True Blue!

It's going to be a long year for us Bruin fans.

We'll go to the games, and cheer on our team,

and anxiously await basketball season!

Boys will be boys!

Whether they're 5 or 15, boys will be boys!

Time Flies

First day of School

(Austin started the next day-apparantly high schoolers are too cool for school photos!)

Aidan 5-Kindergarten, Autumn 9-4th Grade, Asher 7-2nd Grade

First day of Kindergarten!
Happy 15th Birthday Austin!
Autumn, Asher and Aidan made Austin breakfast in bed.

Dinner at Lucilles' with friends A kiss for the birthday boy.

My kids are growing up. Austin just turned 15, and is a freshman in High School! My baby is in Kindergarten. I have a son that will be driving in 6 months! It's all too much!

Viva Mexico!

We spent the last week of our summer in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. The Sloan family joined us, and we had an amazing time! We stayed at our timeshare-Paradise Village-and it is exactly that...paradise. The kids were back and forth from the pool, with 2 alligator slides, to the beach, with boogie boards, and water that was so warm it felt like a bath. They all got along so well, and their favorite time of day was happy hour when they got to have virgin pina coladas, and fruit smoothies. Yum!


The Turtles!

Only in Mexico can you sit 1 foot away from a 70lb. endagered sea turtle and watch it lay its eggs. It was crazy, like National Geographic but you can reach out and touch it. It was soo cool! They have a "sanctuary" (more like a shack)for the baby sea turtles where they rebury the eggs, and release them at night, when they have a better chance of survival. They put the babies in a kiddie pool on the porch of this "sanctuary" and allow people to hold them... only in Mexico. It was the highlight of the trip for me.

Downtown Puerto Vallarta

Two days we rode into town on the crowded buses, an adventure itself, and ventured into the touristy downtown area. We shopped around and ate at Pipi's, and of course Senor Frogs. We had a blast at Senor Frogs. We were the only ones there, and the DJ was at our mercy. Obviously Michael Jackson!

Mini Missions Trip

On Sunday morning we attended the non-denominational church service held at the resort. The pastor was telling us about a program they sponsor called Families at the Dump. We were able to go with them and feed the families that live at the dump. It was an incredible experience, especially for our kids. Asher brought his balloon hat and gave it to a little boy.
Check out their website www.familiesatthedump.org .

We were sad to say goodbye to Mexico and to our summer. This was the best summer our family has ever had. It was a summer of God moving. A summer of forgiveness and reconciliation, and reflection. I cherish every smile, every tear, every conversation. I wasn't counting down the days till back to school. I wanted to hang on to this summer just a little longer. My family is my gift from God, and by His grace alone, we are stronger than ever.