Summer Ends

Nicolas is back in school, I sent my firstborn off to college, the pool is closed...I guess summer is officially over.  Here are other highlights of our summer in no particular order (other than what has been written in other posts):

1.  Watershed eARThworks program:  the younger three enjoyed two educational sessions at the watershed combining art and science.

2.  Hosting students from Rehoboth Christian School on their way from New Mexico to Portland, OR for a service project/mission trip.

3.  Swimming at the pool and swimming lessons.  Lydia and Seth both took lessons at the pool this summer.  It had been a couple years since they had taken lessons so it was good to see them improve in both endurance and technique.

4.  Grandpa and Grandma visit.  They drove from a veterinarian meeting in Denver to Boise on the 8th and were able to witness Caleb's profession of faith on the 9th.  We didn't do too many exciting activities while they were here.  We were busing getting Caleb off to Dordt, the kids were sick, and it was just too hot (over 100 most of the days they were here).  We  do love just having them around even if we are not off exploring the area.

When we told Grandpa we had seen hummingbirds around the yard and needed to set up a hummingbird feeder, he helped get us started.  We were rewarded a few days later with this little guy!

5.  Hosting dear friends from Grand Rapids.  Farmer Paul Vander Sloot and his wife Laurina spent the weekend of Aug 8-9 with us as a stop on their tour of the Northwest.    They are quite a special couple to our family from our time in Grand Rapids, especially to Caleb.  We were humbled that they  were also able to witness Caleb's profession of faith on the 9th.

6.  Mountain biking at the Eagle Sports Complex.

7.  Caldwell Night Rodeo.  I think the kids enjoyed it and would be willing to go again next year, if nothing else, just to be able to say, "This isn't my first rodeo."

What is a rodeo without the clown act?

8.  Lydia is sporting glasses.  Now all five kids have either contacts or glasses.  Her eyes are not too bad, so she doesn't wear them very often.  She wears them to church, when watching a movie, and just a few other times when she would prefer to have better "far away" vision.

9.  Sharing the fair experience with Seth at the Western Idaho Fair.  When walking through the animal barns I was quite taken aback when Seth remarked, "I've never seen a real pig before."  Seriously!?!  We moved to Grand Rapids when he was just turning four and he has been a city boy ever since.  Now I also know why he keeps asking to go to the zoo.  He doesn't remember those visits either.  Yesterday we returned to the fair for a few hours to watch a couple of boys from our church show their chickens for 4H. Seth thought maybe he would like to do that...maybe.

Not your typical fair exhibit.

One of our favorite 4H exhibits