Some summer activities in a nutshell

Instead of going back and writing a million different entries for all the things we did this summer, I'm just going to compile them here.

Cherry picking

Blueberry picking

Making a blueberry pie

While Gram and Pap took Hayden and Connor to Dutch Wonderland...

(they watched a Thomas show and a castle show)

Mike, Serena and I went to Harper's Ferry.

"HARPERS FERRY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in the states of West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, John Brown, "Stonewall" Jackson, and Frederick Douglass are just a few of the prominent individuals who left their mark on this place.

Harpers Ferry witnessed the first successful application of interchangeable manufacture, the arrival of the first successful American railroad, John Brown's attack on slavery, the largest surrender of Federal troops during the Civil War, and the education of former slaves in one of the earliest integrated schools in the United States."

John Brown

To read more about Harper's Ferry, visit http://www.nps.gov/archive/hafe/history.htm

This is the shop I would have worked in had I lived in those days.

Some artsy pics:

Some other summer activities:

Golf w/Gram and Pap

Roller skating

Swimming -most of the time we went to the Y pool, but we also visited friends' and family pools.

after swimming:

Playing in creeks

Finding letterboxes:

This was a program the library sponsored this summer in connection with the reading program, "Catch the Reading Bug." They had 30 different bugs listed (1 on each page) from parks all over York County. You go to a certain park and follow the directions on the hunt to find the bug stamp. Some were short, some were long hikes. But we always enjoyed going to find them and enjoyed nature and being together along the way. We also discovered several new parks this summer because of the program.

Summer park program-Hayden went to Loman park this year with some of his friends. They did a lot, including a parade. It's a great program run by one of the teachers from Mike's school.

Visiting with Grandpa Brandt and celebrating an unbirthday (his birthday is Dec. 27th).

Harvesting the garden

Going to baseball games

Cute pics:

First Day of First Grade

I was anticipating being very emotional today, but I guess I was too busy to think about it. Mornings are always busy for me because I am not a morning person. So when we got to the bus we had time to take a quick picture, and he was on the bus. No time for tears. It felt a lot like putting on the bus for kindergarten. I missed him at lunch though.

Breakfast-

the most important meal of the day!

Connor looks lost without his older brother!

After school Hayden was all smiles. We met Daddy at the pool and he told all about his class. Some of the things he mentioned were: They have 2 recesses every day, he had gym yesterday, his teacher Ms. Hill read them a story, she gave him all the supplies that he needed for class, they will go on a field trip at the end of the year to Lake Tobias, and they get to hatch chicks in the spring.

We topped of the day with a little ice cream.

Yesterday Serena turned 8 months.

I was looking forward to having my afternoons free again, but so far that hasn't happened. Connor is not staying in his bed for a nap, and he goes into Serena's room and wakes her up too. He is also doing this to us at night and we are unable to do anything till about 10pm. As time keeps passing, I am getting more and more frustrated that I can't get caught up on others things, meanwhile, housework is building up as well. I keep thinking "This too shall pass." Just when stages get so frustrating you think you can't take another day, things suddenly get better.

I've been going to the gym regularly and thanks to Jess have found a new love in Pilates. I was never good at aerobics classes because I never took dance classes and am not very coordinated, but I can do pilates. And I love how it makes my body feel-it strengthens the core muscles and stretches lots of muscles in the body. I have noticed less back pain since I have started, and am more flexible.