Only One More Week...

Sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately! It's just that school is starting back in a week and the kids and I have been busy enjoying our last few weeks of freedom. Although I am looking forward to the routine the school year brings, I am not looking forward to my children being away from home for so many hours per day.

I am also not looking forward to Justin beginning high school. Okay, I do think he will enjoy high school. The IB and EPIC programs may actually present a challenge for him. And that's a good thing. He likes to be challenged. And, I'm really happy he'll start seminary! I'm sure his knowledge and testimony of the scriptures will grow. I'm just not looking forward to the next four years flying by like all of the years before them...

And then there's Kendal. My sweet baby girl! Seventh grade already? How did this happen? Now she is wanting to get her hair highlighted and her eye brows "shaped." And, she is constantly asking for a "pink razor" for her b'day. I'm pretty sure she's not referring to the leg shaving kind. Sigh. Why do they have to grow up so fast?

Well, since I'm feeling a little sappy and sorry for myself, I thought I'd cheer myself up by posting a few pictures of "what we did this summer." We had a good one. It just went by too quickly. Do you see a trend here? Time passing too quickly? Here I go again...

Okay, so on our summer break...

Kendal attended her very first Young Women's Camp and stayed the entire time despite bugs, heat and humidity!

Justin rode on the London Eye despite his fear of heights!

And he learned to defend himself? With a sword??

Or, two?

We hung out at the pool and...

(Again with the sword?!)

With good friends

We also hung out with each other

Kendal and I saw Carrie Underwood

Justin returned home, safe and sound

And Kendal swam with Kiwi, the dolphin

(this picture doesn't show much of Kiwi, just my girl, sigh)

We enjoyed a few sea lion and dolphin shows at the Gulfarium (I know you must be wondering why there are sea lions in a GULFarium on the GULF coast. Sure, dolphins - they live around here, but sea lions? California sea lions? Well, they were rescued and brought to our neck of the woods. I guess they don't mind our sub-tropical climate. They seemed pretty happy to me...)

We got a new pup...

I got a new camera...

And sometimes took random pictures of people to try it out...

At first they smiled...

But quickly got tired of it. (Are they shootin that squirt gun at me?)

Well, that about sums it up. Not bad - again - just too short! What will we do this final week of summer? I dunno, maybe more swimming at the pool or maybe even the beach. We'll for sure hang out with a few more friends. Perhaps shoot off those remaining fireworks with the neighborhood kids? Maybe see a movie? Or, take a day trip somewhere? That's the beauty of summer, no particular schedule necessary. The only rules are to be together and have fun! That's what I LOVE about summer!