summer's end and back to school

With only 18 days until the start of school, we had a lot of summer to cram in after our trip. We started with a 5k. David, Katie and Michael all ran. We had neighbors and cousins running, too.

David...
Michael...

Jacob and Katie ran together...

Here's the family shot! Way to go!

The day after the 5k, Michael and Nelson took off on a High Adventure Trip with the priests. Nine of them went all together. They each built their own wooden boat and floated 44 miles on the Green River in Southern Utah. They worked really hard making their boats and it was so great to see how excited everyone was for this trip. Here is Nelson, Michael Marriott, Michael, and Wes Jacobson up on a hike.

The boats were a little tippy so here are Connor and Michael after they lashed their boats together for more stability. What a trip!! How did Nelson and Michael get so lucky to have another vacation after their vacation?

Do I have funny neighbors or what? I still don't know who left the orphaned child zucchini on my front porch. Thanks to the donor! I love zucchini and we didn't plant any this year!

A summer tradition we have sporadically tried to start is back yard movies. We project a movie onto a giant sheet against the side of the house and invite the neighbors. This night's showing of Harry Potter 5 worked out but other attempts were thwarted by too much wind or sometimes rain. It's been fun. Next we need to try Jaws in the pool...

Look what we had waiting for us when we got back from our trip. When we left they were no more that 8 or 10 inches tall. No squash this year, just corn and 4 tomato plants. The raspberries we planted at the end of last summer are producing berries, too.

Corn from our garden. Wow, I am still amazed that we got this from 5 plus weeks of neglect. My kind of gardening!

Michael is a Senior this year. Every time I say or think it I can't believe he is this old and time has flown by. I took him for Senior yearbook pictures and had to snap a few when we got home, isn't he handsome? I'm not partial at all.

We have been having air soft war mania at our house. Here are Wes, David, Scott, and Joey ready to battle. They set up things to shoot from behind up on the deck, on the basketball court and having a blast. My yard is covered with thousands of tiny plastic bb's. No worry, they collect them when they run out of ammo.

Here is David with Mr. Jacob on the first day of school. I am so excited David has him as a teacher! Score for him! My baby is in 6th grade. It was sad to think that today was the last day I would take a first day of school picture with the teachers. It's hard to believe summer is over and homework is on its way. Katie went to Sophomore day at Orem High yesterday. Now I have two at Orem High. Slow down everybody, I think you are growing up too fast.

Thanks to Suzette for bringing back the first day of school mom's brunch. Here we are eating yummy food and enjoying the start of a new school year, once again.