Summer Whirlwind

We are in the countdown to school starting.  July and the beginning of August have been a whirlwind of a summer.  I'm looking forward to the next two weeks not being as intense. The Jarvis' were in town for the month of July and we spent a lot of time with them, especially Eric and Rubie did and the coordinating and all the days spent away from home or even just having them over made keeping up with meals, house work, Sam's naps, and my own stuff difficult.  It has been a challenge to have kids a bit older that want to play all afternoon and have the energy and stamina to do so, but needing to be home so the baby can get his naps in.  We just try to give and take on both sides.  Sometimes we will spend all afternoon at the pool and Sam sneaks a nap in while sitting in the shade for a few minutes.  Or we go do an activity after he wakes up. 

I'll see if I can remember some of the highlights so far of July.  One of the most fun afternoons was when the Warner's came to Lindon and joined the Jarvis' and us at the Lindon Pool.  We had gone with Sarah, Noah, and Max to the Lindon pool the week before and Eric made a huge break through in playing in the pool, especially the Lazy River.  He was jumping in and going around with Noah and not hardly acting scared.  When the Warner's came Mandy put arm floaties on Eric and Rubie and all of a sudden they had all this confidence in the pool.  They were jumping in deep water and swimming all over the place.  It was fantastic!  I was so surprised and impressed.  I'll be enrolling Eric and Rubie in swimming lessons next summer.  I'll try to get an instructor for just those two and not do it every day for two weeks but once or twice a week for a few months.  Maybe I should start that in the early spring.  Any way we also have gone to the Provo pool and the new Provo Rec Center with the Jarvis'.  It is one of the best rec centers I have ever seen.  It is amazing!! The kids love the slides and all the pools. 

We spent a couple days camping.  We made it a Cherry Chub Reunion.  I booked a campground in Ogden Canyon just North East of Hunstville.  Perception Park.  It is where I went with the Young Women of our ward last year for girls camp.  We tried to get a lot more of the Cherry Chubs to join us but in the end a few committed.  There was Courtney with Lucas, Mandy with her 4 kids, Sarah with her two, me with my 3.  And Emily Helm came up for Tuesday afternoon and evening.  We had such a great time.  We got to camp Monday afternoon and spent Monday night and Tuesday night.  Courtney and Sarah left Wednesday morning and Mandy and I took our time packing up and left Wednesday early afternoon.  Perception Park is a nice camp with a trail and river.  We spent an afternoon at Pineview Reservoir.  We made bracelet and necklace crafts.  Had good food and good times.  Sleeping was a challenge for Samuel as the kids were sooo noisy all the time.  A tent does not provide much insulation from noise.  He slept mostly with me to stay warm also.  I took a nap with him one afternoon to get him to sleep despite the noise, but that was hard.

Eric and Rubie spent almost a whole day celebrating Max's birthday.  The had an afternoon at the pool.  Dinner at the Jarvis house, then a movie--Despicable Me 2, and back to the Jarvis' for cake and ice-cream and Sarah brought them home that night.  Eric and Rubie had a sleep-over at the Jarvis', and then the next week we had Noah and Max sleep over here.  Eric misses them terribly.

Some updates on each of us:

Samuel is now 9 months.  What a cutie he is!  He is such a good little boy.  He is getting more vocal and louder when he wants me to meet his needs and I am not.  But that is to be expected.  He isn't crawling but is barely showing that he may try.  He will get on his tummy and try to push with his feet and angle his shoulders.  He only tries it a bit before giving up.  He has to be really motivated to try to get something just out of his reach.  He sure likes to go outside.  He is getting to be a better eater.  And I have been leaving him more with babysitters and others during Church or with Carlee.  He does not like it when I leave him but is really good for other people.

Rubie is now 5 years old.  She is such a beautiful girl.  She thrives in the summer time.  She loves playing with her friends in the neighborhood and loves having "pajama parties" "tea parties" or any kind of party.  She loves riding bikes and wiggle cars with the neighborhood kids, jumping on tramps and just playing.  We had a couple days of celebrating her birthday.  We had a friend birthday party at the PG Rec Center on the day before her birthday (they were closed on her birthday and for a few days of cleaning).  As a family we went to Chuck E Cheese for dinner.  Grandma Jeppson came on Thursday on her birthday and took her and Eric shopping, to lunch, and a movie.  She got presents from us on her birthday.  Scott has been trying to get her to Mad Dog Cycles for a new bike but we can't seem to get there during their business hours.  We have been working on her reading this summer and she is coming along.

Eric is 6 1/2.  What a great personality he has.  He has been reading some throughout the summer too.  It has been a challenge to do our workbooks and reading each day.  Many days we get one or the other.  He has not had a hair cut all summer and has a long Faux-hawk.  For a while it was colored burgundy and blue.  He has lots of friends in the neighborhood and from school.  It is important to him to play with friends every day.  If he does not get much friend time he feels very sad.  He is obedient, often reluctantly, but does try to hurry and get his jobs done so he can play.

We have started playing soccer and have practice on Thursday nights and games on Saturday mornings.  That will go through September.  Scott finished his Masters Degree.  Wow!  What a great accomplishment for him but that very same week began a class for Six Sigma.  He is now gone on Friday nights and all day Saturday until the first week of October, but then will have another class to take.  Sigh, will he ever be done?  I would like some lazy non-stress days.  When do those come?