Summer, Summer, Summer....is it still summer?

Summer has meant more driving after having basically nowhere to go.  Piano and ballet lessons resumed, and the kids want to get together and do more than stay in Poipu and surf now that our community was given the green light to get together in groups of 10 or less.  Owen thinks it is hilarious to take pictures of me from the backseat.

I jog 2-3 miles on my previously completely-restrictive feet twice a week, now, and Owen loves to bike along with me.  I love the flowering rainbow trees.

Sheratons is still our regular hangout, and the kids are surfing a little less and boogie boarding the shore break more.  I love the variety, and watching the kids do tricks.

Kate getting more comfortable skim boarding.

Trust exercises with Daddy during a lunch break.  We all really miss Brady now that he is back at the office.

A stop at Lydgate park which just opened to the the public after a two year closure for refurbishment.

Catching up with Julie Bowers: she's been living in the next subdivision over but quarantine prevented us from seeing her and her boys.  They have a small pool that the kids were stoked to check out.

Zac installed his surf rack onto his bike in anticipation of his custom board getting finished hopefully next week.

I am finally less hopeless around yeast.

My kids get one hour of media per day, and it all has to be taken at the same time in the late afternoon.  It is the smartest rule I've made as a mother because I am no longer the media police.

I helped a newly pregnant friend with her kids for the day, and in classic Zac form, he had them laughing in fits.

Kate asked if boys like flowers, too, and we all figured it was a yes.  She cut this from our garden and made this funny sign on Father's Day.

The kids made sweet videos for Brady and we celebrated with a couple small gifts, including a man bracelet with the kids' names attached.  Brady is a loving and attentive father.  He speaks to our children on their level, he connects with them individually, and he makes everything more fun.  Unloading the dishwasher?  FUN!  Weeding?  FUN!  Cleaning up toys?  SO FUN!  

Brady's major gift to himself was a huge tool storage unit with a work table.

Zachary was so excited about this gift.  He convinced me to watch "Mandalorian" with him and we are three episodes in.  It will the the first Star Wars anything I've watched.

Each Sunday, we have hosted a family for church services.  We are allowed to have services of up to 100 people but our church building has not started hosting formal services.  We eat a big lunch afterwards and it has been a breath of fresh, social air.  Until last week, we still had zero cases of COVID on the island.

On Father's Day, Genevieve Keep and her family came over.  We have known them the entire time we've lived here, and it is bizarre to say goodbye.  They are moving back to the mainland, making Brady one of two original Layton employees to still live in Kauai (out of a group of 20+ different employees).  Genevieve and I got close over the last 18 months and it is heartbreaking to say goodbye to yet another friend.

We played games through the afternoon.

We will miss Taegan, too.  She is a thrower at BYU currently, but I had her in primary for five years.  Owen is infatuated with her.

That night, we got together with the Clarks and Stebbins.  This is the first time we've been together as a group in three months, and only happened because on Saturday, we were given permission by the mayor to gather in groups of 50 inside and 100 outside.  It felt like we hadn't missed a beat.  Granted, we have seen them at the beach (separated, of course) almost daily!

Kauai shrimp, fresh corn/avocado salad, watermelon, fresh rolls, plenty of other salads, and friends.  Perfect.

We're BAAAAACCCCCKKKKK!

Kate and Zachary are both into hair chalk, and they've sported colored locks for weeks.

Surfing down the face of a wave on a boogie board.  Incredible.  I've been telling Zac for a year that he needs to come try Waiohai, my favorite surf break.  He is more than capable, but rightfully worried about getting stuck on the inside and washed onto the reef.  The waves are bigger and faster than he is used to, and it is a big jump from his surf break to Waiohai.  However, when he heard Caleb was going yesterday for a dawn patrol surf, he agreed to come, and he caught 6 waves!  He and I even rode one together.  I am so proud of him!

He's not the only one trying new things: Brady is getting better and better at surfing and legitimately thinks it is fun now.

Also trying a new look:

Silly faces while sister surfs with a friend.

Beach joy.  Owen plays hard in the shore break now and has made leaps in his courage with bigger waves, but finds the most happy in running along the coast or chasing Jakey and Sam.  I tell Mahjinka that Jake makes Owen run laps--they easily run two miles while we sit with toes in the sand.

Kate's favorite babysitter, Mika, headed out on her mission.  She played games with Kate to say goodbye.

Zachary is also "running Owen":

We've resumed playdates.  Owen and Reef play together like champs despite their age gap of 2+ years.  They spend most of their time jumping on the trampoline, racing cars, driving in Owen's Jeep, and laughing.  I think they look like brothers.

Zachary spends much of his time with Caleb, and they love to bike around Poipu and fish in Waikomo Stream.

The kids had dentist appointments and Owen loves it.  He was so excited the night before.  We all dread the dentist scraping around our mouths but I think he is enthused by anything that makes him feel older and included.

Owen even asked for the bumpy thing on his back (massager).

We finished off another 750 piece puzzle, this time of Sleeping Beauty's enchanted forest.

Kate's best part of summer: babysitting Paige.  Megs has Kate come down a couple mornings a week to play with Paige for a couple hours while she gets work done.  Kate would play with her every day if she could.  Paige is so excited to see her and says, "ATE!  ATE!" every time Kate bikes to her front door.  

Summer nights: we've still spent almost every evening at the beach.  It keeps us out of the heat and sun of day, but we are keeping up a late bedtime habit.  We had dinner at 7pm the other night, and the kids couldn't understand why we would be eating when it is still light outside.  Also, while in the past, we've made it to the beach every single day, we miss a day or two every week now.  After 3 months of 6-days-a-week beaching, it feels like less of an accomplishment to make it daily.

Owen: "Do you like my pretty hair?"

Rolling in the shore break.

A girl and her board.  She has been taking some huge drops lately.

Waffles and buttermilk syrup plus an uncertain expression. 

These stunning flowers from our front/side yard make me so happy every time I pull in the driveway.

Ballet time for Kate is farm time for Owen.  We asked what happened to the other three cows and Derek responded, "Harvested."  Farm life.

Derek drove us around his mountain bike trails in his new ATV.  Owen was very uncertain at first.

Kate and her ballet class explored the treetop playhouse after class.  I love how wholesome this photo looks.

I can't compete with cows, goats, treehouses, and mountain bike trails on my property, but we are trying to get a dog.

Yes, we are on month 4 of "summer" but I am satisfied and happy to have my kids around for the extra time.  I wish we could go somewhere--anywhere--but someday!