Summer Recap

Summer has come and gone, for the most part. The kids go back to school on September 5th, the week after Labor Day, so we are winding summer down and trying to get back into a routine (and bedtime schedule) again. It's been a good summer - lots of swimming, bike riding, playing with friends, BBQing in the backyard, road tripping, and to my dismay, lots of video gaming. Brayden has become obsessed with Minecraft and would play it all day if I let him. Taylor plays with him too, which is great, but then Matty feels left out and wants to play The Show (a MLB game). Needless to say, it has been a struggle, and I am excited to put the PS4 (PlayStation 4) away!

Taylor attended several awesome camps: Girl Scout Camp, Sambica, and two Dance Camps. She enjoyed all of them but Sambica was her favorite. Matty attended a basketball camp (run by the high school basketball team), Vacation Bible Adventure (VBA), and flag football camp. Brayden only attended VBA but was by his choice; he said he wanted to spend his summer with me instead. :) When I asked Matty was his favorite part of summer was, he said basketball camp. I tried not to be offended that he did not pick Sunriver, Seaside, or some other family outing. That boy loves all things sports.

Tommy took two weeks off of work in August. The first week, aside from going stir crazy, he took each of the kids on a date. He took Taylor out to breakfast and took her school shopping, he took Matty to the Seahawks/Colts pre-season football game, and he took Brayden to the Museum of Flight and out to lunch. I know all three of them treasure their alone-time with daddy.

The second week Tommy was off of work, we drove down to Seaside, Oregon for a few days at the beach. Our kids have never really experienced a beach vacation, and I would not say this one counts (the ocean was too cold to swim in), but at least they got to put their feet in the sand and build sand castles. We also rented bikes to ride on the beach, ate our body weights in ice cream, swam at the pool, drove to Cannon Beach to the place where Tommy proposed, and spent the kids' college tuition in the arcade.

Today, we are going to volunteer at a low-income school, helping the teachers and staff prepare for the new school year. I pray this opens my children's eyes to the privileged life they live here in Newcastle.

Next week, I am taking the kids to the Pacific Science Center and Wild Waves. I am trying ot embrace the end of summer. That weekend, we are going to Family Camp with our church. We'll be gone for three nights at a family campgrounds, staying in an old train car!

That's a wrap for summer!

Miss Annie loves Grandma and Pop Pop's beach house

Dog and boys in the bath. Gross!

Go-Karting at the Family Fun Center in Birch Bay (by the Beach House)

Matty and his buddy Blake at Liberty Basketball Camp. Blake will be in 2nd grade like Matty and is waaaay more than a head taller! They have known each other since preschool

After school let out in June, I took these boys to pick strawberries and raspberries. They were worthless, but they did enjoy throwing berries across the patch to each other!

During Vacation Bible Adventure (VBA) at our church, the kids were challenged to raise money for an organization in Bolivia called Ninos con Valor. My sweet Brayden had the idea of a "Sugar Sale" to raise money for the children in Bolivia. He worked so hard on his sign.

Pre-VBA burritos with Matty's buddy Kyler

Look at this crew! They sold homemade cookies, lemonade, and popsicles to raise money for Ninos con Valor. 

Love their enthusiasm!

The VBA leaders heard about the Bligh Boys' sugar sale and invited them to speak one afternoon at the end of VBA. 

They announced to the campers that they raised $75 for the charity!

Meanwhile, Taylor was having a blast at Girl Scout camp.

Matty and his kindergarten buddy Braelyn during a water fight at VBA.

After a long week at VBA and GS camp, we drove up to the Beach House to surprise Pop Pop for his 70th birthday. We had some tired kiddos.

Three generations. Happy boys!

Tony Tamfer, Tom's brother Kevin (who flew in with his wife Kathy to surprise Tom), and the birthday boy

A gorgeous Saturday evening at the beach.

Tom opening his 70th birthday surprise: an AwesomeBox from family and friends

Tree-climbing at Lake Boren during the summer concerts

A boy and his puppy - in a cage

A summer evening with the Stones at the Sheryl Crow concert at Chateau Ste. Michelle

Hot Dog

Spayed Dog. :(

Pathetic Dog

Seafair by Boat with the Crumpacker Family
The Two Taylors

Love these kids on the raft!

Brayden in a kayak. Love him.

Matty on a paddle board, with an assist from dad.

Seaside = SAND

... and waves to play in!

The first morning, I took my early riser out to look for sand dollars on the beach. We found at least a dozen. Such a special morning!

Ice cream as big as your head!

Arcade games galore

A special morning with Matty, also looking for sand dollars

Beach bikes

More arcade games

We drove to Cannon Beach on 8/15/18, which was exactly 12 years after Tommy proposed to me. We had to take a pic in front of our engagement spot (Haystack Rock).

What a difference 12 years makes!

I loved watching my kiddos work together to build sand castles.

Another beach bike ride - it was a great trip!