Flooded!

This has been the worst summer ever. It rains just about every day. I think I can count on one hand the number of days it has not rained. There is a lot of flooding going on around here and our lake is not immune. Pray for a lot of days of sunshine in July!

The dock is under water and the boat is floating in the lift. The weeds in the water are where the shoreline normally is. Please, no more rain!

Skylar and James's summer swim meet!

We go to one swim meet each summer, just for the fun of swimming in a 50 meter pool. I was really proud of the kids. This was the first time James has done anything more than a 25. He did great on his 50s! Not only that, but both of them did the 200IM in meters! Skylar swam a really great race (especially for being a bit out of shape) and I think James wanted to die. He told me after the race that he never wants to do the 200 again! It took him 6min and 21 seconds, but he finished!
Up next...

Skylar on the blocks for her 100 breast (first time doing this race).


A little tired, but a good race. Now that she is nine, she has to qualify for state again as a 9-10 year old. She is only 5 seconds away, so I was very proud of that swim. Hopefully, in the next year, she can shave 5 seconds.

Skylar and James have a good friend from another team and we only see her at the swim meets. This is Hope, a superstar swimmer. She just may be in the Olympics someday!

James getting ready for his 50 back.

Take your marks...


A tired cutie pie.

It was a great day!

James and Kellen at Soccer camp

While Skylar has been gone all week at horse camp, Kellen and James have been busy every morning with soccer camp. It is a British soccer company that travels around the US in the summer putting on soccer camps. James told me they talk "like Harry Potter!" Both Kellen and James loved it and I really think they learned a lot. James lines up for his kick...

"Nice Shot, James!"

James and his coach, Tom.

Kellen really improved, I was quite impressed. He was so excited to be involved in a sport (since around here, you have to be in kindergarten to do anything), it broke my heart. He was so happy every morning to go.

Kellen and his coach, Mark.

Hopefully, they will come around again next year.

Happy Father's Day, Papa! Bye Skylar!

We tried to get a nice picture of all of the kids with papa for father's day. I think the progression of pictures is hilarious. There is not one really great one of all of them together, but some great ones of each individual kid.

Kellen and Brennen good...


James good.

Charlotta good, but Brennen just pooped in his pants and Skylar can smell it. Click on the picture to see her face in full-it is so funny!

The money shot...

Then it was off to horse camp for Skylar.


Parents only get to stay to help the kids make their beds and then we get kicked out. Skylar was just fine with that! See you in a week!

Trampoline is in!

We invited some friends up to the lake this weekend and they have a little girl, Aubryn, about Charlotta's age. They played so well together. They also convinced JT to put the trampoline in. The water really was not bad, so we did it!



It went much smoother this year than last year. Only about 2 hours. The kids waited "patiently" while Eric and JT put it in the water.





Ok, so they were jumping all over it the whole time we were trying to get it ready and driving us crazy, but at last it was ready to be used!


After a few hours of playing on the "tramp," it was sand castle building time.


This year the trampoline lasted a whole 2 days before disaster. On Monday, we got a call from our neighbor saying that a huge wind came out of no where and lifted the trampoline out of the water like a parachute, flipped it over and luckily landed by her dock. So, I had to rush up to the lake and get it back into our yard. I have no idea how it happened. The weights were all still attached and no ropes were broken. It does not seem possible that what happened happened! Anyway, I guess we will get to install it again next weekend! Yippee!

Kellen loves his Hawkie

Skylar decided that all of her brothers needed mohawks today. Kellen will do anything Skylar says, so he was on board. The other two let her do it for about 2 seconds, then decided they did not like it. I think it fits Kellen very well!

Happy 9th birthday to Skylar!

A day of Skylar's favorites are in order for the birthday girl: doughnuts, parties and presents!
Breakfast: Doughnuts (check!)


Party #1
We had a girl pirate party this year. It was a real hit with all of the girls!

All the pirates all decked out!

Then it is off to pin the candle on the cupcake. I think Skylar has played this so many times that she knows the exact feel of where to put the candle. She was the winner with a couple of other candles on top of hers!

Winner!

Then it was pinata time!







Busted open...

I love parties too!

Cake...



Presents! Skylar played spin the bottle to see whose present she was going to open first.

My favorite card this year.

Skylar with all of her loot!

Baby girl pirate... (could those eyes be any cuter?)

ARRRG!

After the party, the three oldest went with grandma to Sioux Center's summer celebration. There was a parade with LOTS of candy, a book fair and lots of fun things to do.
Then it was time for party #2 and round 2 of presents.




Then we topped off the evening with a little papa time! The kids love papa time and it is not very often that it happens (it hurts a little to be jumped on by five kids at once), but they sure laugh hard!