August 2015

August fun started with a trip to Six Flags with the Sorensons! Great way to start the month. We had so much fun! It was a little on the hot side....but everyone did really well...and Sam had plenty of dramamine this time (Sam and I went together in June, and he did not take dramamine before he got sick....so this was much better!)

 I love watching these guys entertain themselves!

 And then we had a pretty intense week of Suzuki Institute in downtown Philly. While it was a good experience to attend institute, this particular institute was TINY!!!! Only 7 or 8 total violinists....won't be attending that one again, but definitely hoping to be able to get to the Utah ISSI soon!

 This is how Ben felt about things a lot of the time...

 James and Ben had fun participating in the movement class...

 And good old Steve Nelson has been kind enough to get me tickets to their concerts every time they've come to the area. And I was so excited to take our kids to this one at the Mann! They loved it! Esp. Ben, who is getting anxious to start cello lessons.

 Very proud and impressed with the good influence Steve and John are bringing to the world, and loved how they took the opportunity to basically bear their testimony - acknowledge God's hand in their lives and in the world.

 It was a very musical week....final recitals for Institute were the next day. The girls both did a fabulous job!

 And so did Ben.....

 And then it was our 9-year anniversary! We got a babysitter and are lucky enough to have friends with a boat and kayaks. We got to go kayaking and then water-skiing on the Susquehanna River! It was a great day! And we started the morning off with a babysitter so we could go for a run together (Sam had to do like 20 miles or something for his training, and I joined him for the last 10 or 12 of it), then we got breakfast. Then some fun with kids before heading off for this fun!

 Hoping to learn this trick someday....he's barefooting

 Sam was getting some pretty good cuts in! Couldn't have asked for better water!

 More Mann concerts, and random zoo fun...

 And we ended the month with a fun little backyard potluck and recital/hoedown...

And then school started:(....but she was pretty happy about going into 2nd grade.

And this little lady was excited to start Kindergarten on the 2nd day of school (K doesn't go on day 1 for some reason).

More pics from Sam's phone...

We also took the kids to 6 Flags for a day, with the Sorensons....somehow this is the only pic!

 Sam's go-cart building fun...

 Met Sam after he finished his long run on the Schuylkill River trail. He played with the kids while I went on a long bike-ride to train for my triathlon....good day!