Our Summer

 We decided not to take any fancy vacations this summer.  Our goal - get the kids in the water and teach them how to swim.  So, I enrolled Laurel and Michael in 3 two week swim sessions at the local Y.  This basically defined our summer.  However, we were able to find some additional fun between sessions.  I don't, of course, have a lot of good pictures because I also spent the summer being EXTREMELY ill with morning sickness.  But, we did the best we could. 

 Playing dress up.  Laurel likes to take charge, but luckily the boys don't mind following her lead - most of the time.

 We made a trip to the temple.  Isn't it beautiful?  Okay, so, I didn't get any pictures of the temple, but I did manage to remember to take one single picture of the hotel and the pool we swam in to remember the weekend.  Sweet. 

We met Leighanna and Adam down in Raleigh and switched kids while the girls and guys went to sessions.  The best part for the kids though was the hotel and the pool Friday night.

 The Lindsays came for the 4th of July.  It was a super fun weekend.  (See all the totally awesome shots I got of the fun and fireworks?)  Yeah, I'm good. 

The fireworks show was one to remember though because of the terrific thunderstorm and downpour that preceded it.  It was good, wet fun.

 I think we spent our whole summer wet.  If they weren't in a pool, they wanted to be in the sprinkler.  But thank goodness for that when the temps are in the 100's.

 We took a picnic on one trip of many to the park.

 Baby B.

 Cool Dude.

 You see I have a bike seat on the back of my bike, but if given the choice, Benjamin wants to do what the big kids are doing.  So, here they are all crammed in the bike trailer.  They are so funny.

 Michael made great progress this summer in lessons.  He started out very timid and hesitant in the water.  He ended the summer a lot more confident, getting his head wet, and swimming short distances with floats.

 Laurel is our little fish.  She LOVES the water.  She moved up 3 levels in lessons, learning all the different strokes, passing the "swim test" so she could swim without an adult, went diving for rings, and loved all of it.

Laurel also got to go to gymnastics camp and dance camp this summer.  Both of which she loved.  She is a very independent and social girl.  She loves walking into a totally new place, making new friends and having fun.  She was so sad when these fun-filled weeks were over.

 At the end of the summer we rode the Tide - our cities new transit system - with our good friends.  Laurel and Michael got a kick out of riding the new electric train.

 The kids got to meet George when we took the train to the Chrysler Art Museum to see the Curious George exhibit.  Michael did not want to leave.


A few other things we did this summer:

Took a trip to Grandma's house in July.  We saw great grandma Wall and enjoyed her homemade pone bread (especially Michael).

Visited Daddy on his trip to Albemarle and went (again) swimming in the hotel pool.

Took trips to the zoo and played in the fountains.

Went to the beach.

Good times, good times.  And now that I'm as sick as a dog, I may be able to keep up with my blog.  Well, maybe...