It's September 2 and like the flip of the calendar into a new month, the sky flipped as well. The hot, blue skied summer has transitioned into clouds and drizzle, which I welcome after a summer of wildfires and smokey skies at times.
It's been a long summer.
For one, we got out June 5 and we still have not started back. After Labor Day has always been our starting time and since it falls late this year, we don't begin until September 8. However, in someways feels like Evelyn has been in school for weeks. She tried out and started High School soccer, which is every single day since mid-August. During the summer too she has been occupied with practices and pre-season prep. Although a lot of work, I am so grateful that she is already a part of a team going into this new school experience. She really likes all the girls on the team and feels at home at the school.
 |
| She and her bestie on the team |
Evelyn definitely made money this summer! She and her good friend Kiah planned and led two weeks of summer camp for various neighborhood kids (as well as some kids from school)
 |
| She and her other bestie doing the camp |
She kept the kids busy with a packed schedule, with everything from arts and crafts, to fishing to bike riding and paddle boarding. I am so proud of the way she led these kids. All of their moms said that her camp was by far their favorite of the summer. Her success with her summer camps gave her a brand new clientele of babysitting jobs, which kept her busy during all her time when she wasn't playing soccer. She was like a full time working woman. Her goal is to save up for a car. I don't doubt she will reach that goal.
Now, on to the boys. Oh man, the boys had a very 12 year old boy summer, and I honestly want to pause their life right here. They had fun playing in the woods, fishing and this summer they discovered that they really like jumping off high things into rivers. There is a dead tree that juts out over the river behind our house. In my mind, I knew that the boys would someday notice it and want to jump off of it. This was the summer.
It is the perfect jumping platform. I tried to give them a healthy freedom, allowing them to do it with the agreement that they had to always wear life jackets.
 |
| We also went fishing at a stocked Trout pond near Mt. Hood. The only catch is that we had to keep what we caught. Therefore, we cooked a lot of trout. |
I really tried to give them a Tom Sawyer summer because I know that they won't always want to be with Mom and they won't always have fun playing and exploring rivers. They also discovered the joy of swinging off rope swings into water as well.
 |
| A little slice of heaven |
 |
| Catching salamanders! |
 |
| Pondering life |
One day we took a bike ride all over town and as we were ride through Cook Park we came across some rope swings someone had hung. The boys immediately stripped down and launched themselves into the water. I loved seeing their joy and excitement for something so simple. Now that we knew the rope swing was there, we sometimes did the swing at dusk after soccer practice. Pure Summer magic.
Sports definitely didn't take a break during summer. June and half of July was full of baseball.
Caleb became quite the little catcher this year. I know that he got weary sometimes, but he persevered and really had a great season. James was the all star first base man. He stretched off that base with his left handed glove and never missed a ball, no matter how crazy it came at him.
Levi was short stop. He could fire that ball like no one else on the team. Levi and James also pitched occasionally. When they could mentally focus, they did really well. It's that mental piece of the game that cause them to stumble. They didn't make it very far in the play offs, which was ok. I think by the end of the season, they were truly tired...and soccer was waiting just around the corner.
They had a few soccer tournaments this summer, one being in Washington. John took them to that one and they stayed with Rob and Melissa. They had a fun Dudes Weekend. The other tournament was in Beaverton, and they won first place in their division with the final score determined by a PK shoot out.
 |
| Victory treat |
 |
| We are the champions |
We managed to fit in a few intentional family adventures as well. We spent one Saturday in Hood River going on a very unique hike over an old pipeline system. It went over a gorgeous river and the sound and beauty of it really nourished my soul. We had lunch at the Gorge White House which was a beautifully laid out food cart type lunch spot with the best view of Mt. Hood. We had the best burgers.
 |
| Hiking the Pipeline Trail in Hood River |
Another family outing that was truly a highlight was attending the Forest Frank concert at the Moda Center. It was a sold out concert that the kids got tickets to for Christmas. It was worshipful and uplifting.
In mid august we got away for a few days to SunRiver. We rented a little house and the kids had a fun time riding bikes around the little village to the pool and the restaurants and shops.
 |
| Quick ice cream stop in Sisters, Oregon |
We ate a lot of ice cream and did a lot of exploring.
We hike Tumalo Falls,
went tubing down the Deschutes, spent time in Bend, hiked through a lava tube,
 |
 |
explored lava fields and slid down natural water slides on Paulina Plunge ridge.
 |
 |
 |
| Discovering old volcanic sites |
We also had some dear friends come visit us this summer too. Our friends the Kingstons, who moved to Ohio a few years ago, stayed a few days with us.
 |
| My dear friend Laura |
I took them tubing down the Mollala River and long story short, CHAT led me wrong and we got totally lost on the Pudding River and had to be rescued by John on a remote farm in Canby.
 |
| Excited for a fun tubing trip |
 |
| We made wrong turn and had to walk our tubes... |
 |
| We are not where I thought we should be....the pudding river?!! |
 |
| Luckily we found a farm with a dock....time to walk to the road and call for help |
 |
| Waiting for rescue |
 |
| Ice cream in Canby made everything ok |
Although I felt terrible and embarrassed, everyone said it would always be a core memory of summer.
One of my best friends, Kristin, was here from Hawaii with her family. We got some good girl time in and Evelyn totally took charge of all four of their young kids so we could catch up as a couples on my deck.
 |
| My dear friend Kristin |
 |
| Evelyn took all their kids to the woods for an adventure while we visited |
Other summer activities included all of the kids going to Trout Creek Bible camp for a week,
and just relishing the most beautiful time in Oregon.
It truly is the best place to be in the entire world in the summer.
The boys also had a special night with Gramie and Grandma in the woods of Mt. Hood. They rented their church's retreat center for a few nights and the boys had so much fun staying for one night and being screen free, exploring the woods.
 |
| Zig Zag Falls |
To top the summer off, this final week of summer John took the boys to Universal Studies while I stayed here with Evelyn and drove her around to all her high school things. I'm so grateful they are having such a wonderful time with John and riding all the coasters. They all read the Harry Potter books, so going to Harry Potter World was something they were looking forward to.
Most of my summer was spent driving kids around and trying to be really present for these sweet moments that I know won't be here next summer because as the kids get older, I know that summers will be less of spending time with Mom and more of wanting to be with friends and going to the mall.
I am ready for the routines of school. I can feel fall in the air and I'm hopeful that this school year won't go so fast...as they all tend to do.
