End of Summer

Our local school district started classes much earlier this year, so the last two weeks of summer were kind of weird, since we hadn't started school but everybody around us had! 
  

"Kind of Weird?"

  
We attended our church back-to-school picnic the Monday after we got back from Utah.  We met a new family that had just moved in, with five kids under six!  Ryan told them they won the kid contest.  Corinne just stole their grapes.
  

  
We made one last trip to the beach, and experienced the lowest tide we've ever seen.  The kids were able to collect all these little clams down by the water line.  They had plant-like appendages that stuck up out of the sand in the water.  We tried to figure out what they were on the internet, but the closest I could find were "bean clams."  Maybe the plant stuff is just algae?
  

  

  
During those last two weeks of August, Connor and Elise went to Spanish camp at Berlitz in Pasadena.  It was by far the most expensive Spanish camp we've tried, but, I have to admit, it was the best.  There were only five kids in their group, they used an established curriculum, the teacher was loving and awesome, and they came home with homework each night.  Elise, especially, made a lot of progress, so I guess it was worth the money!
   

Senora Isabel, with Claudia, Lula, and Daisy

  
Part of getting ready for Joy School with Evan was taking a picture for the Joy School house.  This was the one we picked, although we ended up cropping it to just his face.  Cute boy.
    

And Corinney, well, she started walking!  At 13 months, she's my earliest walker ever!  I think the other three didn't do it until fifteen or sixteen months.  She played around with it for a couple weeks, then decided one day to make it her new mode of travel.
    

She also learned to climb - wicked little monkey!

  

One day, during Spanish Camp, Connor got to leave early to go to Magic Mountain with his friend, Isaac.  In order to pacify Elise, I promised to take her to Chuck E Cheese, expecting it to be awful (I'd never been there for anything but birthday parties.)  But, since it was the middle of a school day, it was practically empty, and super relaxing!  Plus, the fact that it was air conditioned on a 100 degree day made it especially awesome.

  

Things Daddy Does, and August Utah Trip

Sometimes I forget that mine is not the only camera in the house.  So, I finally went into Ryan's phone, and stole these pictures of stuff he did this summer.

Ryan likes attending the Von Karman lecture series once a month at JPL.  He usually takes one of the kids with him, and they sometimes even learn something!  This one was about black holes, I think.
  

Ryan went on a business day-trip to Seattle this summer.  He had fun, but didn't really get a chance to see anything.  This was the building they had their meeting in - it has gardens all over the roof.

At least once a month, Ryan does a Critical Mass or other midnight ride with friends.

One Saturday, Ryan went paintballing with a couple other guys.  He borrowed this equipment, and the kids had fun playing with it later.

Ryan?

Elise

Obviously Evan

   At the beginning of August, we went up to Utah again to visit everybody and attend the Juab County Fair and Demolition Derby.  We left the day before Corinne's first birthday, and spent the night in a motel in Mesquite.  I've always gotten a "Good Morning, One-Year-Old!" Picture of my babies in their cribs, but this one was a bit different!
  

Motels have the best T.V.'s

Happy Birthday, Miss One Years Old!

  

It was a great visit.  We had Ryan with us through the end of the weekend, and were able to go to a glider demonstration at the Nephi Airport, see the fair exhibits, celebrate Corinne's birthday properly, and attend the Demolition Derby.  The last time we went, everybody mentioned that Ryan would have loved it.  Turns out, he does!

  

Playing with Grandpa

Elise made Corinne's cake almost all by herself.  She decorated it and dished it up, too.

She says she wants to own a restaurant someday!

I love this picture.

The next day we just went to church, then hung out and rested.
  

Mmmm, Stouffers outlet lasagne!

We explored this cornfield right before a thunderstorm.  It was very other-worldly.

  
Ryan flew home Sunday night, and the rest of the trip was more low-key.  We ate lots of treats, visited with Grandma Cloe, and went to the fabulous new Nephi City Pool.
  

"Binny Kong"

I didn't have a good girly swimsuit for her.  Sorry!

She kept trying to drink the water.

Kelli was amazing.  After much effort, she got Elise to try the waterslide!

Trying to Steal Lincoln's Binky

Evan just hung out in the kiddie pool, and went down the slide about 100 times.

I managed to get us all home in one piece by the end of the week.  It was, as always, a great visit!