Tuesday, September 3

Summer of 2013 - post vacation

After we got home from our long summer vacation we didn't have a lot of summer left but we tried to make the most of it.  

The first thing Kate did when we got home was eat a pea from our garden....we are lucky things just grow out here without much attention!
 Clara also quickly reacquainted herself with her toys
 And, although she had slept happily in the many different beds in many different locations over the trip, she decided she wasn't a fan of her crib when she got home and we spent weeks trying to get her to overcome her fear.  Seriously, clinging to us and screaming when we tried to put her down.
 Clara also found her favorite puzzles
 Kate and Sawyer went to soccer camp in the afternoons for a week
 Daddy was refinishing our table so we ate lots of meals on our small table.  Clara would not sit in her high chair and insisted on joining the big kids.
 Clara read books to her babies

 More soccer camp.  Kate was a trooper...she hasn't played much soccer and she was grouped into a bunch of kids who were a lot older and a lot more experienced (and who were mostly boys).  She did a great job with a great attitude even though she was always picked last and one boy told her she wasn't good.  Stupid boy.
 We played at the park

 And bought balloons to find out the gender of our baby...even though it didn't work out

 Last day of soccer!

 We enjoyed Lake Pinneo
 Daddy made progress on our table
 Blueberry picking 



 We ate ice cream and did lots of swinging (or as Clara calls it, WHEEE!!!)
 More Lake Pinneo
 This one kind of explains itself....
 We went canoeing on the Connecticut River
 and then ate ice cream after
 Clara said, "Okay, bye guys!"
 We discovered Ogunquit, Maine and it was beautiful
 Ever wonder how many times your butt is in someone else's picture?


















On the way home we found an outdoor lobster bake restaurant with a band, fire pits and a swing set

 I began some serious nesting and reorganized all the closets in my house along with trying to get the baby's room in order
 We went miniature golfing and Sawyer asked to go back every day for days after






 This is Clara's favorite bedtime ritual, pretending to go to sleep in the big kid's bed
 Daddy finished our table!  (Now he just needs to finish the benches!)
 Sawyer learned how to ride his bike without training wheels
 Clara cheered him on from her bike
 We went to the aquarium....er....walmart
 I enjoyed a game of go fish with this cutie in the afternoon while Clara took a nap and Kate was on a playdate.  I knew I wouldn't have any afternoons like that once school started!
 We went to the ward campout at Camp Joseph



 We went to a Manchester Fishercats baseball game





 I continued to grow bigger
 We took a trip to Boston.  Daddy couldn't resist taking Clara on this carousel.  She pointed at it excitedly all through lunch
 We sure love frozen yogurt!  Too bad its such a novelty because we don't have one close by
 Boston Aquarium







 Clara was exhausted but refusing a stroller nap.  She did try to take on in the middle of the floor though.  Good thing her mom isn't a germaphob

 Sawyer went to his Kindergarten open house
 and Clara thought it was for her too

 We took one last camping trip to Maidstone Lake, Vermont










 Kate wanted to go kayaking by herself so we gave it a try.  She got pretty good at it and loved it!  Sawyer tried too but his little arms were a little short.  Good thing Daddy was next to him in a kayak to shove him back to shore.



 I went out in the kayaks once with Kate but I spent a lot of time on the shore with this cute girl

We fit a lot in and had a lot of fun, it was a great summer!  I would say I miss it but I am so much looking forward to a nice Vermont fall!