Finally Summer

Our neighbor giving everyone a ride back after they helped unload the brush.

All summer, I’ve felt kind of bad for my kids. It seems like we’ve barely done anything fun because we’ve been so preoccupied with fixing and cleaning the house in preparation for showings, inspections, appraisals, and ultimately selling the house that we’ve had little time left for those happy summer memories. Thank goodness most of the house stuff is done and this past week, we had visiting family, which always guarantees fun times!

Zoey wasn’t quite sure who she was looking at.

First and foremost, everyone had to get reacquainted. With all the kids being so young, a couple of months can be a veritable lifetime of difference.

Millie and Zoey, right before Millie pinched Zoey’s nose in a cute, “Got your nose,” gesture.

No big surprise though that everyone quickly remembers their “twin cousins,” and are happy to be reunited.

Henry and Holton bonding over a funny video.

Once we were all settled in, the summer finally seemed to begin. There was swimming.

Horseback riding on good, ol’ Stoney.

Such a good boy!

Hot dogs over a fire…

Perfectly cooked hot dogs!

…followed by gooey, toasted marshmallows, also over a fire.

No small feat, either, seeing as our bonfire was blazing hot–enough so that we had to shield our faces from about ten feet away.

We found bumpy baby toads.

Jack set up his virtual reality from work and we saw everything from engine breakdowns to escape room games to alien invasion shootouts.

We rode the grocery store penny pony.

There was plenty of ice cream treats all around.

Camille loves her ice cream sandwiches!

Cutting down the trees was a family endeavor.

Then, we went to Holiday World. The older kids were brave enough to go on a few roller coasters…

No turning back now!

…we drifted down the lazy river…

…then the little kids got a turn on their own roller coaster.

We did bumper cars…

…and bobbing fish…

…dropping from incredible heights…

…and, of course, plenty of time waiting in lines.

A bit of jealousy by the kids who weren’t quite tall enough to go on all the rides…

Henry wishing he could go on the bumper cars.

…and a resulting meltdown or two.

Henry’s so cute when he’s being dramatic.

When we made it back home, there was more swimming…

…the Children’s museum, where we played in the sand, did science experiments, climbed on the rock wall, wrote Chinese calligraphy…

…learned dances from different decades, saw dinosaur bones, and rode the carousel.

Before the cousins had to leave, we had one last epic bath in our big soaker tub.

Man, I’m going to miss that tub.

All too soon, it was time for the cousins to head home. That means we have to get back to packing and getting ready for school. But, we loved summer break while it lasted.