Summer Favorites

As summer is coming to an end, I decided to make a list of our favorite things of Summer 2013!

Movies

Yeah, we totally watched movies! We would pop some popcorn, huddle together, and enjoy a good flick! We watched some old favorites (Wizard of Oz, anyone?) and tried some new ones too (3 Little Pigs and a Baby... yeah, it wasn't my turn to pick, okay?). We would generally watch a movie during one of Seraphina's nap times. (It was a way to guarantee the boys would stay quiet, shhhh, don't tell them- they thought it was a reward for good behavior! I look at it as a win/win.) We would often play a game while a movie was playing too. Qwirkle Cubes is still our family favorite!

The Library

We love libraries! Moving here I was a bit skeptical of the library because of its small size. However, I have to give a shout-out to our local library! We have lived in a lot of different cities. Consequently, we have been members of many different libraries! I have to say, hands-down, this is the best summer reading program I have ever experienced. The library tracked the number of books or chapters read, gave bonus credits to kids who would "check in" with the library every week, and offered prizes based on amount read, in addition to random drawings! The last day of the reading program was celebrated with a library party! K'NEX, Legos, Wii games, and other fun activities were there for the kids! It was such a great way to celebrate the end of the program! 

Reading

This summer was great for reading! Yes, it helped the library had an awesome summer reading program, but mostly we did a lot of reading because... well, its sort of what we do. We love it! Carter is currently reading Harry Potter, and Harrison is choosing to read Magic Treehouse books! Seraphina has a small collection of board books, which she has near-constant access to, and she frequently picks up a book and brings it to someone! She will sit in the reader's lap, hand over the book, and happily hear a story!

Church

Our family had our own personal best attendance record for Church attendance! Here, the boys are showing off a handout they received in Primary. The boys love attending Church, and get frustrated with me if they are late! I love our Church so much, and I have loved to increase my own testimony while watching my children gain their own!

Baseball

Okay, okay, so I didn't *love* it at the time. But I am glad we did it. I am not sure if the boys will want to play next year, but a part of me hopes they do. They had a lot of fun, and it was a great chance to get involved with the community! (Kurt was an assistant coach and loved it!)

Food

Okay, okay, so this is a pretty silly picture to use as our example of food, but I couldn't resist- she is too cute! We love summer's fresh fruits and veggies, and we adore grilling out and picnics!

The Pace

There is something about summer that makes us want to slow down and take it easy. We are so fortunate to be able to have a lifestyle that allows us to have this most of the year (but even more so during the summer heat)! We do not have to worry about morning rushes, commutes for the kids, trying to toss together dinner, or being a certain place by a certain time. We are free to do what we want, when we want (with a few exceptions). We really love living this way, and it makes our days sweet and enjoyable! With me home, making dinner can take hours, mornings can stretch until noon, the kids can start their days when they are ready, and we can enjoy one another's company! We start the day with a cooked breakfast together, send Daddy off to work, and then the kids and I have our day's adventures before cleaning up, making dinner, finishing the day's chores, and bedtime! It is a wonderful life!