Prelude to Revolution: Summer's Almost Over

Yeah, summer's almost over, but we feel like we've made the best of it so far. It was very hot here for several weeks this summer. So hot that we had to spend some of our evenings inside, which is disappointing because, well, it's summer and we want to be outside! We manged to have fun though.

A rare quiet moment where D and E were each occupied with their own book.

We had to make use of the playroom downstairs a bit more than we would have expected. You can tell by the expression in D and E's faces that they were none too excited.

After it's cooled down a bit we make it outside.

The kids like to go for Land Cruiser rides. The number of seat belts is limited, so we have to take turns. And it's not licensed, so we have to stay in the neighborhood. It's fun though. There's a nearby gravel road that we can go fast on and stir up dust...that's pretty exciting. One time D and Pops were on the way to the gas station when the Cruiser ran out of gas. We were still coasting about a quarter of a block away from the pump when Pops jumped out onto the street to push. I'm not sure what D thought, but I suspect he'll remember that ride.

More fun things outside include making trains behind the big wheel with the tie-down straps.

The trains usually end with a derailment, but it's usually at a very low speed...no injuries.

Earlier this year Pops made a tree swing. It's pretty primitive, but very effective.

Emma shown here on the swing wearing the most fashionable boots she could find.

Desmond shown here with no shoes what-so-ever. He's being pushed by Grandpa during a recent visit (Labor Day weekend).

The very hot weather seems to be behind us, so our evening entertainment options are a bit better. For instance, we're now able to take long bike rides around the neighborhood.

The view from Pop's seat. Emma rides in the trailer behind Pops for now. She can ride her bicycle, but she doesn't quite have the skills for a long ride. The paths we take on our ride are different every time we go. The kids take turns at each intersection deciding which way to turn...they're in charge and seem to enjoy it.

We went camping again. This time we went to Cheney Lake, west of Wichita.

D and Pops are in charge of putting up the tent.

Emma's in charge of finger nail painting.

We managed to get everything set up and eat dinner in time to go to the beach. The sand was much cleaner at this beach when compared to the last place we went (El Dorado, goose poop, yuck).

We got to play in the sand, but for everyone except Emma the water was a little cold.

After swimming it has become our custom to have watermelon once we get back to camp. As you can hopefully see, no one gets in trouble for making a mess of themselves (dirty shirts).

We tried to get a photo of our camp before we took the tent down, but Emma did not want to cooperate. I think it turned out better that way.

We went for some nature hikes, and then we found a playground for the kiddos to play on. It had a slide that was very steep, and took a few times down before anyone felt comfortable.