yay for summer!

It's been so nice to feel the warm sun again after such a cold and rainy spring! The kids are out of school (until July 26th), there are bikes and scooters scattered everywhere up and down our street, and my kitchen floor is sticky with Otter Pop drips. Life is good!

Nina's been doing swim lessons with Aunt Heidi again this summer, up at Mormor and Poppy Per's pool. Today she held her breath under water longer than anyone else in her class...24 seconds! I don't think I could even do that. She has no fear of the water anymore, she just smiles the whole time. I'm so happy for her!

I made a list of fun things we could do this summer...we probably won't actually do everything, but that's okay. Here are a few ideas from our to-do list (some ideas are for the kids and some are for me):

1. Visit the zoo (so Olivia can see all the "butts")

2. Downtown Farmer's Market

3. The Chalk Art Festival (this weekend at the Gateway). Ben and Hannah are really excited for this,

they've really been doing some cool stuff with chalk in our driveway lately.

4. Herriman Days! The carnival, the fireworks, the late night outside with our fun neighbors...

5. Sleepovers with cousins

6. Weekend at the cabin

7. Make homemade ice cream a few times (and popsicles). Here's my favorite recipe.

8. Have a backyard movie night (sheet and projector style)

9. Wheeler Farm...Red Butte Gardens...Thanksgiving Point maybe?

10. Service project for Primary Children's Hospital (make art kits? I need to look into this)

11. Visit great-grandparents

12. Make raspberry jam, and other summery fruit treats

13. Speaking of raspberries...Bear Lake would be fun if we can find a free Saturday

14. Photograph the peonies when they bloom in Grandma Becky's garden

15. Urban photo shoot of the kids

16. Make this fun doll house, stamp art, fruit watercolors, and a fairy garden

17. Make these cute projects for the girls' bedroom

18. Paint Ben's room, make new bedding for him..use the stamp art to decorate the walls?

19. Make new curtains, pillows, etc. to spruce up the house a bit

20. Herriman "beach" (the reservoir)

21. Snowcones, of course

22. Splash Pad

23. Picnic

24. Wig Outing...something we've talked about doing for a long time but never have done

it...we all wear a wig and go get ice cream or something, I think it would be hilarious!

25. Think of a name for our baby boy!

What are your plans for this summer? Are you doing anything fun or going somewhere?