summer!

Well, school ended and summer came in all its glory.  We had a really good summer this year.  Last summer was really stressful.  I had two extra kids a couple days a week and a nursing baby who still took two naps and a three-year-old who needed a nap, but on a different schedule than the baby... it was a lot.  But this summer was much less stressful.  I kept things very simple.  I tried really hard not to over do things.  We actually just did a lot of things with our family.  Not that we didn't see our friends, but I was okay most of the time just hanging out with the kids and enjoying them, except when they were fighting, which let's be honest, is quite frequent.  Everything is definitely not rainbows and butterflies at our house.   But most of the time I only had my own 4 kids who were fighting with each other and not my own kids AND their friends.

Grandma and Grandpa Wise came to visit at the beginning of June.  I can't remember exactly why.  They came a lot this summer for some doctor appointments for Nathan and some job searching for Dave.  Anyway, they were able to watch Colton's indoor soccer game.  

They also watched Madison and Jaxon's swim meet!  It's always fun to have visitors. 

Hudson continued to be crazy.  I'm pretty sure there is syrup on this plate.  He loves licking syrup off the kids' plates if they leave them on the table.  

One afternoon I had the boys help me do some house projects (Madison wasn't home).   We installed a broom rack in the laundry room.

And we made some boards to hang swim team ribbons on.  The boys enjoyed using the tools. 

This is Jaxon telling me how to play Pokemon.  Jaxon LOVES to talk (and talk and talk and talk) and he gets really animated when he explains things.  I love how excited he gets!

Hudson being crazy again.  Always with the climbing.  

One morning when Chris and I were praying before he left for work we heard a loud thunk upstairs.  Chris thought it was just a door, although I thought someone had fallen.  A few minutes later Madison came downstairs, white as a ghost.  She had woken up feeling sick, gone to the toilet to throw up, didn't throw up, but felt dizzy.  So, she sat on the toilet lid and then passed out.  Thankfully she didn't hit her head on anything!  For the rest of the day she was in bed and, for the morning at least, I made her stay in her room so she wouldn't pass out again.  We have an old iPhone that we use as an emergency phone for the kids if I leave them home for a few minutes.  It just uses internet.  Madison kept calling me on FaceTime all morning from her room to talk to me.  It was kind of funny and kind of annoying.  She also likes to text me frequently about exactly how terrible she feels and she uses about a million emoticons in every text.  

Sometimes life gets really hectic.  One night Jaxon had a basketball game and I had to teach at a weeknight Relief Society meeting.  We were all rushing out the door to our various places.  I got everyone where they needed to be and did my presentation.  When I sat down I looked at my feet and realized I had worn my pool sandals all night.  Which really isn't a big deal, but usually I try to wear nicer shoes when I present at church, and I thought it was even more funny that I didn't even know for about 2 hours.   

Hudson at the pool.  Not sure why I took this pic, but he's cute and funny. 

Madison and Jaxon and Colton were old enough this summer that I felt comfortable leaving them to run occasional errands at very close locations.  Kroger is only 3 minutes from our house, so I would sometimes go grocery shopping while Hudson was asleep and the kids were watching a movie.  One afternoon I left them alone for the sole purpose of going to Sonic to get a drink and then sit in my car alone to drink it.  It was wonderful!

Jaxon and Colton got invited to a fun trampoline party.  I thought it was very sweet because they both had lots of friends at the party, but they spent most of the time playing together.  They really are best friends!

For Father's day we did Dad Olympics with a group of families from the ward.  It was pretty fun.  There were a bunch of different competitions and then whoever got the most overall points won.  

The orange pass is always my favorite!  Nothing like two grown men getting cozy... ha!

For Father's Day Madison helped me make Oreo truffles.  Chris loves Oreos.  He usually requests something with Oreos in it.  

Jaxon made Chris an awesome "Dad" mask.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but the top of the mask has the letters DAD.  Leave it to Jaxon to be creative like that!

The evening of Father's day I came into the living room to find the kids rubbing Chris's feet and feeding him sour patch kids.  Those kids sure know the way to their dad's heart!

This is what shopping with Hudson looked like all summer.  He's gotten better, kind of, but really he's super hard to take to the store.  Even if I give him a treat.  

One day we brought Smart Food to the pool for a snack, which is the kids' favorite.  Jaxon was cracking me up floating around the pool in his tube eating his popcorn.  Tough life. 

Three boys watching their dad play softball!

I found these TOMS for the baby at Nordstrom Rack.  I almost died.  I'm so excited to dress a baby girl on a bigger budget than the student budget we had when I had Madi!  Plus, girl clothes have gotten even more cute in the last 9.5 years. 

Jaxon officially finished his first chapter book all by himself.  I know Captain Underpants has a lot of potty humor, but it has been the series that has taught Jaxon to learn to love reading, so I'll deal.  It hasn't seemed to affect his daily discussions too much (i.e. no potty talk), plus it's what has sparked his love for creating comic books!

We were at CostCo in June and they had their backpacks and lunch boxes out and on sale.  Madison and Jaxon both have the same brand of back pack and lunch box and I've been really happy with the quality, so Colton got to pick out his Kindergarten lunchbox and backpack.  He was thrilled.  

More of Hudson's hard life.  He's mad because I won't let him get down and climb all over everyone during dinner. 

Sometimes my kids leave body parts on the counter.  Just for fun.  Gross. 

The pool at the gym opened a huge new water park section this summer.  The kids really enjoyed going.  Colton was even just barely tall enough to ride one of the big rides!

My aunt and uncle drove through one night so we went out for some yummy bbq.   Bbq has become a favorite for us.  Chris loves to smoke meat and we love to try out different bbq restaurants.  

Early morning swim at the pool.  We had the whole pool to ourselves.  

I tried really hard this summer to take the big kids on a few "dates"-- pretty much fun activities that were not Hudson appropriate.  They didn't have swim team on Fridays, so a few Friday afternoons I got a sitter and we went to do something fun.  This Friday afternoon we went to see Inside Out at the theatre.  We very rarely take the kids to the movie theatre, so it was a treat.

Jaxon decided one Saturday that he wanted a swim cap.  Then he was annoyed that he couldn't hear with his cap on, so he pulled it up like this.  It was pretty hilarious.  He eventually decided that swim caps aren't super comfortable and he didn't wear it for the rest of the season. 

Like I said, Jaxon got super-hooked on books this summer.

If he started a new book he pretty much read everywhere.  

Our great friends the Kormylos moved to Boise this summer.  It was a sad day.  We miss them.  Here are all the second grade buddies with Graham.  

And Colton and Rocco and Caden.   We all miss our friends.  

Madison, Jaxon, and Colton did an art camp this summer with some people from another ward.  It was very fun.  They all LOVE to do art projects.  These paper mache puppets that they made were super cute!  They were all really proud of them.  

And finally, right before 4th of July my in-laws came back for another appointment.   Debbie kindly offered to take Madi and Jaxon back to Arkansas with her for 2 days until we came up for 4th of July.  Then my nephew got sick, so she ended up having room in her car for Colton too.  So, all 3 kids ended up going to Arkansas for 2 days and leaving me home with just Hudson, which was kind of awesome!