passing the summer

Well both of our computers simultaneously stopped working after my last blog, but I think Caden may have this one up and going enough for me to do something on it!  I'm excited to catch up on everyone's blogs! A couple of days after school let out, Nolan turned six!  He got a bigger bicycle for his birthday and very soon after words looked like this:

He decided to try riding with one hand while pedaling at top speed - it was quite the crash that I watched from the kitchen window, and he had road rash down his torso as well.

Caden started his job working for his great-uncle Kerry, changing pipe and fixing fence up in Driggs, Idaho.  He is working with three other cousins his age and is LOVING it! Kami is working for Suzette doing her yard work and anything else she wants done, and also is doing yard work for the Evans in our ward.  She would like some more to do - but we're glad that she has something. Recently she started running to begin getting back into shape.  Last Saturday Maddie and Caden rode along beside her on bicycles (blurry picture of them when they returned):

Then they jumped into the pond for a refreshing swim: The younger kids are always begging Shwn to take them on a canoe rode:

These two girls (Madeline and Isabelle) have begun canoeing every chance they get and catching turtles:

A picture of Shawn and the kids after they went swimming today:

Hiking R mountain on Nolan's birthday:

The Anderson cousins came over for a sleepover, and they all slept outside in the tent (except for Isabelle and Ainsley):

Abram, Isaac, Nolan and Sam:

Maddie, Abby, Sam, Abram and Isaac:

The girls have been learning some new skills; below is Isabelle sewing an owl for the baby room (more on that later):

Maddie baking bread - this has to be done every other day in the summer, so I have been training Maddie and Isabelle who think it is incredibly fun:

I should have placed these next two pictures first because every day we have the kids work until 11 or 12 before they play.  They have house chores and then they have to go weed a sizable section of the yard. I thought it was pretty cute to look out at these cute little workers the other morning:

Things are almost completely weed-free with all of the kids helping - i need to get a better picture of it one of these days!

The boys went on their Father and Sons outing and had a great time...well except they DID have to endure the adventure of Abram getting carsick and throwing up on the way there.  He had to wear his pajamas the rest of the time and Shawn had to go get his car shampooed to get rid of the smell.  But they found a great campsite and enjoyed their time together! As you can see, Caden was the photographer and therefore in none of the pictures:

The little boys picked me some lovely flowers that grew around where they camped.  When I opened the door to Abram the next morning he enthusiastically presented me with his. After I raved about them he confided that he had actually picked them for Maddie, but he would let me have them:) I think I have received six floral bouquets so far this year - the bouquet in the middle below is of white top and some of my bleeding hearts from the yard.  I have also had wildflowers the girls have found on hikes and clover bouquets that the boys have found in the yard:)

We just had a visit from Matt and Kelly and their boys, David and Jonathan.  They didn't get to stay long, but the boys sure enjoyed each other and we, of course, enjoyed Matt and Kelly.  I wish they could have stayed longer!! Below: David, Nolan, Abram and Jonathan (love the faces)

And lastly I need to include that on one of our summer trips to the library, Nolan decided that he wanted to check out a Rangers Apprentice book.  (He has seen some of the older kids reading them.) I told him I didn't think he was quite ready for that level, but to prove to me that he was, he sat down and started reading it.  He said, "I totally understand it mom!....EW!!!! leg ends?  That is disgusting!!! It says things about leg ends in this book!!" I had to inform him that the word was legends. He thought gory sounded better I think. I let him check it out because what can it hurt anyway?  He was done reading it after a couple of pages:)