First Day of School

Drew started his first day of Kindergarten today! I was so incredibly nervous for him and prayed that he would have a good day. I was a little apprehensive after he declared, "I do not want to go anywhere today," after I told him it was time to get ready for school. He also decided that he didn't want to eat breakfast this morning, which was a waste of my time since I made him pancakes. When I dropped him off I was anticipating having him holding onto my leg, crying, and screaming for me not to leave him in a room filled with people he did not know. I wasn't even sure if I would be successful in getting him into the car without a battle. I started in on bribes and told him that if he was good at school today and listened to his teacher I would take him to do something fun afterwards. I then motivated him into the van by telling him we were going to go look for school buses, he loves buses and then told me that he wanted to take the bus to school!


We arrived at his school and I walked him into his classroom. He went in and found his cubby with his name and then went and sat at table with a little girl and started coloring. He looked up at me, waved, and said, "bye mom!" I took that as my cue to leave and left the room. I started crying the minute I exited the school doors! I was so proud of him for how brave he was when he got to school and how easy he made it for me to leave him there.


When I picked him up from school I immediately started drilling him about his day, and of course like any man when asked how their day was he just said, "fine." He did tell me later that he had fun and that he liked when his teacher read them books. I am so fortunate to have such a strong little guy. He has come such a long way and I am so thankful to have him as my son. We celebrated his first day of school by going to McDonalds for lunch. I hope tomorrow goes as well as today. Go Panthers!

Mad House

So I have been told by many friends that I have to read the Stephenie Meyer books, "Twilight." I am not really into fantasy books and there was so much talk about Vampires and Werewolves that I kept putting it off. I am a sucker for a good romance though and I was reassured that I would not be disappointed in the love saga of Bella and Edward. A friend brought the books to me on Thursday and I have not put them down. I am hooked and finished reading the first two books in 3 days. I started reading at night and did not put the book down until 1:00 in the morning and then woke up at 5:30 in the morning to start reading again before the boys woke up. I have totally neglected my husband, children, and all other household duties in order to keep reading. I can't wait to see the movie that comes out in December and to finish the next two books. I am also on the look out for any Vampires that might be lurking around the area!!!


I put my children safely in front of the t.v. to watch while I read upstairs. I came down after an hour to check on them and I found Ian eating granola on the couch. He said, "Mommy I just wanted a snack."


My boys just hanging out playing a little ball while I continued reading in another room.


Drew and Ian decided to get out several games and puzzles, all while I was in the other room reading about Bella trying to convince Edward that it is in her best interest to be turned into a vampire.

Somehow I have been able to completely ignore the sounds and questions coming from my children and husband. They will all be glad when I finish the series so our lives can go back to normal. Sorry family for not calling at all these last couple of days...I've been tied up!

TAGGED!!!

First of all I want to go ahead and Tag: Sarah, Laura, Debbie, Darcy, Dana Lee, & Steph. No Cleaning Ladies!!! I want to see the pictures just like they are in your house right now!

My Closet
One of the perks of this house.


Kitchen Sink
A never ending task. Keeping the sink clean and empty.


The Fridge
I need to go to the store.


The Laundry Room
My motto- "A Load a Day Keeps the Laundry Away!"
I just realized how boring this room looks. I will have to get it painted soon.


Self Portrait
Dorky picture, I'm not good at taking pictures of myself.


My Favorite Room
This is where the magic happens!


The Toilet
Luckily, I had just cleaned the boys bathroom the day before. This is the toilet that is often covered in urine. A couple of days ago I went in their bathroom in the morning and was overcome with the smell of urine! I looked at the toilet, with the seat down, and noticed the whole toilet was covered in yellow dried on pee. One of the boys must have gotten up in the night to go to the bathroom and forgot to raise the lid. I can't wait to have a girl that will actually sit down to go to the bathroom.


My Favorite Shoes
Lame I know, but I wear them when I am exercising and that always makes me feel good. Unfortunately they haven't gotten much use these days.


My Dream Vacation
Hawaii!!! Kenny and I are planning on going this November for a Veterinarian conference. I cannot wait!


What My Children are doing Right Now!
Its my favorite time of the day...Nap Time. One asleep, two to go!


Notice the doll beside Ian. This is baby Wahn Choo who we adopted from the nursery when they were throwing out toys. Wahn Choo has slept with Ian for years. He loves to cover him/her (not sure what it is) in his blankie. Kenny wasn't sure about it in the beginning bringing a doll into a house full of boys, but I believe it is healthy and natural and Ian will be a better father someday because of it!

Of course, Owen wasn't asleep yet and is now mad because he wants up.

Colorado Adventures Part 2

Family Traditions

When Kenny was a little boy his father took him on "Ditch Rides" on the back of the old 1961 Ford blue truck. All the kids would pile in the back as Kelly drove them down the ditch running behind their home. I can just picture the six little Summers' kids sitting in the back of that truck squealing as dogs chased them from behind. It is still a family tradition to go on "Ditch Rides" and is just as fun for the new generation of Summers kids as it was for the original six!



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This is one of us going on a "Ditch Ride" at night with the big group. The boy riding in the back is Catherine's new boyfriend Gabbi(I hope I didn't spell this wrong)!!!! We all really liked him and the boys want him to come to our house to play monster. He is welcome anytime!



Hiking the Monument is another past time loved by all those who come from Grand Junction. We were not about to attempt hiking to the top with the boys so we took them to climb on "mushroom rocks" instead. Kenny also did this when he was younger and reminisced while up there how he and his friend would play tag and other games. Sounds pretty dangerous to me, but boys will be boys. Drew and Ian loved climbing all over the rocks and so did Kenny!





Kenny grew up with a great set of friends. He tells me all the time about fun stories from his past. In his dream world he would still be living next door to all of the same boys he knew from childhood. Luckily, while we were in Colorado we were able to see some of Kenny's and I like to think my good friends. We spent a lot of time with Darin and Darcy Case. We had a double date with them where we ate dinner, played putt-putt, and had Dairy Queen treats. Then we had an intense game of "keep the ball away from the diving board" at the Whites pool and had a bonfire to end the trip. We love our friends and can't wait to see them again soon!

Colorado Adventures

We were fortunate to spend a week in Colorado with Kenny's family after our Kansas visit with my family. I feel truly blessed to have married in to the most amazing family. I love having sisters, so when I married Kenny I was thrilled to gain 5 sister-in-laws. His sisters are always ready for a good time, so I always have a blast when I am with them. My boys absolutely adore their "aunties" and are already asking me when we will see them again. My in-laws are fabulous!!! They have always been very supportive and inspiring to me.

Our first adventure in Colorado was hiking Hanging Lake. I had never hiked up there before, so Kenny sent me with Drew and his sisters, while he stayed back with Ian, Owen, & his parents. Drew was so excited to go "up the mountain" as he called it and wanted to be the leader. He has always been nicknamed as our "little wilderness boy" because he loves to be out in nature and has incredible endurance. I was so proud of him as he led all of us girls up the trail. He was so cute as he called out to us, "Come on girls!" He never once wanted help as he climbed up and over huge rocks and never asked what direction to go.





The view at the top of Hanging Lake was breathtaking! I definitely want to hike up there again someday with the rest of my boys.






Our next adventure entailed an eleven mile bike ride along the Colorado River. I was a little doubtful before we started that I would even be able to ride that far, but it was surprisingly not that bad and probably the highlight of my week! We had Kelly and Clarissa meet us with Drew and Ian when we were half-way done so they could ride with us too. The boys made it 2 miles before we decided that was long enough for Ian. He had some tears at the end and a lot of complaining of how hot he was. Luckily, Aunt Carol had her camel back to entice him with water every five feet he rode. We did get chewed out by one biker who sternly told us to stay on our side of the trail when Ian was having one of his meltdowns. By the end of Ian's two miles he was walking his bike and ran into grandpas' arms when he saw him!











We had many other fun adventures while in Colorado. I will post a "Colorado Adventures part 2" in the future! Thanks Summers' Family for all the wonderful adventures and special memories made!