Last Days of Summer

 Oh, the final days of summer!  Insert sad face.  I love summer, although I get paranoid about how much sun my kids get.  This year, we tried a new sunscreen that makes their faces pasty and costs $1 per swipe.  I'm not sure if it worked any better but it made me feel better....?   I will remember this summer as the year Kate was more courageous in the water, Owen fussed about waves, and Zachary played with mini boards and begged for an epoxy surfboard.

As you can see, Owen only eats healthy food.  That isn't chocolate--it is the remnants of beets that I grew organically in my yard, then created into a safe paste for him to eat.  (Or it is chocolate.)

 Lizard-mania.  Zachary has booked it out the front door every day of the past month to catch lizards.  He and his friends "talk lizard story" and compare notes on the variety and size of each conquest.  Kate wants in on the action and holds the lizards, too.  I am not scared of lizards but I would prefer if they would: 1) Stay outside my house (which would solve my next two), 2) NOT jump on me in the shower or run over my toes in the kitchen, and 3) Stop pooping on my baseboards and windows and bed and everywhere.

 Zac and Brady had a one-on-one, and Zachary chose ice cream and in-the-dark lizard hunting, complete with spy goggles.

 I'll also remember this as a summer of dolls.  I remember playing dolls when I was growing up but Kate takes it to another level.  I love hearing her different pretend scenarios.  I am not as creative as her friends playing house or school but I try.

 We fit it a little "science" between our sandy toes.

 Our house is nearly framed out.  Here are the pictures from the first stages.  When we built our first house, I wondered if it was real and felt this impending doom that something awful would happen.  It did not (although Brady worked through plenty of fire drills).  This time, we've had a few different issues but I still find myself concerned that it all seems too good to be true.  I love the design changes we have made so far.  I have not loved all the time we still spent searching for lights, doors, etc.  It is not nearly as intense as round 1, but still so time consuming.

One major change: our garage is really tall.

Another change: our windows are HUGE.  If you look in the middle, the three window openings are to our kitchen and they are so much longer than the first time around.  This was Brady's doing and he is convinced we will love them.  I feel some apprehension.

 Brady went to Utah for his 20 year reunion.  I loved that he wanted to go.  He met up with friends to go hiking, went to a BBQ, and hung with family for a few days.  I'm so glad he snuck in a trip between building.  I was unfortunately so sick, and I remember this Sunday morning because I thought it was a huge mistake that I stepped out my front door, and so did Owen.

Andy and Dylan.  I remember Andy as being the only friend that was nice about Brady marrying a 19-year-old girl.  It's fun to hear Brady talk about how responsible and nurturing they both are as fathers and husbands and grown ups.

 Brady's bestie Christian joined them on a hike.

 Susan and Katie.

 The next day, we did one final beach day with friends who moved back to the mainland.  Another set of friends.  Moving.

 They built a fun ramp and spent the afternoon entertaining everyone on the beach.

 Goodbye, Lucy!  The girls really wanted to pose by the sign.

One of our final beach days of summer.

 Kate, Shay, and Tate love to sit on their boards and wait for waves to crash on them.  It's called, "Let the water take you wherever it wants."

 First Day of School!  I had to change my talk about school because I found both kids wishing summer was longer.  I wish it was longer, too, but they had a pretty long summer this year (we skipped the last week of May for Mindy and Peter's wedding).  I'm excited that they have teachers that will challenge them this year, although Kate's teacher is the one she prayed she would not get all summer.  She is tough and yells at the kids from time to time and that is hard on my sweet, sensitive daughter.  So far, I've been impressed (except for the yelling).

The first day, Owen cried out "Zaaaaaccccc" from the top of the driveway over and over until I finally convinced him to come play inside.  Then he walked out and did it all over again an hour later.  Poor dude.  That's what happens with a five year gap.  

 Don't be fooled by his angelic, kissable, huggable personality, though.  This little man is a rascal right now.  Love him and his antics.