{Set 2}

There is something people don't tell you about when they live in the desert heat all summer.

We do it each summer.

We buy our first set of flip flops in March....they last until July.

Then the heat of the pavement kinda melts them and warps them into a non-flat flip flop and you have to get your second pair for the summer.

NOW really this is probably our 3rd maybe 4th pair but since I buy everyone two pair at a time, this only counts as the 2nd set so....be aware if you even move to the desert for the summer. Hot pavement means more flip flops.

{Rain}

We don't get much rain here, it being the desert and all. So rain to us is like snow anywhere else. We get out the water guns, buckets or whatever items the boys want to collect rainwater in and send them out to play.

Another Sunday afternoon in the rain.

{Summer Swimming}

So we have a great family in our ward who is constantly giving and giving to others through sharing their house and their yard, which has a great backyard with the best pool for our boys. She insists and reminds the boys each week at church that we should come swim whenever we want at her house. She leaves the key to the gate for us and has taught me how to turn on all the water features, lights etc. She tells us when she is going out of town reminding us to swim even when she is gone. It is wonderful having her pool around the corner and pretty much available whenever we want.

We swam there at least once a week for a few hours and went a couple times in the evening for FHE.

The boys love it there and we are thankful for all the great memories we have made this summer while we swam.

{Puzzles or Models?}

This summer the boys have been doing these puzzles but they are more like models.

We found them at a craft store and they come in sheets of wood that you pop out, then thier auntie and uncle gave them more and now we have many of them. Sometimes they are a bit more challenging and they turn into a family project but they love them.

Here is one of the many...we have dinosaurs, cars, dragons, ships and more!

{Summer Plans}

This year all of us were excited for the last day of school. In past years I was ready for having my boys back with me each day and anxious to spend time with them and have our own daily schedule.

This year the feeling was different. This year I realized that I felt like I had missed out on a lot in their lives and their school year. It is all because of the new paths in our lives and that new path is school for me. I am teaching each day and while the boys are in the school with me and even in my classroom I still feel that I am missing out on important things.

So this summer we will spend more time together and be on our own schedule picking and choosing what events are important for out family to attend. We will do what we want and make some great memories.

To start off the summer we look forward to E's baptism and all our extended family that is coming to visit.

We can't wait! Let Summer begin!!

{swimming}

I have done one thing terribly this summer...well one thing I will admit to.

That is swimming. Last year we went everyday this year twice. yes twice. well lets count the day at the hotel with Apo family and it is 3 times.

My boys will be mad when they start counting.

I have good excuses...well one great one. They didn't have the great sale for a pool pass this year.....by great I mean I paid 79 dollars for my family as opposed to the 260 it could of cost.

No big sale....No pool pass.

It costs us 12 dollars each time I pay for us to swim at that pool this year. And after Thursday when we figured out that the boys can't go down the slides until they pass the swim test I don't know if we will go back. (last year there was no swim test needed)

I know they should just pass the swim test, but my 2 have no interest in swimming the length of the "deep pool." Secretly I think E. would do it if K. wouldn't talk about how hard it is to do and I know E. could pass it.

So here are the horrible pictures I took at the pool this week.

they wanted me to take one of them "floating" so here it is....i humor them a lot with what I take pictures of.

Maybe I can get better and take them swimming a few more times before school starts (and that is in 3 weeks! yikes!!)

{Kids Museum}

We have a Children's Museum here in Vegas and we have always called it the Kids Museum...I don't know why or who started it but if you say CHildren's museum in our house the boys have no idea waht you are talking about.

Our two reading boys earned free passes through our public library by reading and tracking their reading this summer. So C took them over to the kids museum on Friday afternoon. I was happy to let him go as I have been there more than enough times over the years....and some Daddy time is great for the boys.

I sent the camera with them and they came home with over 100 pictures form the 3 hours they were gone. My boys know I love to have pictures!

This month (we think summer though) one of the rooms in the museum has been turned into a "Gross-ology" section. It is about bodily functions...smells, healthy eating, why you throw up...you know all those things boys love. So that will explain some of the pictures for you!