Well, summer so far has been awesome! We haven't been going to anything in the evenings after work. No practices, no nothing! I didn't realize how much I would appreciate that after how busy things were this past school year.

We've spent a lot of time in the pool. :) So glad we finally got it fixed!

I tried to start this new thing where I would give the kids ice cream when it was time to get out of the pool in an effort to avoid temper tantrums, but we have an ice cream will power issue in this house...so this little tradition didn't last very … — I tried to start this new thing where I would give the kids ice cream when it was time to get out of the pool in an effort to avoid temper tantrums, but we have an ice cream will power issue in this house...so this little tradition didn't last very long. lol

This unicorn has been an awesome replacement float from my sister.  :) — This unicorn has been an awesome replacement float from my sister. :)

And not long after this the kids basically stopped swimming and started posing for the camera, begging me to take a picture of every little thing they did....

Then we had Anna's birthday, which happened to fall on the same weekend as The Incredibles 2 release, so we all got to go see a movie.  And she asked for a cheese cake this year.  It was so much work, and then in the last 5 minutes of maki… — Then we had Anna's birthday, which happened to fall on the same weekend as The Incredibles 2 release, so we all got to go see a movie. And she asked for a cheese cake this year. It was so much work, and then in the last 5 minutes of making it I managed to smoke up our whole house horribly. It was probably one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had though! I just might take the time to clean out the butter on the bottom of the oven the next time I make one.

These particular candles were a bit challenging to light.

You might have noticed the table covered in stuff behind them.  That's because Anna left for a 2-week sleep-away camp the day after her birthday. — You might have noticed the table covered in stuff behind them. That's because Anna left for a 2-week sleep-away camp the day after her birthday.

I was a bit of a mess in the days leading up to her leaving. Josh's family is very gung-ho for camp, but I never went to one that was quite so long. In fact, I think the longest one I went to was just a few nights. Anna was so excited about it she could hardly sleep. Her cousins were going too, so it was comforting to know she'd have them there with her if she got homesick at all. I really didn't think she'd have a problem with that though. She was so ready to test out this whole being on her own thing.

So, while she was there the camp posted a daily blog and hundreds of photos. I would comb through it all every day and send copies of the blog and photos to Josh, my Mom, and my sisters. We were pretty sure from the photos that she wasn't going to want to come home. I was so worried I might somehow screw up her camp experience by not sending enough letters, so I sent one daily, or had the kids write one to her, or Josh. And she sent a few home too! It was really hard to be apart that long! And as a family we were literally falling apart back home. The dogs got into a fight with a porcupine one evening! And then Meredith swallowed a coin, which I can only laugh about now because it finally passed through her system. Took it 8 long days though! We already had an appointment scheduled with a GI doctor to talk about going in to fish it out. Thank goodness that wasn't necessary. And Josh, my Mom, and I are all glad for the whole ordeal to be over. No more combing through poop looking for a coin! Turns out it was a penny. And it was in her stomach for so long that it had some acid damage on it. "/ So...it appears Anna is the keystone to our family. Lol

Anyway, I completely forgot my camera when I went to drop Anna off at camp. I was like a numb zombie that day though, so I'm not too surprised I did that. I was much better at pickup. I actually spoke to other parents and stuff. Haha. And, as it turns out, Anna did want to come home after all.

She was looking at all of the photos that I'd screen grabbed of her at camp, and the craziness that had ensued at home without her.

These were the girls in Anna's cabin with her.

She got reaquainted with my camera.  :) — She got reaquainted with my camera. :)

She made some good friends that she's already facetimed with since returning home (yesterday).

And she still wears her glasses on the tip of her nose.  Haha.  So, she's basically the same girl. — And she still wears her glasses on the tip of her nose. Haha. So, she's basically the same girl.