Summer Vacation

I love being able to spend the summer with my kids.  It is so hard with our money being very tight this time of year but I wouldn't change it for the world.  If I could I would spend more time with my kids.  Right now I only work early mornings while the kids are still asleep and weekends.  So I am missing out on a few family days but it's nice that Ed has to spend some time with the kids.  He loves it as well but knowing him he would end up working all weekend if I was home. 
We have been spending at least one day a week at the beach with friends. Yesterday Michael would not stop yelling I love the ocean every time he jumped in the water.  When I finally go and vacuum the car I am sure we could fill a sand box for the kids.  I finally fixed our waterproof camera yesterday after we got home from the beach.  So I'm hoping that we go back again and get some great pictures.  There is only like two weeks left before the kids go back to school.  :(  So sad!!
We only have two weeks left to the Carnegie Summer Camp at the library.  Mrs M puts on a great program for the kids.  She actually writes a new play every week for the kids to act out.  This is the third year that the kids have been doing it.  At the end of the season she has visitors come to the library.  The first year they had penguins.  Last year they had birds of prey.  This year they are having Insectropolis bring out some of their bugs.  They kids get to pet a hissing cockroach, a scorpion, a tarantula and a few other creepy things.
We have also done some weekend camping and have one more camping trip coming up.  Although we haven't gone away on vacation we have kept busy this summer.

Ducky Derby

Ed and the kids headed to Allaire State Park for the Ducky Derby.  Once we heard about the duck race we had to make sure Michael the duck enthusiast had to go.  This was the first time we heard about it but apparently they have been doing it for a few years as a fundraiser for the park.  I missed out because I had to work.  It was a nice outing for Daddy and the kids.

Last Day of Scout Camp

Michael finished up his week at scout camp today.  He really liked it.  It sounds like they had a lot of fun.  He is getting better at the BB range.  He even won a pin for a center shot.  He got to go with his best friend so I  think that made things easier for him, or maybe me.  I hope he will be excited to go next year too.

Nicole was in charge of taking the pictures.  I'm hoping one of the other mothers got some good ones.

Fouth of July 2012

We headed to Jeanie and Mike's for the fourth of July.  Bonnie was able to go with us and I am so happy she was able to get out into the sand. 

Of course the kids had fun too.

Cub Scouts Family Cook Out and Graduation

It is probably the hottest day of the year and we had to go out and have a campfire.  In all fairness we should have had the graduation several weeks before but there was a mix up on the reservations.  The cook out had to be changed.  We had planned to have the cook out at Quail Hill but at the last minute we had to scramble for a new place.  We ended up going to Turkey Swamp Park. 

Ed spent days working on a lighting system for the fire.  He used a rocket engine to light the fire.  He had the thing working perfectly at home and we he got to the park to actually do the ceremony and it didn't work when he needed it to.  Even though it we unbearably hot I think the kids enjoyed it.  I hope to convince the pack committee to do a water theme for graduation next year.