End of Summer Recap . . . .

Seriously, this past month or so has just run away with me! There has been so much going on that I haven't even had a second to sit down at the computer. So here is what we were up to in July and mostly August. . . . . . . .

FLAGSTAFF (July 29th - August 1st)

My Sister Heather, her husband Joe, and their two girls Martha and Alice came into town at the end of July, and right away (actually the next morning) we all (4 car loads) headed off to Flagstaff Arizona. It was such great weather and we had such a fun time. We met up with my Shumway cousins and had a great BASH vacation. The BASH came from the beginning of both our last names, Ballstaedt and Shumway. We stayed in this amazing cabin, or more like lodge. We went went to Slide Rock, Walnut Canyon and tye died shirts by day and played tons of games, had twinkie eating contests stayed up chatting by night. It was a blast to all be there together!

These two cute gals are the reason we all got together. My Mom and Aunt Colleen. Aren't they cute!!!

This is all of us . . . Sumways and Ballstaedts. We tye dyed shirts and now those shirts are my kids favorite to wear.


My little hiking family . . . this may be the first time that we have gone hiking together.
I just love them, aren't they all so cute!!!





BEAR LAKE WITH KIDS (August 13th - 14th)

My sister Heather and I headed up to Bear Lake with my mother in law Joanne, my sister in law Marianne and Tiffany and all the kids. It was alot of work but it was so fun. Not so much relaxing time, but still fun to be up there. (unfortunately I am not the best at taking pictures, so no . . there are no pics of this little outing)

SAMANTHA STARTS SCHOOL (August 17th)

We had orientation a week or so before school actually started where she met her teacher and she played and just saw where she was going before it all happened. But on Monday the 17th we got all dressed in some fresh (no stain) clothes, got our school bag and waited for carpool to come pick Sam up. It was so cute, Mason was really devastated. We walked her out to the car and he tried to get in, and when I told him he couldn't go, he just balled and balled. And he actually did that the whole first week, and he still tries to get into carpool; I just have to remind him that he gets to go next year. He wants to do everything that Sam get to do, of course.

This is Sam's teacher Mrs Carli. She seems really nice, but Sam can't ever remember her name when people ask what her teacher's name is. It is so cute she always looks over at me and says "what is her name?"
Here she is figuring out how to line up when it is time to go in from playing outside.
She looks so cute just waiting by the front door to be picked up. I had to get a few picutres of her and her and me together!!!

I just love that sweet little face and smile!

Well now that this is the longet post ever . . . . and I am not even done ( I will be adding a part 2). Since this blog is serving partly as a journal for me, I just had to get this all down before it went too long and I forgot. See you in part 2!