Summer Download

It's hard to believe that summer is over and we're onto the school year already!  It feels a little unjust that the kids are back to school the middle of August, but, alas, the school district did not personally consult me about their schedule and I just don't have homeschooling in me.  Although we didn't travel the world this summer, we had a great time and made lots of fun memories!  Here are some of the highlights.....

 Julia did great at her dance recital and really loved getting to take part in the daddy daughter dance this year. 

Sister from another mister??  I mean, if you can have a brother from another mother, can't you have a sister from another mister?

Kids tried east coast surfing in New Jersey.  Let's just say that it's not as easy as surfing in Hawaii, but they had fun trying it out.

Look at those fully relaxed and happy summer smiles.

The kids from our New Jersey crowd.  It's hard to believe that this was our 10th year in Avalon.  This part of the world, and these families, have a secure piece of our heart. 

On the way home from New Jersey we stopped in Hersey Pennsylvania and made our own chocolate bars.  

Noah & Anna sent a long weekend in Springfield with Granny and learned all about the Land of Lincoln.

Jonah started horseback riding therapy this summer.  He loves it!  It's perfect sneaky therapy for him because he loves animals so much, he doesn't even realize he's working!

We kind of went to a Gavin DeGraw/Goo Goo Dolls concert sponsored by Cal's Angles with these lovely friends.  In reality we waiting in a food truck line for all of Gavin DeGraw's set, just to be told they'd run out of food.  We dejectedly took our seat, just in time to be cleared out for inclement weather before the Goo Goo Dolls went on.  The concert aspect was a bit disappointing, but we made memories that will last a lifetime!

Cancer parents unite at the Cal's Angels concert.  Each of these faces represent a very personal encounter with pediatric cancer.  About half these families have lost a child to cancer.  It is because of that, that we will work every September to raise awareness, and raise money for research.

Jonah did a walking intensive through Easter Seals this summer.  He worked really hard at improving skills that support walking and we were introduced to "the spider" which was a great way for Jonah to practice finding his balance in a safe manner.  He came out of the intensive stronger and with greater endurance so it was time well spent.

Our beloved friend and former APN, Katie came and hung out for an afternoon.  There was game playing and outside fun to be had, and it was great to be able to catch up.

We went to Winter Park for a week and coordinated a bunch of activities with an adaptive sports organization called NSCD.  They facilitated a lot of fun outdoor events for us, which included rock climbing which we were all able to do.

Anna has been doing indoor rock climbing for a year.  This outdoor rock climbing was like her recital - she smoked us all by getting all the way to the top.  You may not be able to see that spot of girl up there, but this was the best my iPhone could do.  We were so proud of her, and the climbing staff was very impressed.

My baby nephew, Bennett, in Colorado.  He is like a mini of my brother, which is super sweet. 

Mom was able to join us for the week in Winter Park.  She runs unusually cold - don't let her attire confuse you, it was about  78 and sunny in this picture.

NSCD made it possible for us to go white water rafting.  Seriously, my 70+ mom with Alzheimers and Jonah rafting in Colorado might have been my highlight of the whole trip!

I am a beach girl over a mountain girl any day, but even I have to admit that there is beauty in the mountains to be appreciated.  This was the view from our front yard of the house we rented.

 Rafting action shots!  Check out my mom's  celebratory hand!  

A belated birthday celebration for Noah.  After considering all of the options, he really just wanted a backyard party with his friends.  We put an outdoor movie on, but really they just wanted to fun around and play.  It's a sweet time - 11 - they're taking steps towards being real independent people, but they're still a bit of sweet innocence in them still.  You can start to see who they might become while still seeing the little kid in them. 

In a sweet unexpected surprise, our lovely friends, the Murgatoryds, got stranded at O'Hare on their way back to Boston.  It was a bit inconvenient for their getting-back-on-track-after-vacation schedule, but it was a great win for us!  These are normally friends we get to see in New Jersey, but they were actually in Stockholm this summer.  Clearly we were meant to be together this summer.  God knew that we couldn't go 2 years in between visits, and if that means a missed connection in O'Hare, so be it.

Last summer we went to Boston, this summer Boston came to us.  The same weekend that Murgatroyds had their surprise visit, we have a planned visit with the Bergans.  Audrey was my first real boss many moons ago and I used to babysit her kids when they were teeny tiny.  Her daughter, Sydney, a high school senior (not pictured because she was feeling sick) participated in a journalism program at Northwestern this summer, so we got to see the whole family when they came to get her.  We've all got our fingers crossed that Syd will end up at Northwestern for college so that this can be the first of many visits through the years!