Sumer Time

In January as we are cuddled up in blankets dreaming of summer we always have grand plans!

Summer stretches out on the horizon just out of reach.

Then April hit and we started finalizing plans (I'm a planner by nature) for the summer.

By June, we were ready!

For KatieJo's birthday she got a plane ticket to fly to Denver.  She'd never been on a plane more or less on a plane. 

On June 12 we (minus Samuel who was at day camp) took KatieJo to the airport.  All 4 of us got gate passes to take her to her gate.  Maija and Phillip thought this was AWESOME!  We walked her to the gate and I tried my very hardest not to cry.  It was really a futile effort, but I tried anyway.  

She was so very excited to get on the plane.

Maija and Phillip refused to leave until we watched the plane drive out to the runway.  It took approximately 5 minutes after KatieJo got on the plane for both of them to start saying that they missed her.

Almost 2 weeks later the other 5 of us drove to Hall, MT to visit Stuart's grandmother.  We always enjoy visiting her on the ranch and our time there never seems to be enough!

After that we headed down to Denver for a week and even got to go camping in Estes Park.  As it turns out the altitude makes it VERY difficult for those of us who live at sea level to breathe!

After Colorado we spent a couple days in Idaho Falls and then left KatieJo and Samuel there with Stuart's parents.  

And we came home with two kids.  On a day to day basis I don't realize how loud my house is.  Then I only have 2 kids and all of the sudden it's like a grave yard around here!

Thankfully it didn't last long and we met Stuart's parents in Vancouver/Portland at his brother Mark's house to get the kids.  Well that and take Stuart's parents up to Seattle to see Pirates of Penzance.  LOVE that show!!  But Seattle leaves much to be desired.  It was CRAZY busy.

And now we're back home with all 4 kids.  I'm so glad!  I sure miss those kids when they're gone.

So now I'm starting to plan for the school year.  Stuart is switching jobs to the Kennewick school district, Samuel is headed to middle school and KatieJo and Phillip are homeschooling and Maija...well we're not 100% sure about what she's doing this fall but I'm planning for her school year as well.

There is a whole slew of information out there for homeschooling and I'm somewhat innundated with information right now.  But I'm getting there and I'll be ready for when Stuart heads back to school.  We're going to start our school year a tad earlier than the schools here as there are some days we'll need to take off that Samuel and Stuart won't technically have off of school.