Our Summer

What a summer it has been. I've been trying to take advantage of these beautiful warm days, and work hard and play hard, and I feel like we've been doing a pretty good job.

Last weekend was our church's second annual family camp, and it was a a wonderful time. We did the group camping this year, with a dozen or so tents around the parameter of a small field, and a common area in the middle. There were lots of young kids there, and Chloë thoroughly enjoyed herself, running around with the other 2 and 3 and 4-year-olds. Elaina was pretty content to chill in the baby backpack, or on a blanket on the grass... although she figured out how to wiggle over to the edge of the blanket so she could munch on fistfuls of grass. There was lots of swimming in Lake Coeur d'Alene, and some great evening fellowship (and lots of s'mores!) around campfires.

A few days ago it actually got up to 99 degrees. Quite warm for us here in Idaho. But I love it. Chloë helped me make some cookie dough (and every time we measured or stirred something, she politely asked to "lick it?"), but I never got around to turning on the oven, because it was (gasp) 80 degrees inside our house.

The weekends we've been home, I've been making a point of getting out early on Saturday and hitting up the yard sales. I've come home with all sorts of wonderful loot (most of which Bryan doesn't mind), including camping dishes, lots of great Disney movies, and of course lots of clothes and shoes for Chloë for the coming winter.

I wasn't going to bother with as much canning and jamming as last year. We were gone for a good portion of our backyard raspberry picking season, but I managed to pick enough for three batches of jam. Not quite the eight batches that I made last year. I decided I wasn't going to go u-pick cherry picking, but then a couple of weekends ago at the Farmer's Market I stumbled upon a 28 pound box of cherries just screaming my name. They were, after all, cheaper than the u-pick cherries. So of course I gave them a good home. I made some pies and gave some away, and the rest are pitted and in my freezer awaiting their fate.

We've had a young lady stay with us for the last couple of weeks, and it's been a blessing to have another adult in the house. During the day, my conversations had been limited to the topics of interest to a 2-year-old. So it's nice talking about life a little. And of course Chloë adores Angelene, which is a delight to see.

I wish I had some pictures to share, but I guess we've just been having so much fun that we've forgotten about the camera. We've been going to parks, going to the pool, going out for ice cream, going on walks with the double stroller, and of course, spending lots of time with friends. Summers are never long enough here in North Idaho.