Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Goodbye Summer!

Describes my summer perfectly
 Back to school! Our family enjoyed a fabulous summer. We used our pool a lot, had friends and family over to barbecue, and accomplished small projects around the house. As I mentioned before, it was very busy, which unfortunately seemed to make it fly by. But realistically, it seems these days summers just keep getting shorter! With the kids starting school in mid-August, summer is only 2 months long. It's not like when I was a kid and summer seemed to go on forever, and school didn't start til after Labor Day. Buddha's preschool doesn't start until then, and I am glad although it will be nice when both boys are at the same school and are on the same schedule.

Monkey turned 6 this summer, and we had a small birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese with a few of his school and baseball friends. Buddha really enjoyed the birthday party, I think Chuck E. Cheese is his favorite place to go! Even though our kids really love it there,  Chip and I hate it. The things we do for our kids!
Kick-ass Ninjago cake!
 Our summer highlight - besides my sister's wedding -  was a week of camping. First, a few days on our annual group trip to Lake Don Pedro. It was close to 100*, but we managed to stay cool by boating, jet-skiing and floating in the lake. We stayed on the water as long as possible, since once we were off it was back to the baking camp site. Fortunately we have a trailer, and even better, a generator, so we were able to run our A/C. But in order to hang out with all our friends who could not fit in our trailer, we had to be out in the heat. Really roughing it, I know. It was a wonderful time!
Buddha driving the boat
Monkey getting hauled in a tube. He loved that!
We finished out the rest of the week by taking our first family trip to Yosemite National Park. It was absolutely amazing and we cannot wait to go back! From the enormous trees to the gorgeous waterfalls, there is nothing not to like (unless you have an aversion to dirt). We had a huge camp site there, with plenty of room to run around for the boys. Tons of kids were all over the place riding their bikes. It was like a huge family summer camp. SO FUN. We went on an open air bus tour around the park to see all the sights, went horseback riding, did small walks/hikes, and played in a wide river that bordered our camp. The boys walked across huge logs that had fallen over the river, skipped rocks (their favorite), played hide-and-seek,  got very filthy, and just had good ol' fashioned boy-fun.
Loving his first horseback ride!

The boys played here every afternoon!
S'more please!
Hope to see you soon Yosemite!
We also spent two weekends at different beaches. One weekend we went to Capitola where we met up with friends who also were there for the weekend. We spent time on the beach, had some cocktails and delicious dinners. The kids enjoyed each other's company just as much as the adults. The other weekend we at Sunset State Beach which was absolutely gorgeous. We were all very relaxed and things went smoothly. Our kids LOVE the beach, truly, and they could - and did - stay all day! We ate some great meals, and played Go Fish with our competitive 6 year old card shark each night.

Breathtaking, right?

So while it is so sad that our summer has come to an end, we can honestly say we made the most of it.

Happy Hump Day Friends! Hope your transition "back to school" is a smooth one!

10 comments:

  1. What a fun summer! I really want to go camping as a family- we haven't gone since L was born, but camping with a 2yo didn't sound all that fun. Maybe next year. Yosemite sounds amazing, too- never been there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh you must go! It's the first national park. The rock formations are just incredible. L will def. be ready for camping next year. Kids really love it, even the little ones. I was just always concerned about crying during the night and bothering/scaring other people that are close by. But when they get older that doesn't happen as much.

      Delete
  2. It sounds like a fabulous summer creating memories for your whole family. I like that you take the boys camping so often and expose them to nature.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They love camping and I'm glad! They are definitely nature boys. Even though we live in suburbia, we have a trail with hills and nature bordering our neighborhood and we get out there a lot whether we are riding bikes, running, walking, hiking etc. Lots of pretty birds, rabbits, deer and the occasional coyote make their appearance!

      Delete
  3. Wow, sounds like one jam-packed summer of fun. I love Yosemite too. I especially love it draped in the foliage and colors of fall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is so gorgeous there. It was our first time, but I would imagine it is at all times of the year. We can't wait to go back!

      Delete
  4. Very cool. I have good memories of camping at Don Pedro myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, its hot there, not a lot of shade but its a great lake. We went during the week and it was not crowded at all. :)

      Delete
  5. Sounds like the kind of summer magic childhood memories are made of!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope so! I have very fond memories of these times with them, that's for sure! :)

      Delete

Hungripeeps want to say: