I won't be seeing moments like this for a couple of months. I have loved watching the kids make memories with one another this summer. This upcoming week is bittersweet for me. The girls are excited to start back to BYU, and they are looking forward to new classes and adventures this school year. I am so happy and excited for them! But, oh, how I will miss seeing them, laughing with them,  hugs, watching shows/movies together, and outings on a daily basis.


This week I made two new pillowcase covers for the throw pillows on the couch. I made them with snaps so that I can easily remove and wash them.

I really like how they turned out!

Rhaevyn was sweet to watch the kids one last time for the summer before she leaves so that Chris and I could have a date. She even made sure everyone had a bath and got them to bed before we got home!!

Chris being silly on our date :)

 

 

Meg is making some progress on her bike. She has been getting lots of balance practice on the scooter before Aeva takes it back to school with her.

This is a trophy that Elsa made for Chris. Very sweet :)

 I've been having some fun making some bracelets for myself. Last night I even made a pair of earrings to match a bracelet:

 Aeva has finished up her summer art class. She really enjoyed it, and she said she learned so much more in it than she did in her art class at BYU. This was her final painting. She is going to take it back to school with her to hang in her dorm room.

 This past week, on Monday, we made some new friends. We were invited to a home of another home-schooler and church member. The mom's name is Sue. She thought it might be a good idea for one of her 13 year old sons to meet Myles since they will both be in orchestra together this fall. Her son's name is Cole, and he didn't have any friends in orchestra last Spring. Cole and Myles hit it off fantastically, as did Cole's brother Grant. Elsa became fast friends with Sue's daughter. We've actually known Sue since Rhaevyn was taking violin lessons. Cole takes violin from the same teacher. However, I've never talked to her for long. It's always been briefly at recitals or Stake meetings. It was really good to get to know her. She had also invited two other families over. One was in our ward previously, and her daughter takes cello from the same teacher as Myles. I was a little nervous, but honestly it was like getting together with old friends. It was so refreshing to be among others who I could relate to in regard to principles and homeschooling.
The next day Sue and her boys took Myles to a homeschool gathering up the road to La Center to the river. He had such a great time!!! She sent me this photo while there.

 Rhaevyn got her new glasses. I absolutely love them on her!!

 

 The two older girls and I had a last hurrah before they set off. We had a successful run to Goodwill where they both found two pairs of pants and two shirts for the new school year. We also shared a big plate at Panda Express. We had a great time talking, shopping, and laughing together.

 

Ha ha ha, taking pictures with Chris is a lot like trying to take pictures with the kids. It's hard to get him to be serious. He always has me laughing and in stitches while I'm trying to be more serious and smile.

 That picture reminded me of the two old people with the pitchfork. So, I added one:.

 

Here he is breathing on me and fogging up my glasses:

 

 

 Smelling my hair:

 Being silly squeezing my face in a hug. I was laughing so hard!

 This past week Rhaevyn made lavender jelly. She yielded one large mason jar worth with a little extra on the side for everyone to try. Meg was enjoying it.

Friday night we had a movie night at a friend's house with two other families. We all brought treats to share and watched How to Train Your Dragon 3 outside. It got a bit chilly, but it was a lot of fun. There were several bats flying about, and one almost flew into Aeva. Luckily she didn't notice. Chris brought his telescope, so after the movie everyone got a chance to look at several planets and the moon.

I'll end with a few pictures from Myles's camp out.

The final countdown has begun for how many days are left until we take the girls back. We will be busy with last minute appointments, saying goodbye to friends, and packing this week.