Our Annual Doughnut Day

We decided to have an annual doughnut day.  Since we don't think doughnuts are very healthy, I told the kids we can have them once a year.  Of course, we have to make sure we are having them on a day that we are doing some extreme physical activity. 

So, we went hiking up at Galena Creek and had doughnuts.  They were so yummy and I think that we will savor those doughnuts for a long time.

Then we found a really cool swimming pool in Minden, NV.  It was only $10 for our whole family to swim.  We had so much fun, but I forgot to take my camera swimming.  The kids loved the diving boards, and Justin loved the water slides.  

Here we are hiking.  the kids aren't much for hiking, but it was so nice to be up in the mountains all by ourselves. 

I definetely won't be doing this hike again while I am pregnant.  It is hard to hike when you are 7 months pregnant. 

Jayden is always ready to smile even when hiking.

Lake Tahoe

Day 7

Lake Tahoe.

Since Jayden is back in preschool, he only gets Wednesdays off.  So, we can only go out on Wednesdays.  It has been good for the older kids to stay home and focus on reading and getting some quiet time to theirselves.  So, on Wednesday we went up to the lake one last time with our friends, The Pyrahs and Minden and kids.  We had a good time, and Jayden especially had fun getting buried in the sand.  I always wish I had taken more pictures.

Our Science and Cooking Days

Days 4, 5, 6

Science Days and Cooking Days

Dallin especially loves science.  Science experiments for me don't always turn out the way that I want them to, but I always tell the kids that is science.   Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  It was funny because I was trying to explain something to the kids about how the solar system works, and I didn't know quite how to explain it, seeing as I'm not a scientist.  Dallin chimed in to help me out, "that is just how Heavenly Father made it".  I thought, that is so true, sometimes there aren't always explanations to everything but when you have faith that Heavenly Father knows everything, you don't need to know the answer to everything.  Here is a list of the different science projects that the kids enjoyed doing.  I found them on Pinterest (what a great thing).

Making Balloon Hover boards with a CD and bottle cap.  This did not turn out so well, but the kids enjoyed playing with the balloons anyways.

The balloon was supposed to take off and hover over the ground as it deflated.  It just moved the CD a little, but didn't lift off the ground.

Dallin wanted to make this bouncy egg.  You put the egg in vinegar over night and it causes the egg to bounce.

This one turned out OK, the egg was see through in the morning, and it was a little bouncy.  But, it was quite messy.

The best science experiment that we did was making OOBLECK (I think it is 1 cup flour and 1 cup water and 2 cups corn starch) It was fun and messy.

The kids punched the bowl and found it to be hard as a rock.

When they stuck their hands in it it was gooey and slimy.

Everyone added some food coloring to watch the colors mix.

Jayden had fun adding the food coloring.

Then we used the shop vac to blow the colors and watch as they mixed.

The girl that did this project on Pinterest called it dancing oobleck, but we didn't have subwoofer speakers that can make this dance, so we had to improvise with a shop vac. 

COOKING PEACH DUMPLINGS

We have been going to the Farmers Market to get fresh fruit.  I wanted to make something with the yummy peaches that we got from the Farmers Market.

I had these pillsbury crescents and thought this would be an easy cooking project for the kids.  We sliced the peaches and then rolled them in the croissants.  Then we poured soda mixed with brown sugar cinnamon and butter over the croissants.  It made the yummiest peach dumplings you have ever tasted.

I just love watching these kids in the kitchen, I just wish there wasn't so much to clean up.

There's No Place Like Home

Sad to say, but this is our last day of Summer before our Summer vacation is over and the kids get to go back to school.  I have a long list of things to post about things we did over the past few weeks, but I just wanted to write down my thoughts.
Today I told the kids that we could go to the pool for the last time.  The kids all decided  that they would rather stay home today and play with friends.
Dallin got to mow the lawn for the first time and he loved it.  Then the kids had fun helping me re stain the swing set.  Then the kids played as I finished folding laundry.

I stopped to think for a little while, and couldn't help but think that even though many fun memories can be made away from home, the most important memories are the ones made at home.

I guess that my favorite part of Summer is that I can be a kid again with my own kids and remember what fun times I had during my Summers growing up, and remember that I enjoyed being at home during the Summer just as much as any outings that we might have done.

I kind of wanted to attempt writing a poem about Summer.  I like to read the blog called The Power of Moms, and I saw the idea of writing a poem to capture your thoughts. So here it goes:


SUMMER THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

I love to feel the sizzling touch on my bare feet
Or the rocks as they claw at my toes.

I love the sweet smell of flowers and dirt as they tickle my nose.

I love to ride my bike with my arms raised up high,
And feel the wind as it rushes by.

I love the Popsicles and sticky fruit that touch my fingers
And fill my tummy with such delight.

I love the feeling of cold water as it pierces my body
In the hot afternoon sun,
And floating under the waves as I have some fun.

I love to gaze up at the sky and imagine the clouds 
As an elephant or a  funny shaped gun.

Best of all I just love the laughter and joy that the Summer brings,
With all the things there are to do,
I'm sure it is always Summer in heaven.  aren't you?