This summer I kept saying how it felt like our family started a new chapter where the kids were big enough to do new and interesting things, and it felt less like the intense survival mode of the last several summers. Big kids are fun!
Summer 2026 - truly the best summer yet!
- Took our FIRST big trip with just our family to MAINE. I journaled all about it a couple of months ago!
- Spent a week at Grandma Trudy and Grandpa Mark's house and went to San Francisco! We got to see Aunt Sarah, Uncle Andy, Sam, and George, and spent the weekend in an incredible hotel in the Presidio in SF. I wrote all about it in August!
- Mike and Heidi visited! We had lots of fun at the pool and coming along to kids' activities. We celebrated my birthday and Matt and I got away for the evening (the temple and dinner in Richmond). On Sunday they got to see the kids' Primary performance, with Matt accompanying on piano (he is on year 2 of being the Primary Pianist!) which was fun timing!
- Day trip to Bear Creek Lake State Park with the Hemsleys and the Carlsons! We had 13 kids and 3 moms. :)
- Visited cousins in Maryland
- Lydia - Turned 10! Karaoke birthday party; ballet 4/5 and pre-pointe classes at Legacy, a new studio to us; three weeklong day camps at Millwood: Harry Potter, Architectural Wonders, and Young Scientist; zoo day camp with Macy (third year running! They finally got to do the ropes course); lots of reading - Hatchet, I Survived the Dust Bowl, finished Harry Potter 4 and started Harry Potter 5; lots of playing outside with Emmi and neighborhood kids.
- Luke - swim team for his second year - he learned how to dive really well! (He didn't do meets this year); Tae Kwon Do classes and passed his yellow belt test; a weeklong nature day camp at Millwood which he loved; zoo camp with Mason and Grant (they're finally old enough!); weeklong RoboKai 3-D printing morning camp with Mason.
- Elise - Turned 5! And had a great birthday. It was an 'off' year for her party (we do them every other year). When I reminded her of this, she said, "Well can I have friends over and eat cupcakes?' Haha. It was a 'playdate,' not a 'party,' and she had a great time! Love her creative work-around! She did Tropical Storm swim team and Cupcake Meet where she swam the length of the pool; earned her Green Band!; learned to swim really well on her own and ended up in the deep end diving and swimming with Luke every day; weekly ballet classes with Hazel and Isabella; 5 weeks of morning preschool camp at her old preschool.
- Vivian - Turned 2! She tagged along for everything and learned how to scream really loud. Had lots of fun with her siblings.
- Matt - Started a big new project at work, after being on his previous project for 5 years.
- We said a very sad goodbye to Barkley. He was almost 15 years old, and had been in decline for about 6 months. One day I took him on our regular, long walk, and he never recovered. Two days later he woke up with severe vertigo and was crashing into walls, couldn't see straight, was throwing up repeatedly and lost bladder control. We rushed him to the vet and they put him down peacefully. The vet was great and I was so impressed with how they handled it all. With the CONSTANT activity of summer with four young kids, I still haven't fully processed losing him.
- We welcomed Rusty into our family! Although we didn't expect to get another dog so soon, there was a major feeling of something missing in our home without a dog. I spent weeks researching and decided to work with Compassion Animal Rescue in Fredericksburg to find a new family pet. Matt's only request was that the new dog not shed! Rusty is a German Wirehair Pointer and we love him! He is full of puppy energy, and immediately became one of the boys with Matt and Luke (including trips to Lowe's and Bass Pro). He is just what we needed!
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| In her happy place (the water) on her 2nd bday! 🥳 |
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| Neighbor friends over to celebrate! 🎂 |
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Swim team 2026!
Luke and Elise are front row, left |
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| Cutest swim team buddies and neighbors |
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| Elise after she finished the Cupcake Meet! |
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| Swim team float night 😎 |
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| Luke passed his yellow belt test for tae kwon do! 💛 |
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| Lydia's 10th birthday pajama party, Taylor Swift kareoke, pizza party, crafting, spa night extravaganza!! |
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| RoboKai camp buddies |
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| Heidi and Mike visited! 😍 |
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| "Let's go be dude men!" - Luke 😎 |
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| My 36th bday 🤗 |
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| Barkley ❤️ |
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| Elise and Annie 💕 |
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| Luke's rock sale :) |
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| Activity Girls :) |
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| Ready for the ropes course at zoo camp |
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| Elise turned FIVE! |
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| Her birthday playdate 🤗 |
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