About the time school started back up, our neighbors Chris and Kathy invited our family to spend an afternoon on the lake with them. It was so, so much fun. It was our kids' first time on a boat powered by something other than their own arms, and it was such a thrill for them. We rode all over the lake and swam and tubed. Bryn even tried kneeboarding! We dropped anchor and had a picnic in the middle of lake just before the sun went down. What a treat! A perfect last hurrah to our summer. Before we exited the no-wake zone. These kids had no idea what was about to happen. Wheee! Emmie wasn't so sure about going fast. But she eventually came around and even tubed with Nate and I.

Our sweet Brynny turned 11 in July. In my brain she's still my little chicken-loving girl, but in reality, she is really growing up. She's sweet and smart with an extremely strong will. The absolute queen of organization - I ask her to help me organize schedules and other things for our family because she's just that good at it. She's rocking homeschool and is a loyal sibling and friend. She loves to swim with all her heart. She'd do it every day if she could. And she reads voraciously. Her personality adds so much to our family.  Bryn had a great birthday. Her birthday is the day after Emmie's, and Bryn picked an awesome way for our family to celebrate a couple days before: a trip to Classic Waterslides! Bri, Mason, and Abigail also happened to be here from Alabama. It was special to have them around for the celebration. 11 balloons for his 11-year-old. Bryn moved into her very own room not long before her birthday. A few of her aunties did some watercolor pain...

Let the record reflect that I may never, ever catch up on blogging. That said, we went camping at the beginning of August. And it was so fun. Two nights at North Fork Campground and a day at Pineview Reservoir.  As a family, I think we really, really needed the change of pace and scenery and the total lack of normal responsibilities.  We explored around our campsite,  enjoyed lots of campfire time and campfire food,  found some grasshoppers,  Asa's beloved "Grassy" got a hummingbird stuck in our car, and Leah even started a bottlecap collection.   It was so cold at night! Lesson learned: pack warmer jammies next time! A day at Pineview. Lots of sand and snacks and no horrible sunburns! Asa became a master marshmallow cooker on this trip. He is so proud and is planning to teach marshmallow roasting classes. Nate decided we each needed an "exit photo" to document just how dirty we were.