The Phelan Family: Summer Wrap Up {life according to my iphone}

I have finally made it to the end of summer on this silly blog! I was afraid this day would never come, it's seemed like such a daunting task! Sadly it's now November, so I have another two months to catch up on before I feel completely on top of things. Eh, who am I kidding, I think I simply need to accept the fact that my blog will live a little behind the times for a while.

In the spirit of saving time, this last summer post is just one big picture dump...mostly from my phone, random pictures spanning the months of carefree summer fun.

A little bit of our life.

A rare night out with dear friends from college ~ Kirstin, Carrie and Lindsay.

Such a great way to spend an evening, I really wish we could do it more often.

At the doctor for Kennedy's five year check up ~ five years old, how did that happen?!?!? My baby is 5. Wow. She did great, the doctor said she looked perfectly healthy and was happy with all of her milestones. She is at the top of the growth chart, nearly 90th percentile for height and 70th for weight. She had several shots in preparation for kindergarten and she was a champ. I was so proud of my tough girl!

bravery in the face of five shots surely calls for frozen yogurt

We love Menchies!

Carter and Andrew did a week of tennis lessons. It was so fun to go back to my old stomping grounds and to watch Carter enjoy playing tennis. One of my friends from high school is now one of the directors at Vancouver Tennis Center, he was one of the coaches at the boys' camp.

While the boys played tennis, Lauren and Kennedy enjoyed some time together too.

Lindsey had to work one morning so I had these four cuties for the day. The girls got off to a bit of a rocky start but all was fine quickly and they enjoyed a fun day together. I love these kids and really enjoy watching their relationships grow and change.

an afternoon movie date to see Planes

fun to have Daddy with us!

We met some friends down at Esther Short park one afternoon. My friend Andrea was visiting from California, so it was a great time to catch up while the kids played.

our crazy group enjoying shaved ice before playing in the fountain!

Tommy, Annalise, Kennedy, Carter, Kelton and Sarah

Kennedy and Annalise hit it off fantastically and enjoyed playing together.

My crazy boy

hamming it up for the camera

love to see this joy

One afternoon the kids asked to go to the park. Carter wanted to ride his bike down by himself. I decided I would grant him that freedom, as there are sidewalks the entire way ~ but that didn't stop me from driving as slowly as possible to keep him in my sight. He did great and was so very proud of himself. While sometimes hard, it's neat to see these asertions of independence.

one last movie date to wrap up the summer

Turbo was as the Camas theater and we were able to meet up with friends and enjoy the show

Pyper, Ella, Kennedy and Carter

My second cousin, Shane and his wife Karen made a stop on their way from Boise to the coast. We had such a wonderful evening together ~ watching the kids play, catching up and just enjoying one another's company. I hope we can make this an annual tradition!

my only picture from our sleepover with the Grice's

Rachel and I had talked about doing this last summer and it never worked out but we were committed this year ~ it was so much fun! A simple dinner, yummy dessert and hours of play time was the perfect way to spend a summer evening! Rachel and I stayed up well past two just talking, and we could have easily talked for hours more had we not made ourselves go to sleep! I treasure her friendship dearly and am so thankful that our kids get along so well, too.

a bit out of order, this picture is from our annual end of the year dinner with the Zeamer's. There are two more at the bottom of this post, but I'm not sure how to edit so that they are together.

One last day out on the boat and we ended with the best day yet! We had invited a few different friends but for various reasons, no one was available to join us. It ended up making for such a relaxed and carefree day. The weather was incredible. The kids swam, everyone water skiied (the kids gave it their best efforts!), and we just enjoyed the day as a family. It was simple and perfectly lovely! I could not have asked for a better way to end our summer!

These two love being out on the water!

someone was very excited to drive the boat...

and go tubing on her own

Kenndy is fearless! I think Kyle went over 30 mph when pulling her the last time. And over the roar of the motor, you could hear her squealing with delight!

Carter on the otherhand likes his rides a little slower :)

Notice how he's hangin on to both handles for dear life ~ he's our cautious boy and I know someday I will be so very thankful for this character trait!

our goofy girl

Kennedy attempted to water ski for the first time but just isn't big enough to control the skis. I think it'll be another few years before she's ready. But I certainly applaud her efforts! Carter tried several times too and was nearly up on his last attempt. Hopefully next year he can do it!

We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. I found myself, more than once, marvelling at the beauty surrounding us. We could not have asked for a perfect day on the lake.

I didn't get too many pictures from our annual end of summer dinner with the Zeamers but I did manage to snap of few of these two cuties! As the night ended, glow sticks came out and a dance party began! I love these little traditions that we are creating and this dinner was one that I was looking forward to all summer ~ nothing better than a fun evening with dear friends to cap off a wonderful summer! Our time with the Zeamers is always filled with lots of laughter and a ton of fun. We are truly fortunate to have such wonderful friends in our lives.