Last week of Summer Vacation!

So I really wanted a fun summer vacation for my kids and I think I was successful! We started summer off with a "Yes Day". I read about this somewhere, but basically I told the kids for the first day of summer I would do what I could to say yes to anything they asked. Just for today! Ice cream for breakfast? Yes! Watch TV? Yes. Go to Toys R Us? (This is probably where I should have drawn the line, but said yes anyway, with conditions. One toy each!) Visit Daddy at work? Yes. Stay up late? Yes. Read this book the 55th time? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. It was memorable, and they still talk about it, and keep asking when the next yes day will be.

So then for our, almost, last day of summer I decided to surprise them and take them to SeaWorld. This just worked out because my sister-in-law and mother-in-law were already going. I wasn't sure I wanted to drive all that way by myself, deal with 4 kids at SeaWorld without the help of my husband, so I didn't make up my mind that we were going until literally two hours before we were on the road. The kids were super excited, mostly just to see their cousins.

I couldn't get both of these boogers to look at the camera at the same time... but their friendship has been so fun to watch develop. Nathan is becoming more and more a little boy, and so much less of a baby! Sad, but so cute.

These four girls. So lovable. They have so much fun together and their dynamic has changed a bit over the years, but if anything they love each other even more. It's great.

And talk about evolving relationships. This lovely lady has gone from a random person I served at Chili's, to my sister-in-law I didn't mind being around at family functions, to one of my very dearest friends, and truly like a sister to me. I know she reads this, so love you Allison!  It is so wonderful to have a person in your life who you can tell anything to, and someone who can relate so well to everything you are going through because she's right there with you going through much of the same struggles. Honestly, SeaWorld is probably my least favorite of all amusement parks, but each trip was worth it because I got to spend time with her!

We also went up to northern AZ for a family reunion, which I think I wrote about. It was a glorious few days of letting kids run and play and chatting with adults that I adore. Can't ask for much more than that. Well maybe better sleep, but you don't go to family reunions to catch up on sleep!

We swam in our pool almost every day.
We made messes.
We did chores.
We baked.
We served.

But don't let those last few paragraphs dissuade you from thinking it was all sunshine and rainbows.
We also drove each other nuts.
We yelled.
We cried.
We said sorry.
We stayed up too late.
We woke up too early.
And it was really hot.
It's still really hot.

Tomorrow brings first grade!!
And next week, preschool.
So exciting. I love watching these kids of mine grow up and make memories.