The First Day of School

I think this is the first year I didn't cry sending my kids back to school.  I am not sure why:  Maybe it was due to the wild and crazy summer schedule.  It never felt like I really had them home.  Or, maybe it was because for the first week of school I was in one school or another helping with the back to school festivities:  handing out choir, PE and cross country uniforms, scheduling and coordinating art discovery, meeting with the various parent groups at each school, etc.  Most likely it was the realization I had when I took these pictures (all of my little ones now filling the doorway rather than being dwarfed by it) that in the near future I would be sending them out the door to college and on missions - that thought made a single day at school seem not so bad.

Tanner - Junior

Austin - Freshman

Watch out Union - Here we come!

Carson - First Year @ Pacific Middle School

McKenna - 4th Grade
The first year without an older brother to take care of her at school.

Me and My friends on the first day of school:  Lunch @ Panera Bakery.
They didn't even give me a bad time about my sign!

Summer Has Come and Gone

Sadly, summer is over.  Though I question whether it was really ever here at all.  The weather was not very nice and our activities, though many, were geared more to individuals than the family.  It was BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.  Here is a short recap:

During the week of Dance festival, I didn’t want McKenna and Carson lacking for something to do, so they participated in Union High School’s Soccer Skills Clinic.  They had a good time participating with their buddies, and we are seeing the benefits on the soccer field this fall.

Immediately following Dance Festival, Eric was in the throes of planning and carrying out scout camp for all the 12 and 13 year old boys in our ward.  You would be hard pressed to find a better run scout camp with as many fun activities, a service project and interesting merit badges as Eric’s offered.  I guess that is why he keeps getting the job year after year.  This was Carson’s first year at Boy Scout camp, and Austin was invited to go along as a junior leader.  It was almost a family affair.

Scout Camp on Mount Hood

Carson building his shelter for the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge

Cozy and ready for a long night - Mason, Carson, Luke and Drake

Austin giving Carson some guidance on his shelter.

Carson on the Alpine Slides

Carson playing at Ski Bowl.
(Eric holds the record of a triple flip.) 

The week after Scout Camp, Tanner and Austin packed up to head off on their individual high adventure trips.  My boys claim to have conquered several feats of skill that required much courage, but I have yet to see any proof.  I hear there are some great pictures floating around out there somewhere, but have been unsuccessful in tracking them down.

Tanner says he: made his own fly rod and learned to fly fish.  He boasts he jumped off a 47 foot waterfall, caught a chipmunk, learned to wake board and wake surf, and enjoyed spending quality time with his friends.

Austin says he was the first of his group to summit Mount Constitution on his 50 mile bike trek in the Puget Sound area.  He even claims to have beat his brother’s climb time from two years ago (though Tanner thinks this is debatable).  Austin’s week, in addition to the bike trek, also included a Sea Kayaking adventure.  For two days he paddled around the different islands of the sound, saw a bunch of seals and about broke his kayak apart on the rocks. 

Upon the heels of these scouting activities McKenna participated in Cheer Camp.  I love seeing McKenna do “girl” things.  It is tough in a family full of boys.  She wants to do the things her brothers do so she can be included in their conversations and activities.  I am glad she will try some new things.  I am working on the brothers to show more acceptance and support for their sister.

Before the summer was over Eric had to fit in one more Boy Scout activity.  Eric and Carson went backpacking along Eagle Creek with other boys in the Deacon’s quorum.  It is a beautiful hike, but tough (especially when the backpack is as big as you are).

Scoutmaster and Son

Carson's the little one with the yellow rope hanging off his pack.

It does a mother good to see the hand rail when she looks at pictures from this hike.

We look forward every year to our time with the Jackson, Kartchner and McKague family.  Usually we go to Anderson Island, but this year we went to the Heywood Hideaway instead.  It was so relaxing, and we actually spent a lot of time just playing games and visiting – something that doesn’t happen too much when we are camping.  We were especially grateful we got to have Emily along with us this year.  We love having her be part of our family.  We missed the Kartchners this year!

Good Food

Manic Games

Great Friends

Nice Weather

Time As A Family

With all these activities, summer sped by.  We tried to make a little time for our usual summer past-times:  Horseshoe Lake, Cottonwood Beach (Clark Park), Family Film Festival, sleeping on the trampoline, a family badminton tournament and some hiking.

One hiking spot that was on our Summer TO DO List was Oneanta Falls.  This hike takes a little forethought and preparation as most of the hike is climbing over log jams and trekking through water.  We couldn’t let summer end without getting this hike in or we would have all felt robbed.  

Keri and McKenna at the top of the log jam blocking the entrance to the gorge.

McKenna and Mom climbing the log and rock wall.

Tanner, Austin and Keri about midway through the hike log jam behind, waterfall ahead.

Who says chivalry is dead?

Oneanta Gorge Waterall and Pool

BRRRR!  Who is swimming under the waterfall?

I won’t list all the things we wanted to do, but couldn’t fit in although my kids did say that it didn’t feel like summer because we didn’t go to Malad to see G&G Bowen.  I guess we can’t let that happen again.