Is it time yet for the lazy days of summer?

So far, our summer has been BUSY!  The day after three of the kids were done with their classes at the alternative school they attend (but 8 days before the other three were done with traditional public school), we drove off for our vacation to Wyoming.  The next three weeks were spent exploring the northern part of that beautiful state.  We got home from vacation, spent a day unpacking and cleaning up and I had four days of purchasing, sorting, and doing computer work for day camp.  Then, it was time for day camp, followed by a day of cleaning, sorting, and putting away the left over supplies from day camp.  The Friday after day camp, Dode got off work and headed up to spend the last day/night at scout camp with Isaac.  Saturday, July 16th, it poured rain outside so there was no way to do yard work that badly needed to be done after being gone for almost a month and after the wettest winter on record around here.  Instead, I was able to sit on the couch and read and get a bit of my pep back.  When Dode got back from scout camp, he set up the newly remodeled slip and slide and installed the new sand filter for the pool.  The following Monday, my mom and step-dad came up to help us clean up the yard and get it ready for the reunion play day we'd be having at our place on Wednesday.  Lynn and Janice also helped us get ready for the party by mowing the lawn a few times.  Their help became even more critical when Isaac caught the lawn mower on fire and put it out of commission until Dode has time to fix it.  (Maybe now that we're done with vacation, day camp and the reunion he will have that time!)

weeding

edging

We're not above a little child labor put to good use!

The reunion started  Monday night with a pot luck at grandma and grandpa Dickson's.  Tuesday, we were there all day for activities like a Family Olympics and Family Talent Show.  Wednesday started off with a fun run on the Centennial Trail and finished with a play day at our house.  Thursday there was a morning hike followed by an evening slide show. 

                                   ready for the fun run

Aunt Viv had asked us back in the planning stages if we could have a play day at our house during the reunion.  We said, "You bet!"  We love our house and love sharing it with others. The weather report leading up to the event was looking really bad, temperatures in the low 60's and showers.  We were worried about having that many people over on a day no one would want to play outside.  Thankfully, Wednesday ended up being the best weather of the reunion and the kids and adults had a grand time.  We had about 140 people here.  The biggest problem with parties at our house is the size of the septic system.  We had to send people next door to Haggen to use the restroom.  Dode hadn't been able to take time off for the reunion but on Wednesday he only had to work 1 1/2 hours and got to spend the day with us. 

a full pool

Several kids cut their feet in the pool and it wasn't until the party was over that we found the cause, a staple that was poking up through the bottom.  Dode had to drain the pool to get to it!  We purchased a sand filter for the pool because the paper filters were not able to keep up with our bather load.  If we left the paper filter in when it was too dirty, water would start leaking around the fittings, draining the pool.  (And too long was sometimes 30 minutes).  It just wasn't working for us.  Our hope is that the sand filter can last all season without needing to be cleaned.

It'd been so cold here lately that we were worried the kids wouldn't want to swim in the pool so we got the hot tub going.  (It's usually only plugged in during the winter months.  I wish we'd gotten it going for day camp, it would have felt good after those cold gloomy days!)  It got a lot of use after the kids were done in the water.  That water had to be drained too, after so much kid use for hours, it was pretty cloudy!

a full yard

We were able to borrow the bouncy house from one of our friends who rents it out in exchange for Dode changing one of the headlights on their car.  Miriam has been asking for a bounce house for over a year and after having it here to play on, she is even more determined that we need one, NOW!

have we ever had this big of a line for the zip line?

another line!

the adult viewing area

Our newly revamped slip and slide.

Dode is the king of "re-use" and used the legs from our old trampoline for the stand.  Lynn welded everything together.  It's much easier to put up and take down now.  Aunt Viv and Janice were even brave enough to go down it!

view from the top of the slip and slide

We put up a little pool for the little kids.  Seth told his mom we also needed a medium sized pool for him.  Maybe we'll be able to do that next time! 

the clouds were overhead but enough sun and warmth was shining down to make the day great!

laundry baskets put to work again!

I'd noticed a group of teenagers wandering around looking bored.  I hauled out the laundry baskets, stacked some up, and walked away.  It didn't take them five minutes to start playing with them.  They spent the rest of the party building structures.

time to eat

Every time we have a party, we ask ourselves, "What can we add now?"  We're already ready for the next party with our next fun thing, snow cones.  Want to come?

Looking at the calendar, August appears to be a relatively quiet month.  (Ironic that the month feels quiet when this week there are doctor appointments on three separate days and an all day girls' camp on Friday!)  We've got fun stuff planned at least twice each week that will take us away from home and exploring our area.  I'd scheduled a five day trip with the kids to the Oregon Coast in the middle of the month but am seriously considering cancelling it.  I don't know if the kids are up to it.  They've been craving some "at home" time.  At the end of the August, we'll have another big party here, this time for the people who attend church with us.