Summer Time!

It's probably a blogging 'no-no' that I make a post about events this far in the past, but I am already a seriously bad blogger that it doesn't even matter if I follow 'blog ettiquette 101'. I am taking you back to Summer. I love Summer. Once Christmas is over, I count the days until Summer. Maybe its the teacher in me?

I had just had to include 2 big firsts for me (at 28 years old!) and for my kids.... even if it was several months ago...

I made these 2 summers ago. I have them for every season and holiday. 

So the day after the last day of school, and much discussion, we decided to add a dog to our family.  We really wanted a Boxer, but getting one of those as a puppy meant $$. I was browsing the local shelters websites and came across this adorable lab puppy, about 2 months old and the picture had been posted in the last 30 minutes. We knew from previous trips to the shelters that the puppies go quick. So we made a split second decision to high tail it up to the shelter to check her out.  She was in a kennel with 2 other puppies that looked just like her (maybe here sisters?). The people there told us that they had been found all together.  Our puppy was the calmest one, so we asked to have her taken out of the cage so we could see how she was with the kids.  Poor little thing was terrified at first, shaking and all, but she warmed up pretty quick and seemed to be very calm with the kids. No jumping on them or anything. After about an hour of playing with her and 2 other families hovering nearby to check her out too, we decided to adopt. :) Allie named her Rose (her name had already been decided by Jason and I to be Sandy, but Allie was insistent. ) She has been a great puppy, she is now 8 months old, full grown and loves the kids.  I had never had a dog before and was told it was a lot like having a new born, but I didn't have that experience. She was pretty easy. Never had an accident inside, never howled all night and for the first 5 months, never even BARKED. The only problem we had with her was the DIGGING. Oh lawd, the digging! When will that stage end??? She has her own dog run now, but she digs there all day long. She is FOREVER dirty.  She comes inside if its really cold or rainy out and I have to give her a bath in the tub before she can come in. I usually have to wash her 3 times to get the water that runs off her to run clear.

Another first for me and the kiddos (not Jason) was camping. Can you believe I have never owned a dog OR been (tent) camping?? I know, but all that has changed now :) On the very last day of school, well, as soon as school was out, we headed up the mountain to Big Bear.  We only stayed one night, but man, we had a blast! It was soooo beautiful up there too. We are planning 2 more camping trips for this summer (I just booked them today, can you tell I am excited for Summer to come???), one on the beach and the other in Big Bear again. I love camping because once you have the gear it is a really inexpensive vacation to take.

Jason had just put together the tent here and everyone is checking out his handy work :)

These 3 cousins had more fun playing with leaves, grass, twigs and sand then they ever had with any toy. Sheesh. Go figure!

Camping is not complete without playing games on the iPod Touch in the tent just before making S'mores :)

Everyone woke up super early (about 6ish), except for Ryan! At 10 AM, that boy was still snoozin'! Now why doesn't he do that at home???  I eventually had to wake him up because I thought something was wrong with him. haha. Sleeping until 10 AM?!?! That is unheard of!

Another thing I miss about Summer is our beach trips. The kids had their very first trip to the beach this summer! I hadn't been since before they were born, so it was nice to be back. I think we went a total of 5 times last summer.  I even took the kids by myself TWICE :) I carried blankets/towels, sand toys, an ice chest and held 2 little hands all on my own.  And it was SO worth it.

Summer, come back SOON!!!!!!