Summer '09

Remember when you were a kid and the first week back to school you were given a writing assignment with a theme along the lines of "What I did this summer?" Well, this blog is a pictorial of that for our family. Hope you enjoy it. We sure did!

JSS, COS and Mom all swam at

our sweet neighbor's pool as

often as we could! Mom

even learned how to sweep a pool!

One of JDS's jobs. He actually got a job at a local

vet clinic in May, but a neighbor also asked him

to do her lawn, so this is him doing that one hot

afternoon. I thought this would be better than my

showing up at the clinic with my camera. :)

AMS also had a babysitting job a lot of the summer.

Unfortunately, I have no photos of that, but she

DID work very faithfully.

More swimming shots to emphasize our point.

They both also began learning to dive this summer,

but I took all those photos on my phone. Sorry.

Got up and close with nature as often as possible.

Went bowling irregularly. This shot was taken

on Father's Day. Simon is so intense...and a

pretty good bowler!

This is one of the only clear shots I got.

Imagine this, the other bowlers don't

appreciate my flash going off while they

are bowling! So, most of our photos are

blurry and not worthy of sharing, unfortunately.

We enjoyed a lot of healthy eats

this summer thanks to the fruits

of Simon's, JSS's and COS's labor

of love in our Patience Garden.

We learned some new outdoor skills at

the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Family Workshops.

JSS saved up for and bought his very own

bb gun, bb's & target for practice! We bought

the safety goggles as a bonus. :)

He looks like he's practicing to be a sniper in this

photo, but he's just practicing with his target,

which is small and sitting on the ground.

We celebrated a good ol' fashioned 4th of July

with family and friends.

Among other things, we had an egg-toss...

SEVERAL different games involving water

balloons (in 100+ degree heat, it's a given!)...

A sack race (yes, those are garbage bags!)...

Painting clothing to wear to the

fireworks display...

Bobbing for apples...

Some of our favorite folks!

JDS and AMS went to Camp Peniel for

the first time, thanks to the extreme

generosity of their Great Aunt Ellen.

We celebrated a couple of birthdays,

one of which was spent 11 hours in the car!

Look how cheerful she is anyway!

What a blessing!

Learned some new skills at soccer camp,

taught by two professional soccer players!

Practicing said skills...

FYI, JSS won the first drill on the first day

of soccer camp! We were so thrilled for him!

JDS made a Jessica doll to share

his senior year with and her first

outing with us was to celebrate...

G'pa and G'ma's big 40th Wedding

Anniversary dinner at Red Lobster!

We finally got to have our Young Eagles flight!

(Remember that from January!!??)

JSS in the plane he flew for about 25 minutes!

The pilot got him up in the air and landed...

JSS did the rest! He is so elated! Now he

wants to become a missionary pilot!

We acted goofy a LOT!

I love this pic!

Went English Country Dancing the week before

we started back to school and we were thrilled

to have a very special guest with us...

The real, live version of cousin Jessica from B'ham!

She stayed with us the entire week before

we began the 2009-10 school year. What a joy

she is to have around, even if JDS did hog her time.

:)

Spend a lot of time with friends. AMS

went to two Bible studies this summer, as well.

We went a little wild at times.

And did some baking

(JSS also would like to be a chef.)

Back to School Kiwi Lime Pie...

made by JSS!