Summer Lovin'

Liv and Abby cruising the lazy river at Ross Park last week.

Where has this summer gone? I am nowhere near ready to head back to the classroom...nor are my kids. Although, several of my friends have informed me that they ARE indeed ready to send their children back to school (thank you very much:). Still...only two more Fridays and this teacher is due in her building. :(

I've barely posted this summer, so here is a picture diary of some of the things we've been doing this summer:

1) Attending soccer games.

Olivia loves soccer.

Olivia hated it when I would yell really loud at her soccer games.
This is her "I'm soooo annoyed with my mom" face. LOL

Notice Cassie in the background (above)...
she and I coached Abby's team.
(Here Abby and Sydney show how much they love the sidelines:).

Six-year-olds playing soccer = organized chaos.

By the end of the season...we all felt like Abby looks;).

2) Spending time with friends and family.

Some of the cousins in the lake at
our family reunion in Bear Lake.
(Lauren, Olivia, Abigail, Andrew, and Ethan)

Olivia's friend invited her to a concert...
here she is with her friends
and Richie McDonald, former Lonestar frontman.

Kiara and Livvy...BFF's
together as much as their moms would allow.

Which happened to be a lot...love these two. Soooo FUN!

Olivia's other BFF, Alli, took her on
an impromptu trip to DISNEYLAND!

Abby (and her cousin Mitch)
go to Summer Kamp at Miss Penny's every
Tuesday and Thursday morning. They LOVE it!

Abby LOVES Miss Penny.
She thinks that she is her grown up twin...

3). Abby and Flat Stanley had adventures.
(See Facebook: Lit'l Spuds Kampus)

She made him a town.
She took him to Bear Lake
to go on a jet ski and meet her family.

She taught him to be a beautician...he's not pictured.

Abby and Flat Stanley coming home from Toy Story 3.
The adventures continue...

4). We've been DEEP cleaning the house.

Abby learned to do some of Olivia's chores while
Liv was gone to Disneyland and Utah for a week.

Messy closets, drawers
(like my make-up drawer pictured above), and
rooms are getting cleaned and organized...
which will last one week tops.

5). We've gone shopping...

And on my trip to Boise
my friend spotted this restaurant...
needless to say, we didn't go in to find out;).

I have two weeks to finish up my "TO DO" list. There are still a lot of things on this list. I guess I better go to bed so that I can cross a few things off tomorrow;).

Cassie Rae

Cassie has an independent spirit. She is loyal and honest. If you are lucky enough to have her on your side, she will do ANYTHING for you. She loves fiercely and is protective of those she loves. She is smart, hip, and she has "swagger."

Even though she isn't related by blood, Cassie has become part of our family in the past year. The girls look up to her, and she is extra good to them. She volunteered to help coach Abby's soccer team this summer and never missed attending one of Abby's or Livvy's games each week. Cass runs them to lessons like an older sister would and takes them to ride bikes at the church across the street so that I can have a minute to myself. She even pitches in around the house and is letting me teach her about cooking and laundry. The girls love to watch movies with her and beg her to listen to stories or spend time with them. If she's not here...everyone asks, "Where's Cass?"

Cassie is getting ready to head off to college. This will be an exciting time in her life, but she will be missed. Hopefully she'll come to her second home to visit as often as she can...we love you Cass.