Summer...Where has it gone?

I thought for sure I was going to be able to catch up on all things this summer.  It was going to be calm and we were just going to relax.  Or Not.  It was Not.  Don't get me wrong... it has been a wonderful summer but super busy and it's gone so fast.

We started out the summer with school ending on June 18.  Yep that number is correct.  It's actually 4 days earlier than last year.  Woo Hoo!!  So one week after school gets out Dave and I had the opportunity to go on Pioneer Trek.  For those of you who don't know what that is, it means we dress up like pioneers and pull handcarts for a couple days to see what it was like for the pioneers.

Dave and I were Ma and Pa Hannant.  We had 12 kids in our family.  7 boys and 5 girls.  Ages 14-18.  These kids are amazing.  I used to think I was pretty cool, but I'm so impressed by the positivity and hard work these kids put in.   We put in some hard work too. We truly had so much fun.

This is our very serious family.  They wanted us to be authentic and back then no one smiled for pictures.   

Then they let us show our pearly whites.  Not too shabby for 3 days in the same clothes.  Ok 2 but still gross. 

Now this picture was our family's idea.  Yep we are just that awesome!!!  Our family name was the Minions.  It was perfect.



We had a wonderful experience with our kids and love every single one of them.

As you can see we actually had pretty good weather until our walk out.  Then the heaven's opened up and hailed upon us.  We were soaked thru our 4 layer to the skin.  It was crazy.  The road was a river and every time we took a step water and mud squished out of my shoes.  My white socks were dark gray.  I'm so glad that happened at the end and not the beginning.  

A couple days after we got home from trek we loaded the family up.  No not the trek family just our little family of 6 and drove to Utah for Dave's sister Laura's wedding.  It was a wonderful and full week.  Laura got married on July 3, then we celebrated our country on the 4th.  After that we had our niece Lily's baptism, and then the blessing of the newest Hannant our nephew Owen.  Then I took Dave to the airport and he flew home to work and I left for Idaho the next morning.  The kids and I spent 2 days there and then finished the drive back home.  

I had about a week and then it was that time of year again.  Cub Scout Camp!!!  Yep I had the honor of running the cooking station again this year.  The boys are so cute and excited when they do it and not burn it in the fire.  Lots of fun again!!  It was my Jacob's last year.  Crazy.  When did my boys get so big?

The day after Cub Scout Camp was my 40th birthday.  Yep that's right the big 4-0!  Dave had to work that day.  He said he was taking me out to dinner and got a babysitter for the kids.  So just the 2 of us.  That should have tipped my off.  But it didn't.  The fact that he chose a restaurant in Seattle instead of the Bellevue location should have tipped me off.  It didn't.  The radio station talking about the traffic (which we were stuck in) should have tipped me off it didn't.  The birthday present of a camera should have tipped me off.  It didn't.  It wasn't until I was looking for the lens cap for the camera and saw the tickets in the bottom of the camera box did I wake up.  

Yes that is me going down to ground level for the PAUL McCARTNEY CONCERT!!!!!

Can you say amazing and so so so so so so Awesome!!  Once in a life time.  I mean you only turn forty once and then to go to a Paul McCartney concert on your actual birthday.  Crazy.... My hubby wins the awesome present award.


The next day we went out again and saw Jim Gaffigan.  He is pretty funny.  We went with a group of friends from church.  There were 8 of us.  So we had a nice dinner and then headed to the late show.  When we found our seats, Dave and I took the aisle, because in addition to a long list of issues I have, claustrophobia is one of them.  As we sat down I noticed the guy behind us seemed a little out of it.  I even commented to Dave that something was wrong with him.  But the show started and we started laughing.  I was still pretty tired from the night before so I don't think I found it as funny as I could have.  Although "hot pockets" will forever be funny.  But sadly to say weird man behind us had had too much to drink and decided to deposit the contents of his stomach behind us.  Luckily Dave moves quickly and none of it got on anyone, but him.  As his wife or girlfriend and people tried to get the drunk passed out vomiter out of the theater I missed a bunch of the show.  Also if you know me, not a fan of vomit or the smell.  Good thing my shirt smelled of my lovely perfume.

This is us with some of our friends Eric and Corinne.  And the bearded beauty behind is the barfer.

But it's always great to have a night out with my love.  So I'll try not to focus on the negative too much.

Then the next day we were off to Bear Lake.  Another 2 day drive.  We had such a great time.  We went to the lake tons.  Dave and Dad and Bryan went 4 wheeling.  Dave also took Noah on a four wheeler and poor Noah got a little scared and wrecked, so super Dave, his protective instincts setting in, threw Noah from the machine (which is no easy feat.  Noah is a brute.) so he wouldn't get rolled on and they both came back with some war wounds.  Still they had a great time.

We also went to the Pickleville Playhouse and saw a couple of shows.  Bandito rides again and 7 brides for 7 brothers.  The kids loved them.  They all got a T-shirt that has a picture of Bandito or I love Bandito, or a line from the show.  It was really fun.

After all the travel we actually stayed home for a whole week.  Who knew it could be done?  Then Dave and I had the chance to go to girls camp and teach a class on tarp shelters.  Only because we were the only ones that put up tarp shelters on the one rainy night on trek.  Everyone else got wet.  So we taught our amazing talent to the first year girls.  When they get to go on trek they'll be set.  After that we set out for Cannon Beach!

The weather was wonderful while we were there.  I even got a little sun burn.  We had a wonderful time hanging with Mom and Dad and their friends.  Their friends come and stay for the summer from Arizona.  They have some land and park their 5th wheel trailer on it.  So we were supposed to go out there and we were going to have homemade ice cream.  Abby thought this was such a cool idea.  But then she thought about it a minute and said "you mean trailer made?"  Since they weren't in a house.  It was pretty funny.  It ended up being home made because a storm came in and they came to our house.

The beach was fun and we finally went home.  Once we got home our landlord's decided they wanted to give selling the house a try.  So of course while trying to pack and get things ready to move I had to have the house spotless for 4 showings.  One of which cancelled (yay).  My mom and dad came up and helped me to get the house wonderful and the house ended up getting rented again.  So no more showings and now it looks as it always does....very lived in.

School started 2 days ago and I have to get ready to move next week.  I can't believe how quick summer went and how busy it was.  All in All it was a great summer and soon we move onto the next adventure.... Building a new house.  I'll keep you posted.