Just a glimpse: Summer '11

I am finally able to sit down for a few minutes, so I thought that I would put a post on this dormant blog of ours. Funny how life has a way of getting away from you. I am shocked that our lazy summer has come to an end. The boys are back in school and the race has begun.

The first stop on our summer vacation was a trip down to Alamosa, CO to the Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park for some R&R. We camped with three other families. We had a great time until the wind picked up and tore out campsite apart. It was fairly difficult to enjoy the enormity of the sand dunes while the wind whipped and sand blasted out legs. The little girls didn't have fun....at all. The most exciting part was when we took a road that had a sign with a gentle suggestion on it. "Point of no return" should have been a clear statement that vehicles without 4x4 should not venture down. We ended up getting stuck in the sand. I jumped out and began jumping on the back end of the pickup to aid in traction. It only helped for about 50 yards. After about 20 minutes of work and sweat and maybe some cussing, we were able to get up and out without needed to walk to get the ranger to winch us out. Best memory of the trip by far!!

Next, we we able to have a fun addition to our family for about 10 weeks to share our summer with. Our nephew, Bryce, moved out here to kill some time before he shipped off on his mission. (He reported yesterday in Provo and will then go off to Oklahoma City, OK for 2 years!) Bryce arrived on June 6th and June 7th he had a full time job detailing cars at the Dodge dealership down the road. Bryce was an instant celebrity around here and the kids' favorite two words were, "hey, Bryce!" He was a good sport and played with the kids whenever they called for him.

Twice in July we ventured to Elitches in Denver, which is an all in one water and amusement park. We went up with our good friends, the Welch's. The first time we went the clouds came in, as they tend to do here in CO, and the lightning began. We ended up leaving the park but were reimbursed by the park to come again for free. The kids were thrilled that we decided to go up the next Monday. We conquered some fears and I for one realized that my tolerance for roller coaster isn't great. I never lost my lunch but came close several times.

Barry was able to hit the links quite a few times this past summer. He was even able to improve his score and come out with a decent amount of pars.

Our summer ended on Aug 2 when the boys went back to school. Every year I have mixed feelings about how short the summer is. The kids are usually ready to go back to school, but it's still so darn hot that I feel like we should be out playing in the water and having no cares, like homework. However, it is nice to be back into routines, though we still live in organized chaos.

On Aug 9, Bryce and I flew to Oregon for his mission farewell and his sister Danielle's wedding. It was a blast to be there for such fun milestones in the Shumway family's life. Barry and the kids were terribly disappointed that there weren't able to go as well, so in an effort to have our family represented, the burden fell on my shoulders. Bryce and I had way too much fun on our "world tour" as we called it. We left from Denver to Salt Lake to Portland to Medford. We laughed till we cried and I'm sure other people thought we were bananas.

While in Ashland I was put to work on wedding preparations. There were lots of chores to complete before the party and when it was all said and done the wedding and reception were beyond gorgeous. It resembled something from a wedding magazine done by a famous designer. The other part of the trip was to support Bryce as he went through the temple prior to leaving on his mission. It was a wonderful night and I'm grateful for Barry in allowing me to have that opportunity.

All in all it was a fantastic summer and we look forward to what this year has in store for our family and the growth it brings. Each of the kids are doing great and such a joy to us.