Winding Down...

The summer flew by like a whirlwind. We stayed busy with our vacation to Disneyland, moving, swim lessons, and Day Camp at church. There were quiet moments as well. Summers are great for sleeping in, allowing the kids to stay in their pajamas almost all day, eating homemade popsicles and playing outside for hours on end.

I started something new this summer with the kids and their bedtime routines. We used to have the kids get in their pajamas and brush their teeth and then we would all go into one of the kids' rooms and read the books that they picked. This summer I decided that since Ashlyn is older she could stay up a bit longer. Landon was playing so hard every day that he was crashing by 7:30. As a result I started having separate quiet reading times with them. It became such a great way for me to give my undivided attention to each of them. They started really looking forward to reading time. I have to admit I did too. I love spending time with them when they aren't fighting, irritating each other or competing for attention. I remember my mom reading to my brother and me when we were younger and I am sure that helped me become the reader that I am today. I hope that my kids will grow up loving to read as much as I do.

Ashlyn actually has continued reading on her own this summer. Last week she read her entire Children's Bible in two days. She read to herself and she also read to Landon who then chose the same Children's Bible to read at night before bed.

Day Camp was a great experience for both of the kids. They came home and sang the songs and Ashlyn worked really hard on memorizing her memory verse. Last year Landon wasn't able to attend and he was SO excited to go this year. He was a little bummed that the theme was different from last year. Last year's theme was space and considering his Star Wars obsession he was really looking forward to that. This year's theme was western and he ended up liking it a lot more than he thought he would.

Last week we decided to wash my car since it was truly disgusting! It is funny how something that seems like a chore to us is a blast for the kids! They jumped at the chance to help us wash and they even recruited their friends from down the street. And wouldn't you know it, what started with a car wash turned into a huge water fight!

Basil didn't want to risk getting left behind in case we were going for a ride.

After the kids were drenched they put on their bathing suits and we set up a Slip n' Slide in the front yard. Gotta love summer time fun!

So as summer winds down and we head back to our daily routines we will remember the freedom of summer and how much fun we had!