The Hall Fun Bunch: Last week of summer, should I cry or cheer?

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been packed full of last week of summer activities. It was wonderful and gotten all of us ready for regular bedtimes and schedules. And most of our fun was thanks to a very wonderful sister-in-law Kelly.

Monday, Jeremy played hookey for a day and we spent the day at Lagoon. Taylor was happy to hang out at Kelly's and miss the sun, hail (yes HAIL!! in 90 degrees), crowds and roller coasters - not his cup of tea. I have been going to Lagoon since I was 12 so I have lots of memories of going with my parents and grandparents and now taking my kids. It is one of their high lights of the summer. Allison was super brave this year and went on Wicked. Robyn even sucked it up to try out the roller coaster (my personal favorite - the old wooden rickety one). She made a puking face the whole way to make sure she didn't throw up. As the one sitting next to her, I was a little worried until she started giving tiny shouts of weee! To revive from the heat we had ice cream for dinner. Robyn really got into it as you can see from the pictures. We also learned that Robyn does NOT like to get her clothes wet as did everyone else standing in line at the rafting ride.

For Tuesday through Friday Kelly and I did our kid swap for Education Week. Every day she came over with her kids and on Tuesday and Thursday I went to BYU and then she went on the other days. So kids enjoyed having a week of playing with cousins and I got to go to some amazing classes. On previous years I have felt brain overload by the end of the day but not his year. Maybe its because I went to more religion classes and less how to organize your home classes. I went to a bunch of Michael Wilcox's classes which I loved. I had never heard him speak before. The strangest part was to spend a day listening, learning and living in my own mind as I think about things. I can't remember the last day I have gone a whole day without really talking to anyone or having little voices talking to me. Its was nice to have two days just to think about my life and our family and what I want to do different.

Wednesday night our ward had a summer pool party in the evening. So we played games, ate dutch oven desserts (candy bar chocolate cake - definitely will have to try again) and swam while the sun went down. I felt like I was the only mom in the pool as it was mostly kids but there were a few others who came over to say hi and show solidarity. If you look closely in the middle you can see Taylor in his floaty.

On Monday morning we picked up Spencer's school schedule and then Thursday night was Back to School. Allison was excited to be in a class with her two best friends from our neighborhood. Robyn walked into her classroom and was disappointed that it looked like a little kid classroom. She was ready for some big kid serious work here. Spencer tried his locker numerous times and his his books for English all staked up on his desk. He is reading Dr. Jekyl and Mr Hyde this year - we are wondering if he will not any similarities :)

Friday, some friends invited us and a few other families to spend the weekend at their cabin up past Heber. Kids ran wild, playing pool and ping-pong, catching frogs at the witches' pond, taking lots of Range Rover rides and staying up late with tons of food. Adults just enjoyed being able to talk and get to know each other better. Robyn learned what stinging nettle is and I learned that I really can stay up until 1 am although my ability to make intelligent conversation stops at 10 pm. Had to come home Saturday late afternoon to clean the office and for everyone to go off to their various activites. Girls went to their cousins birthday party and then to sleep over while Garion came to our house for a boy's sleep-over. (We stopped sleep-overs last year after that General Conference talk mentioned them but still do cousin nights) Jeremy went up to be a photographer at a BYU football kick-off and brought home cheesecake to make my night.

Last bit of good news is that as of Friday I am boot free. And my muscles are non-existent! I tried doing lunges or calf raises etc and there is just nothing there. Can't run till next week but for now just walking get my foot pretty tired.

So this week was wonderful and full and I am so ready to start school bed times tonight! Taylor starts school on Tuesday and Spencer and Allison on Wednesday and then Robyn next Monday. Spencer is now 5'6" and is 132 pounds - easier for me to believe that he is starting junior high than that Taylor will be in 10 grade. He is quite nervous about junior high even though it is the same school. It makes me glad we decided to have him stay at Lincoln at least this year.

Hope everyone is enjoying these last days of summer,
love, Heather