So long, Summertime

Well, the summer flew by and somehow I feel like school starting usually makes time go even faster. Blake will start kindergarten & soccer soon and Ashley will start middle school (6th grade) and hopefully find some extracurriculars soon too (although texting and talking to friends is taking up plenty of her time these days). Our weekends until the baby arrives seem to be filling up. I just thought I'd post some summer highlights since it will all be over on Monday.

Most recently Mom, Traci & I took a quick trip to New York for Mom's 60th Birthday (it's not until Aug 28 but my dr. cut-off my long distance trips at Aug 15). It was fast and furious but so fun. Here's us at the top of the Empire State Building, then in front of the Broadway show Boeing-Boeing (hilarious!) and then during our night tour on the double-decker bus.

Here are some pictures of July - The Stonewall Peach Jamboree & Blake's last day of T-ball.

In June, we took a trip to Colorado. Derrek's parents bought about 150 acres in the San Juan Mountains in the middle of the Rio Grande National Forest last year. This was the first trip where the entire family got to go - all 14 of us. In fact, one of Derrek's business partners came with his family too to help with some projects around the cabin. It was great to get the kids outside and in the fresh air. Sometimes the fresh air was VERY windy. Sometimes it was swimming with attack mosquitoes. But it was open and beautiful and they got to run free and get dirty. Then we had to figure out how to clean them up with limited water sources. Well limited clean & WARM water sources. I'd love to take any credit for cleaning or cooking or being useful in any form or fashion but I was completely useless on this trip. I was a little bit out of my element. I promise to get better, In-laws! I promise to not be dead weight next time!

Other highlights of the summer:

• Ashley's pre-teen "attitude" finally poppped out. Such good news, I know. I mean, last year, I thought she had a little faith in my intelligence but now, I seem to know very little. I know its payback because I feel like I remember being much smarter than my mom when I was 11. The good news is, in between knowing so much all the sudden, she still hugs me and kisses me and will cuddle too. She responds well to texting too...even if we're in the same room. So the 'tude is there but it didn't replace the sweet little girl from 3 months ago...completely...yet. She's gonna kill me if/when she reads this.
• Ashley sailed through a size in clothes and finally gave skinny jeans a try. I mean if anyone could pull off skinny jeans, it's definitely her. I LOVE that she's found a little interest in fashion but she keeps it her own and she's so unaware of herself in the best way possible. She just wants to be comfortable. She's still not self-aware and I pray that it lasts a little bit longer. How I long to go back to the time in my life when I was not fully conscious of what I looked like. Of course, she's beautiful and I have no idea what she may find wrong with herself one day, but one day, the mirror will take on a whole new meaning. Again, just thankful we're not there yet. I was proud of her last year because she decided to not be friends with the girl that judged what other people were wearing. The girls she did decide to befriend somehow, at 11 years old, don't fight. Like ever. She's in the no-drama clique right now. Seriously, she's a smart, smart girl.
• Blake seems to have become very self-sufficient and grown-up this summer. He's not quite tying his shoes or fixing his own mohawk (his new daily request) yet but he can do everything else. He's going to make our morning routine pretty easy this year...if we can just get him to talk less in the morning. Poor guy. Ashley and I just aren't really morning people. He's also worked this summer at becoming a gentleman and he gets the door for me now. So stinkin' cute.
• Oh yeah, and Blake I think finally learned how to run! I think teeball helped alot. We were a little worried about his lack of competitiveness at the beginning of teeball but he actually got into it. So when he finally got into the game, he stopped thinking so hard about HOW he was running to first base and he finally just ran to first base. There's not so much focus on exactly how high he swings his arms and they seem to swing just the right amount now. He also looks ahead instead of down at his feet to see if they're going fast. It just came together. We're very proud.
• Just in time to add an infant to the family, Blake and Ashley officially bicker more than ever. Good stuff. First of all, Ashley taught Blake the "I call" game. So they are "calling" everything non-stop. I call "middle" (of the back seat of the car). Derrek also taught them about calling shotgun. Blake still doesn't understand he doesnt' need to call it when he's alone or that its not an option when Derrek and I are both in the car. I don't really think Ashley expected Blake to be such a quick student because he sits in the middle ALOT. It doesn't help that Ashley's patience for Blake, which used to be much more evolved then mine, is gone. Poof. Luckily, he hasn't really noticed.
• My belly grew.
• Derrek and I joined a bowling league and our team placed 2nd. It was really fun but a HUGE bonus that you win cash money in the end! The last night we played I had my best (244!!!) and worst (94) game back to back.

It was a great summer.