Fathers and Sons Lives-

Fathers and Sons was one of our favorite nights of the year when the kids were growing up, Craig and the boys started off on Friday afternoon with a trip to the grocery store with enough junk food to ensure everyone and friends were happy and sick!  Next was stocking the arsenals, buckets of water balloons and a grand water balloon launcher.  Later the motorcycles, bikes etc were all packed up and they were off for a glorious night of play.  Brad and Dad continued the tradition this year, but it's just not quite the same level of enthusiasm--
BUT--look what I just got texted to me:

 The tradition continues, Kev and Kyran just had their first Fathers and Sons outing

which Kev reports was hugely successful!

 

Putting a tent up is much easier when you have help.

 

Hey dad, look I did it, you mean we really get to sleep here?

 Good morning dad, when can we do this again?

Patagonia for Kyle--Mira Costa for Brad (maybe?)

Friday we put Kyle on the plane for NOLS Patagonia, this is my third child to send through a NOLS program, I have nothing but great things to say about NOLS, it's been a great experience for Kerri and Brent and now Kyle's is just beginning.  He arrived in Santiago on Saturday morning and spent a few days there, this morning he flew to Balmaceda and took a van to Coyhaique.  He's been meeting up with fellow NOLS students along the way.  He officially is starting his program on Wednesday.  He said Patagonia is breathtaking and is having a great time meeting everyone that will be on his trip.

 

 

Brad is beginning his senior year, he is registered for the ACT and we are thinking about colleges, the one non negotiable for him is surfing, this weekend we went to visit Mira Costa in Carlsbad, it is beautiful, you can see the beach from the campus, they also have a satellite campus, a mile and a half from the beach in Cardiff, this just may be the place.  

 

 

How Many Steps Forward...

Hmmm...I'm not so sure about this weeks accomplishments, it seemed we were moving ahead quite well:  ac repaired, garage door repaired, deck estimate in progress, new washer and dryer installed, new paint in the laundry room, old washer and dryer hauled away, so then what happened?  In my zealousness to gut and clean the laundry room I decided to tackle the grout, yuck :(, so I read online that oxyclean is miraculous, well so it is, I was so excited to have clean grout I did the kitchen floor too, and you know more is always better, right--well I probably mixed it up too strong so now I have this oxyclean residue all over the tile.  I have steam mopped it like crazy and mopped it with vinegar until I just can't mop anymore, to be honest it is getting better, but it's still there.  And then this morning I noticed something on the butcher block counter top in several places, not just several like at least four or more that has stained the counter top, I honestly have no clue what it could be, but it'll need to be sanded and refinished, another project ahead.

Ahh life would be so much easier if I had my little helper close!  Maine is just about as far away as it could be.  He is being well trained to be grandma's handyman.

Whew, they fit, after I picked them out I thought about the cabinet clearance, because of the angle they look off center but they're really centered under the cabinets, and did you notice the lighter paint, I liked the brown but it was beginning to feel like the bat cave so it was time to lighten up.

The Day After Labor Day

Ohh those long weekends, I love them!!!  We had Brent and some cute friends here until Sunday, very fun to have them. And here's another front door picture:

 

Brent is back at BYU--front door pic 2013

 

We celebrated Maddie's birthday, she is two!!  She's not so sure about papa dressing her in tissue paper!

 

 

 

I sent Kyle and Kael gift cards for school supplies, it is so fun to see how they use them, Kael decided the very best use of his was for a blender, yes a 7 year old bought a blender!  You've gotta know Kaelsy!  It makes perfect sense to me, healthy morning smoothies, right!  Kyle picked an art set, and that is sooo Kyle.  For some reason my computer won't load Kyle pics, I just tried the one with the art set and the one on his bike--no luck :( 

So now it is back to real life, summers end, although you wouldn't know it from the temps.  It feels like a Monday morning, the dog ate my lunch and Kyle's breakfast, the dryer went out and the washing machine is only barely wibble wobbling along, tax stuff has to get to the accountant this week, and my new running shoes have blistered my heels with a marathon looming--