A summer's ending...

I swear I just wrote a post about all the wonderful things we were going to do this summer and now I am here to sum it all up. It isn't fair how quickly summer goes by and how slowly winter does. But it happens and I am now going to write an awesome synopsis on what we did to make this the greatest summer of all time, lucky you!...

Note, I will have no pictures because I left my camera in Bear Lake, UT...the thoughts of it sitting in some strangers office about to take a trip across the great expanse of America causes my heart to palpitate and my stomache churn. I just hope its arrival will be a safe as ours was back home. So if you are one of those blog readers that only looks at pictures and then moves on I regret to inform you, you must move on...

But, if you like to read, onward we go!...

June was an awesome month. We took in the sunshine by...
-Swimming at Smith Mountain Lake
-Swimming at Lake Douthat
-Hiking through the Peaks of Otter
-And indulging in a lot of laughter with Papa and Grandma Scott
-We took a boat ride around Smith Mountain Lake with the awesome Martin's, where afterwards we went to dinner overlooking the lake and ate the BEST food I've ever had!!!

July was started off just right by...
-Celebrating Papa Scott's birthday with a date night into a mountain resort and dinner for 4, with an attempt to sing him Happy Birthday sending us all into hysterics and saying goodbye as they ventured back home to AZ. We'll miss them!:(
-We had a 4th of July blast here at our house with our new friends the Wolf's and our old besties the Mannings. We did our own fireworks and roasted marshmallows. It was great fun!
-We soon left on our trip out to UT. We drove there in 46 hours. We weren't going to waste any time. We couldn't wait to have my family meet baby Emma for the first time. Which to note: she is now massive!!! Wish I could prove it with a pic!
-Once we arrived in Utah we were filled with good family times at the cabin, swimming at the local pools, visiting Granny shakes, Deer Creek, visiting local attractions and mountain sides, walking through Cascade Springs and riding the Harley through the Wasatch and of course always a hight spot of meeting up with old friends.
-One of the highlights of the trip was our journey to Bear Lake where we reunited with some Cornell Branch buddies. It was so good to see them all again and laugh until our faces hurt and our stomaches cramped. Every late night had was totally worth it. And the reminder of good unconditional friendships left me feeling blessed to have ever been able to go to upstate NY and be a part of such a group of people.

In August...
-I celebrated my 33rd birthday with my hubby and a trip to SLC. I haven't been there in years and it was amazing to see how diverse it has become. We were able to freshen up on our Chinese skills while we were there and hear that beautiful English accent again. Quite a motley crew downtown has become!
-My sister and I threw my little sissy a surprise baby shower at Kneaders, (oh my new love for kneaders.)
-We then waited for my little sissy to have her 4th baby. Once was accomplished I was able to go to the hospital and relish for a day holding that sweet brand new baby. My first ever niece or nephew I have been able to meet fresh from heaven. It was awesome and now I hope she'll never forget me because unfortunately the next time I see her we'll be celebrating her 1st birthday. So sad living so far away!:(

We have been home now for a week and have filled it with getting the house in order and preparing for school. I look back on our summer adventures feeling complete. We set out to accomplish all our summer goals, and we achieved it. We are exhausted but satisfied. I am sad to see it all go and do not welcome back the early mornings, driving in and out of town several times each day, the soccer games, piano lessons, and after school running club. And more than ever I am sad to see my baby boy start his adventures in school. My heart breaks to know he'll not be by my side for the day but I know he is ready and excited.

The next post you read will be full of sadness and weepings due to me dropping off more than half my crew at school in the mornings. C'est la vie! Such is life! But I think this summers adventures can be lived off of for a few months. And I am so grateful for my mom and dad putting up with me and the kids for 6 long weeks. I love them and love that they love my children. Nothing means more to me than the tears my children shed having to leave their Grandparents. I love that they love their Grandparents and they know they are loved in return. I cherish the times we get to spend with them. I will miss my mom something fierce, I love being around her. And I will miss my dad, he was awesome with the kids and the hubby. I don't think Harvey has ever been so spoiled with this much golf in one summer! Love you Mom and Dad, thanks for everything!