Last on our summer bucket list was to see the rest of the lego animals at the zoo before the exhibit left… kind of funny that we bookended the summer with the zoo (and didn't visit there at all in between!)  We also caught a bird show… super cool… and tried out the new splashpad…

This was taken at 10:51 pm… after she had convinced her Dad to get her out of bed (that is how it always works) and hung out with us till we were ready for bed.  It reminds me of this episode with Emma.   

We had a few things we'd been trying to fit in all summer that we finally got around to the last week:   Sandlot baseball with friends for Zach (while the other kids tried out the new amphitheater at the ballpark) and an informal doll party with some girls from Emma's class last year.  (note…

     Headed south for another fun cousin's day at Dayna's, I thought I'd take the kids to hike the Y while we were in the "neighborhood".  Turns out, not so much in the neighborhood.  And it took a bit longer than I thought.  But in the end, although it made us unfashionably late for…

   Making the rounds to check on everyone this night, I couldn't help but take some [very blurry but still very telling] pictures to document the way these crazies sleep sometimes!  

Remember these?  Such a fun summer tradition that I love.  Here are some of the ones we did this year!  Tour of Sweet's Candy Factory – unfortnately we didn't get any pics wearing the hair nets through the factory (too busy keeping Meg's on her head.)  Zach didn't try anything but the rest of us got…

my kids and the library.  doesn't get any better than this.  

We attended a concert in the park downtown tonight, and it was awesome.  It reminded me of the summer concerts at Mayo that we loved.  Even though it was jazz (it was actually great jazz!) and even though Carter got a bee sting (finally paid off to have benadryl in my purse!) and even though…

This summer has been so busy, but so fun.  It is flying by and I wish it would last forever!  I hate the thought of sending everyone back to school.   So for now, while I enjoy summer instead of writing about it, here is one of my favorite pictures from one of our favorite summer…

I have always wanted one of these, and was so excited when I found the one I was looking for.  And when I read this conference talk again this past week, I realized why:  She talks about how the words we write can influence our children, and a great story about a POW in Vietnam that was only…