Summer is ending...

We love Summer!

The Ducks now have a new home! They made new friends and love to swim all day! Susan was sad to see them go but she can visit them whenever she wants.

 The kids had a busy week at the Cache County Fair! We didn't do lambs this year but we had plenty of other 4-H things to enter.

 Susan swept the fair with blue ribbons for her fairy doll friends, her cabbage, squash and tomatoes. She made a cute bag and her little magnets got a blue too!

Susan's special recipe for Chocolate Mini Squash Muffins got a Purple Ribbon and she can take them to the Utah State Fair! (Purple is better then blue) Muffins are really tricky but she is an expert muffin maker because last year we learned how to make them right. She had to enter 4 muffins exactly the same size, roundness on top and the same color. You can't have a ledge or lopsided tops and you can't use a muffin paper liner. She did it! GREAT JOB Susan!

 Lucy also did a great job! She made Blonde Brownies and then had to cut them just the right size and shape, have them just the right height and texture...BLUE RIBBON!

 My cousin Liz came to visit from CALIF. We loved hanging out with them and getting to know her children better. Bob and ej also visited. We went to the Hyde Park Cemetery and learned about ej's great grandparents that came across the plains with a handcart company. This was fun and then we walked around while she pointed out  and remembered different people that were buried there. Her family lived in Hyde Park for a long time, well some of them still do.

 Here are the boys laughing at a funny book about Harry Potter. It was a very hot day but Uncle bob brought his bullwhips and the kids all practiced outside trying not to hit themselves. They are getting so big so fast! The little boy was the baby!

We took a trip to Bear Lake with the cousins. Kami invited us to play with her at a cabin and spend the night. Then at the lake we met up with Pam and kids the next day! We sat in the shade while the kids got wet. It was so hot!

 He is ready to dive in and he did. The water is very shallow forever so the littlest kids are easy to please.
The girl cousins played on the animal blow up toys.

 The two boys that are about 9 years old wanted to get in the raft all by themselves. We looked up later and they were way way out there! Some nice Kayakers towed them in. 

 Swimming or standing it was a perfect day for a dip in the lake.

 Wet girl.

 Sandy boys.

 Buried Peter. Yucky, sandy fun. 

The cabin was really fun with a great view of the Lake and mountains. We didn't have to be anywhere so the kids just played and played. I read a book. There were 6 rooms and each of the was decorated uniquely. The rest of the cabin had the theme of bears. Everywhere you looked there were little pictures, statues or something that had to do with bears. On the back deck there is a slide so you don't have to use the stairs going down or up.

Last Saturday we had a garage sale to earn the last bit of money we needed for the down payment for Susan's braces. I went crazy cleaning out the house. I went through all the kitchen drawers and cleaned them, the blankets and towels, sheets and books. All of the home-school materials accumulated over the last 13 years. Then we cleaned out the sewing/guest bedroom and closet. Now my sewing machine is downstairs in the TV/library room. I got rid of 6 bags of material I haven't used in the last 5 years. We moved all the boardgames down to the schoolroom's closets and got rid of half of them. Then we moved two beds into the upstairs room, one for Ookie and one for Susan. The other girls will have their own room downstairs with the bunkbed. I also cleaned out my clothes closet and got rid of 4 bags of stuff I never wear and is very outdated. Plus my room had 5 bags of little boy clothes that I am saving for my sister so that is now out in the garage and will make it down to her soon. Whew! It feels good to not hoard things.

 We tried to sell the rabbits and ducks but people just laughed. Lucy and Jill wanted to sell lemonade so we set up a stand for that. They were more successful money wise then the garage sale. Plus I made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Peanut Butter cookies and we sold out! We made just exactly what we needed for the Braces fund and the best part was we hauled three loads to the second hand store! I don't miss any of it.

Now we are moving things around still in our house and trying to get organized before school starts. Plus I am planning one last big Pack meeting for the Cubs this summer, then Peter's Eagle Court of Honor is in the planning stages and the PO Parent Organization  have already started to get ready for back to school night! I am the co-chair for the Academic Enhancement. (BEES and Bowls). Whew...My garden is providing plenty of veggies. I made a delicious veggie beef stew last night. It had potatoes, beans, tomatoes, squash and peas that we grew right in the backyard! And the Beef was from my uncles farm in Roosevelt. Very healthy and delicious. This has been a great Summer! The kids are getting bored so they are ready to go back to school. Peters Freshman registration was today. He spent a good 10 min. trying to open his locker. Finally we asked for help and now he will have no problems. He has "early" Seminary, 7:50am each morning. He is going to ride his bike. Susan gets her braces soon. She got spacers today. Super!

That is all the news for now! I hope your summer was great too!