch comedy show, Studio C.  The kids love it, they memorize the sketches, quote them daily, and eagerly anticipate each new episode.  So it seemed only fitting that we should base our BrownCon costumes off of the show.  

Here's the cast of characters along with their catch-phrases:

 

 

 

 

  

Oh my goodness we are such dorks!  Haha!  But hey, sometimes you build the best memories when you let yourself be a little silly.  Like that time we dressed up as Oompa Loompas and did a dance & lip sync number for the ward talent show.  

Just another element in building that strong family culture.  If our kids can look at us like this and still think we're cool, then I think we're doing a pretty good job.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The video below is a sketch from Studio C that includes all of our characters and explains a little more of what they do.  Captain Literally has several other sketches here, here, and here.

Also, most of our costume pieces came from Amazon - Prime shipping!  Don't you want to be Captain Irony too?

blue cape * pink cape * orange cape * pink tutu * blue mask & power bands

BrownCon 2014 // our version of Comic-Con

I'm not even sure how to describe the event I'm about to share or the reason behind.  Was there really a reason??  I guess I'll just state the facts.

We had a pizza party at a park

And we all dressed up as movie / tv / video game characters.

Have you heard of Comic Con?  Well, this is Brown Con.

The call went out a few months ago to come in costume and each family came up with their own theme.  Here is the goodness that came out of it . . . 

First up, our family.  I'll give you 10 points if you know who we are

It's the Grammar Avengers!  Still confused?  Well, you have to watch Studio C to know who the heck we are.  Since our family has been loving that show we thought it would be perfect to dress up as these characters.  I'll go into more detail about each one later.

Dennis and Valerie represented Star Trek with Spock (from Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home) and Captain Kirk.  Live long and prosper.

Kevin and Lisa's family wow-ed us all with their Game of Thrones costumes -- all the boys' costumes were HAND-MADE by Kevin!  Yep, like cutting out fabric, most likely without a pattern, and sewing it all at a machine.  I was super impressed with Kevin's talent.  And beard (grown specifically for this event and shaved immediately after).

Brian and Rachel rocked Mario & Luigi.  Dana made the perfect Princess Peach and 9 month old Isaac was Toad.  Considering the fact that they had to bring that giant mushroom hat all the way from Dallas shows commitment!

And we were so thrilled to see Randy and Katie show up as Sheldon and Amy Farrah Fowler from the Big Bang Theory!  Sheldon even brought "his spot"!  Their costumes were just perfect and totally cracked us up.

This was definitely a unique, one-of-a-kind activity that you're not going to find at anyone else's family reunion!  Hey, when your family is a little bit eccentric, creative, obsessive (whatever you want to call it), it's best to just embrace it and shamelessly celebrate it.  Right?

For the rest of the party we just enjoyed our pizza (in costume), the kids played games (rubber-band guns + a hula hoop target), and Valerie handed out awards & little prizes to everyone (Cub Scout Pack meeting style).

Here are the older cousins.  Lily (11), Conner (13), Derek (8), Anna (8), and Payton (11)

 

Then there is a 6 1/2 year gap between this group and the younger cousins - Dana (2), Arthur aka Chewie (1) and Isaac (9 months).  Trying to get the older kids together for a picture was challenging enough, there was no use attempting it with the younger crew.  But they were there, toddling around and doing all sorts of cute things.

Adults are better at holding still.  :)

(photos above and below from Lisa)

Just chillin'.

If there are two things the Browns do well it is 1) carrying a joke or theme to it's FULL extent and 2) chillin'.

story sunday // gathering photos

Left Photo:  My dad (age 7) and I think his brother Brian - March 1963

Right Photo: My dad (age 4) and I'm guessing his sister Marilyn - June 1960

This week I received a package from my mom.  A box full of photographs, old cassette tape recordings, a lace handkerchief, a metal goblet (which we are calling the Holy Grail until I'm able to call her and get the real story behind it), newspaper clippings, and more.  

Mom has been cleaning out their house and I believe she prepared similar boxes for each of us kids.  I sorted through the contents quickly, anxious to see all that was in there.  Anna stood by my side, asked questions, and laughed at funny hair-do's.  I can't wait to take some more time and go through things more slowly and organize all those memories.

It has long been on my list to put together a Family History scrapbook.  I want it to be gathering place for  photos, memories, and stories of grandparents and ancestors on my side and Scott's side.  With the photos I received this week, and stories I got from my dad at the family reunion I'm feeling closer to ready for starting this big project.  Knowing that it will be a big project is good because I understand that it won't come together all at once.  Things will be added here and there, which will actually make it more enjoyable as I can spread out the discoveries and connections that I learn about over time.

I can't wait.

On our drive home from Utah this week, we made a quick stop at BYU campus and happened to visit the Museum of Art for a few minutes. I was instantly attracted to this beautiful piece of art.

Upon closer inspection I realized that it was a chain of family names.  A family tree!

"Hanging Family History" by Valerie Atkisson

The plaque read: "In this cascading sculpture, each triangular piece of rice paper has a name, beginning with Atkisson's own name at the top and continuing through 2,000 years of her ancestry."

Isn't that amazing?  I just thought it was so beautiful I had to share it.

BrownCon 2014 // getting together

Around here, June has been the month of family reunions!  We were home for just a week after our Andersen reunion when it was time to get back on the road to Park City, Utah for BrownCon 2014!  

(The explanation behind this epic photo and the theme of the family reunion will come in another post)

The Browns have done a good job of spreading themselves across states -- Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Utah -- so coming all together in one place was a pretty amazing feat!  Even in the face of deployments and surgery all 18 of us were there - 10 adults, 8 children - and we had a great couple of days at the Marriott Mountainside Resort.

Several of our gatherings happened around the firepits as we roasted hot dogs for dinner or lunch

Valerie outfitted us all with personalized water jugs (love!)

and personalized roasting sticks.  What a great idea!

And how about this mountain backdrop?

Dana had her 2nd birthday the day before the party began  -- what better reason than to celebrate with Sweet Tooth Fairy Cupcakes!

I continue to declare that Sweet Tooth Fairy Cupcakes are the best cupcakes on the planet!  This rootbeer float cupcake was no exception.

We also snagged one "Mormon Celebrity" sighting . . . . Dave Rose, coach of the BYU Men's Basketball team.  We didn't talk to him - hence the stalkerish quality of the photo below - but we did share a firepit!

When the sun went down it was time for s'mores and we did this just about every night.  Valerie brought out some nutella, Hershey's chocolate spread, peeps, and raspberries to mix things up a bit.

Nutella + raspberries + marshmallow.  This one was Scott's idea and it was most delicious!

Anna worked really hard to ignite every marshmallow she roasted.  Nice job, girl.

She cracks me up.  I swear, everyday is a comedy with her.

A Brown gathering is not complete without something pirate related so we secured that checkmark with a Pirate Breakfast.  We all gathered in Dennis & Valerie's hotel room/suite for pirate bandanas, eyepatches, moustaches, and bagels.

One afternoon we fit in some swimming

And the second afternoon we bought day passes for the Park City Mountain Resort and spent the afternoon running around with the kids from alpine coaster to alpline slide and back again.

I think we rode the Alpine Coaster a total of 6 times, or more.  I was surprised by how fast and fun it was!  It was definitely a family favorite.

(Anna, 8 and Lily, 11)

Lisa got some great photos of us with the kids on the Alpine Slide too.  Thanks!

Payton's face cracks me up!  Such determination and will!

Altogether it was a great facility and great way to spend the day.  Everything was so close together that we could set the kids loose to play on the climbing wall, mini golf, carousel, bungee trampoline, and kiddie rides and for the most part we could always see where they were at.

Conner and I paid a few extra bucks ($8) to take a ride down the zip line!  I loved zip-lining in Kauai and Conner was the only kid who was heavy enough to ride (75 lbs minimum) so we made it a mother-son adventure.

I thought this was the coolest "start" set-up.  You put your feet on that gate and when they push the button the gate opens and off you go!

It was even more fun because we got to fly side by side.  How about that view?!

I was in the lead for most of the line but at the very end Conner came out of nowhere and swooped in for the win!

Later that evening we all gathered at the McPolin farm/barn for family pictures.  The wardrobe color scheme was black, grey, white, and pink.  Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Hey, there's Randy and Kate!  They are always so great with the kids.

To the above activities add some hot-tubbing, a round of golf, and a pizza party like no other (details to come) and that is what a Brown family reunion looks like!  

andersen family reunion // the golden hour

We stayed in a beautiful rental home in the San Marcos Hills, just outside Escondido.  The house faced the west and the views were amazing . . . California hills with large homes claiming the tippy-top of each one, glimpses of the ocean on a clear day, and sometimes even hot air balloons.

But the most amazing views came during the golden hour.  As the sun made it's descent late in the day the light was nothing short of spectacular.  

See what I mean?  Yummy golden light.  You can almost touch it.

Just beautiful.

so much cuteness

This was the scene when a random couple strolling down the beach stopped to talk to my mom:

"Oh my gosh.  There is so much cuteness here!  Cuteness everywhere!  I can hardly stand it!  So, so cute.  And thank you for having them in one-piece swimsuits!"

The conversation was short and they continued down the beach with big smiles on their faces.  We were so tickled by their comments, and in complete agreement - yes, these girls are CUTE!  And we were touched that they would notice the girls' swimsuit attire and appreciate their modesty.

We teach and live modesty standards in our family and we teach some of these guidelines from a fantastic little booklet called, "For the Strength of Youth"

Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner.  Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back.  Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance.  Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior.  They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports.  The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord's standards will not change.

Obviously these words are directed towards youth & teenagers but we continue to apply these standards through adulthood.  Understanding modesty has definitely been a blessing to me.

 

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ...
The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.  

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

andersen family reunion // cousins

10 cousins

Don't you love the fact that my kids are number 1, 2, and 3.  Obviously we got started early and no one was able to catch up.  Ha!

One thing that was pretty remarkable during this family reunion was the fact that all the cousins -- ages 7 wks, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 8, 11, 13 -- got along beautifully.  Not a single argument.  Not a single disagreement.  Never getting frustrated with each other.  (Well maybe between siblings, but not between cousins).  Never getting annoyed or impatient.  

They just played together.  The older kids included the younger kids in their games. They helped each other out.  And it was just awesome.

They all adored the newest member of the family -- Alene.

Anna begged to hold Alene over and over again.  I made sure to take this rare opportunity of being around a little baby to teach Anna how to change a diaper.

She also thought that Cole was so cute and asked repeatedly if she could keep him.

Preston was so cute.  He loved having BOYS to play with for a change.  He is sandwiched by two sisters in his family.  On the morning of our departure Sam told me that Preston was really sad that his boy cousins were leaving and he had spent the previous night crying.  Break my heart!

The kids initiated a Star Wars movie marathon, watching Episodes IV, V, and VI in the pretty cush theater room.

And the older girls were so sweet to include Ellie (2 1/2) in some playtime.  She was rather shy around the big group of people. So the girls would sneak away to Ellie's room and play & giggle & pretend where she felt more comfortable.

photo by Becca

Lots of laughs.  Lots of fun.  

It was so great to see these kids play together and get to know one another better.  We all live in 3 different states so cousin time like this doesn't happen all that often.  I'm pretty sure, though, that the next time we're together (sooner, rather than later) they will pick right up where they left off.

andersen family reunion // the beach

Love the beach.

Love that the house we stayed in was just 20 minutes from the beach.  We drove down to South Ponto Beach in Carlsbad 3 times over the course of the week to enjoy the sand, dip our toes in the ocean, fly a kite and build sand castles.

The weather was perfect.  72 degrees.  Not too cold.  Not too hot.  

I think the pictures speak for themselves

Anna was introduced to boogie boarding by her uncles and fell in love.  

Here is a little video of her going for it on day 1.  {Can you count the number of times she says "awesome!!"}

On day 2 she waded out to deeper water and rode the waves for a solid two hours.  Non-stop. 

A favorite moment came when we finally convinced Conner to take a break from building sand castles to try out the boogie boards.  He began walking toward the water and soon realized he had no clue what to do.  So he ran back, found his little sister, and asked her to teach him what to do.  Scott and I sat at a distance, mesmerized, as we watched Anna gave her big brother a lesson.  It was priceless.  And reminded us what a good kid Conner is to be humble enough to learn from his sister.  Plus, this moment gave Anna a huge boost in confidence as she proudly exclaimed throughout the day, "I'm a teacher!"  She doesn't get that opportunity very much as the youngest child. 

As Conner rode to the sand after the very first wave he exclaimed, "I'm never building a sand castle again!!" We cracked up at this passionate and immediate shift in beach play priorities.

Bottomline, these were some pretty great days at the beach.

On day 3, as we sat on the blanket watching the kids play I turned to Scott and asked, "why haven't we done this yet?!"  We have lived in Vegas for 2 years, just 4-5 hours from the California coast and we have never come.  We both agreed that needed to change.  I sure am hoping for one more quick trip back this summer.

andersen family reunion // thursday

Oh where to begin!  There is so much I could share - and I doubt I'll get around to sharing it all.  So I thought I would start by sharing my "day" of the family reunion.  This year we were split into two-couple teams and put in charge of one day.  That included all meals, clean-up, and one group activity.  Even though my family stayed at the house for a full week, everyone trickled in over the course of a few days and the official reunion was just 3 days (Wed, Thurs, Fri) which worked out perfect for the 6 couples in our group.

Sam and I were in charge of Thursday.  I could probably split this post into 5, but for the sake of time (mine) I'm throwing it all into one.  Hold on tight!

MEALS

I pretty much left the menu planning up to Sam because he is a great cook and he enjoys being in the kitchen.  This was our menu plan for the day as we were cooking for 22 -- 12 adults, 10 children).

Breakfast:  French toast on french bread with coconut syrup, fresh berries, and canadian bacon. (I think this is the recipe he used)

Lunch: Sub sandwiches, chips, and fruit (keeping it easy)

Snack: Sweet & Salty Snack Mix and some Monkey Bread.

Dinner: Grilled pork chops, fried rice, and grilled pineapple

Dessert:  Blackberry cobbler and peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream

Delicious, right?!  I meant to get a picture of each meal, and a picture of us in the kitchen but that just never happened.  Mom did manage to get one picture of Sam and I cooking away

And here's one of all of us after our labors had ended for the day.

Cooking 3 meals for a group of 22 is a lot of work!  All the food was so good and it was so fun to spend the day cooking in the kitchen with Scott, Sam, and Heidi.  We were a great team! BUT it was so nice to know that we only had to do it for one day and then the baton was passed to another group.

ACTIVITIES

With Sam wearing the chef's hat, I decided to put on the activities hat and plan a little something for the day.  I wanted to keep it low-key, but meaningful.  As I brainstormed for ideas I came across a popular idea on Pinterest which became my jumping off point.

I made my own version of the BORED poster in Photoshop. And you can download a copy by clicking on the links below.  There is the Aqua version and a multi-colored Rainbow version

Download BORED_aqua  OR   Download BORED_rainbow

So, in random order we tried to tackle most of the items on our list through the activities of the day.

Do Something Kind or Helpful

We started the day with this poster on the wall to encourage us to be kind and helpful throughout the day.  Living in a house with 22 people all week, with many different personalities, needs, and likes could get difficult.  So I thought this would be a great reminder to just be kind with one another.

While the activity was meant for kids & adults, the kids obviously got into it right away.  Everyone was saying "Good morning" to each other, and giving compliments, and saying "I love you."  It was wonderful to see the kids working to get their stars!  There was no competition involved in this (I stayed away from the see-who-can-get-all-their-stars-first strategy) . . . but rather, I wanted this to be a friendly activity.  The goal for the day was simply to see how many stars we could get as a group.

Papa got lots of backscratches.  Star!

Anna was overheard saying to Nicholas, "I like your shirt." And Nicholas responded, "I like YOUR shirt."  Star! and Star!

I set up my ipad so the kids could learn the words to the Primary song, "When We're Helping We're Happy."  Star!

One task included memorizing a kindness quote, scripture, or poem that I had included on the poster.  I loved watched Anna and Carlee working on this together and quizzing each other.

The kids were desparate to complete "Hug Denver", but he was sleeping in.  Finally, when he awoke and made his way to the kitchen they all rushed to give him a big group hug.  Star!

"Don't Hug Scott" was also on the list.  Outside of immediate family he'd prefer to keep it to a handshake or a "hey!" from across the room.

At the end of the day the poster looked great and I think the kids had a lot of fun participating.  I mean, who doesn't want to earn a star?

Be Creative

For our creative activity we made a family banner!  I purchased the blank 36 x 60 canvas banner online from Idaho Canvas Products (they come in all sizes).  Back at home I used my Silhouette Cameo, a roll of stencil vinyl, and Martha Stewart black paint with a foam pouncer to add the title and date.

I pulled out yellow & teal paint and everyone simply added their handprint and signature to the flag.  Very simple and low-key activity, but yet we were creating something meaningful for mom and dad to keep.

In the end the flag displayed the handprints of all 22 family members with the exception of 7 week old Alene who contributed a foot print.  :)

photo by Becca

It turned out super cute!  We hung the banner on a patio railing near the pool for the rest of the week, and as I mentioned earlier the banner went home with mom and dad as a gift.

Meanwhile . . . . we set up a project station at the dining table to entertain the kids until it was their turn for handprints.  Can't go wrong with classic marshmallows and toothpicks!

Read a Book

For this one I sat everyone down and told two stories about mom and dad as kids.  The stories were super short, partially embellished to be more like a storybook, and a little interactive. Mom's story was about the time she was playing baseball in the dark with her brothers, and while playing catcher she got hit in the head with a bat and was unconscious for about 4 hours. In my storybook version she was only out for a few minutes.  Trying to keep it light and happy for the kids! 

Dad's story was about the time that he and his friends dipped their lollipops in dirt and had a contest to see who could lick off the most dirt.  Dad won.  We reenacted that story by sucking on Dum Dums and dipping them in ground up Oreos.

Outside to Play

That one is a given.  Lots of swimming and hanging out happened all day long.

Exercise

I really wanted Sam to teach us a 10 minute crossfit workout, but we just couldn't find the right time to squeeze it in.  Another time!

Summer Bag

I also put together a bag for each family filled with a few things that they could take home and incorporate into their summer activities if they like.

The bag includes:

• A copy of President Monson's talk, "Love - The Essence of the Gospel" which would be great to review for Family Home Evening
• Summer of Service checklist.  It includes a list of RAKs and small acts of service to work on over the summer.   Download Summer of Service
  
• A copy of my BORED poster
• 2 Blessing Bags partially filled with toiletries and food items.  I suggested that they finish filling the bags with more helpful items, keep the bags in their car, and pass it along to someone who looked like they were in need (i.e. the homeless man at the traffic light holding a cardboard sign)
• Post-It notes for writing uplifting messages and leaving on public bathroom mirrors (on the Summer of Service list)
• A stack of cards that say "Please enjoy this Random Act of Kindness" -   Download RAK Cards
  
• 10 blank notecards and envelopes for writing thank you notes & sweet notes
• Marshmallows and toothpicks for creative play
• And our Family Reunion Playlist.  Everyone submitted a favorite song from the year and I made a CD.  We spent the week listening to it around the house and pool.

Girl Crafts

All of my activities (stories, banner, and marshmallow tower) took all of an hour.  So we spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool, snacking, swimming, and visiting.  Awesome Heidi planned ahead and brought out a couple projects for the women to complete together.  Thanks so much Heidi!!

  

We embroidered this simple patriotic message on burlap.  And then hammered out some stamped jewelry.  I think I am in love!

Night Swimming

To cap off the day we grabbed some glowsticks and headed out for some night swimming.  Or rather, night hot-tubbing as it was a little chilly out!

And that is a wrap for one pretty awesome day.

happy father's day

1982-ish.  Me about 2 years old.  Dad about 26 years old.

We just returned from a family reunion.  It was wonderful and I'll have much to blog and share just as soon as I upload the pictures to my computer and get caught up with laundry and groceries.  :)

But I just wanted to take a minute to say Happy Father's Day to my wonderful dad.  To me he is the epitome of

real hard work

service

dedication & love for family

dedication to church responsibilities

and making the best of difficult life circumstances

He is a true father who taught his boys to be men.  And with a special affection raised his daughter to understand her worth.  I am truly grateful for him and the rock that he has been in our family.  He counsels, provides, supports, and plays with love.  No one questions the fact that family is the most important thing in the world to him.

Just as sure as his timeless wardrobe of plaid work shirts and blue jeans I know that I can always, always count on him. 

Love you, dad

5th grade promotion

I'm not going to lie.  Realizing that I will have one child left in elementary school is giving me a little pause.

Disclaimer:  You should know that I tend to get more sentimental at the end of the school year.  The beginning of the school year has never been an issue for me.  Not once has the first day of kindergarten brought a tear to my eye.  Have fun!  Learn!  Make friends!  I'm more than happy to strap on a backpack, snap some photos, and tote them off to school to start a new adventure.  But at the end of the school year when I realize the quick passage of time . . . . that's when I start to wonder where has the time gone?!  For the most part I really enjoy the kids' growth and seeing them learn & change & become a person.  It's awesome!  But just for a moment at the end of the school year I take pause and my heart hurts just a little for the time that cannot be repeated.

Okay, moving on.

Payton has finished elementary school!  I have loved getting to watch him make his way through 5th grade.  I love the way the way the 5th grade is organized here!  The kids are divided into 5 packs and rotate through each of the 6 teachers/subjects, changing classrooms each time, every single day (math, science, reading, writing, social studies, & rotating specials).  It's a great primer for middle school and he ends up with not just 1, but 5 teachers who know him well and love & support him.  It really is a phenomenal group of teachers and at all times I have felt like Payton has been challenged and well taken care of.

They held a 5th grade promotion after the last day of school and I felt it was a great culmination of the school year.  

The kids were all so cute.  And super well behaved (I can't say the same about some of their parents).  They had practiced and practiced and were so respectful and poised and excited for each other.

Payton got a couple awards.  One for reaching his AR (Accelerated Reader goals) each trimester.  Oh man, he loves his AR points and read lots of books this year to rack them up.  I think he was 9th overall in the 5th grade.  He also got an award for the Great American Challenge.  From memory he had to recite the Star Spangled Banner, write the Pledge of Allegiance (correct capitalization & punctuation), recite the Preamble, locate on a map & write the names of all 50 states & capitals with correct spelling, and recite the Gettysburg Address.  For this he got a certificate, a pin, and a medal.  

The students who memorized the Gettysburg Address also stood together and recited it as a group.  They sounded great.  Again, such focus and maturity.  These teachers have done such a great job training these kids!  My favorite was at the end when they all gave Mrs. Meuir a big group hug!  She is retiring this year after 23 yrs of teaching.  

The entire class also stood and sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (the Hawaiian version) which I'm sure was a directed attempt to make all the moms weepy.  They succeeded.

A fun little ceremony!  Although, I think Payton would have enjoyed it more if he wasn't getting over being sick.  He had a pretty miserable weekend of fever/cough & resting/sleeping and I kept him home from school on Monday.  Today (Friday) his energy levels are just starting to return to normal.

Having him sick made me realize just how much our family needs his energy, spirit, and perfectly timed random comments in our lives.  We love him!

last day of school

We made it!

Phew!  I'll tell ya . . . the end of this school year has been something else and I have felt like I am just barely staying on top of things/life.  The kids have even started to notice because they ask me questions like, "when are we going to make a summer fun list?" and "what about our summer chore lists?".  These are things we usually have conversations about and plan well before the school year ends, but this year not so much!  We'll get to it, I know, but I'm starting to wonder where the planning-ahead part of my has brain disappeared to!

The past week or so I have opted to drive to school rather than walk because it is so warm in the morning and I don't want to send the kids to school already tired & sweaty.  But on Tuesday I suddenly realized that I would have just one more opportunity to walk to school with Payton before he moves onto middle school next year!  Ack!  The decision was quickly made . . . we're walking to school one last time.  (A slightly cooler 80 degrees at 7:30am and no backpacks made it bearable for the kids.)

What a sweet face.  Love this boy.  I have a feeling the walk to school next year is going to be lonely without him.  I'll miss the way he "accidentally" runs into light posts and street signs everyday.

These flowers sure are beautiful but the walk back home on the black asphalt, uphill, is hot.  Oh my goodness.  After stripping down and laying on the bed under the ceiling fan (seriously), I pulled myself together and went to a presidency meeting (I just got a new calling as 1st counselor in the Primary!).

Soon it was time to pick up the kids from their half-day.  You can guess how Conner feels about the end of the school year . . . 

The other two were a little more solemn.  Payton was a bit sad about leaving his friends, not knowing how much he'll see them next year.  This 5th grade class of 150 kids will move to the middle school and become part of a 6th grade class of 600+.  Quite a change from the safe, tight-knit, almost-like-family experience he has had the past year.

Anna was happy, but hot.  In fact we were all hot.  And sluggish.  And a little bit grumpy.

So I whisked them off to Purple Penguin for a snowcone.

Ehhh, that didn't quite do the trick.  So we made our way out to the pool.

Now this is what summer vacation is supposed to feel like.

The rainbow ribbon banner was a fun summery addition to the gazebo.  (I made it last year for the last day of school)

Speaking of last year.  I saw a photo of the kids on the last day of school in 2013 and just about had a heart attack.  I cannot believe how much they have grown and changed!