Some of the many reasons I did not have time to blog this summer!

Two years ago April 29th my very good friend and sister in law past away suddenly. This was a very sad day but for us a happy one too because it is my oldest sons Birthday. We talked so many times during the week and shared parenting, laughs and tears. Ever since Marie had her first child Sean and I would fly her to visit us every summer. The day she died she left behind a husband and three young daughters ages 7, 6, 2 years old. Sean I have continued the tradition for the girls of bringing them to our home every summer. We miss last summer because we were preparing for China. They usually stay about a month with us. We have a blast but it makes for a very busy summer with no energy by the end of the day to even think about blogging. ha So we had quite the Brady Bunch family this summer; 4 boys and 4 girls. My little 1 year old nephew visited for a week too!! The day before everyone left we took some quick pictures and Im sharing two of them below. We look forward to it every summer. We had many other visitors this summer too; Bother and sister in law for a week, Mother in law for a week, Father in law and Step Mother in law for a week, my parents for a week, my brother for a week, and we took a family vacation to the mountain for a week when every one left! Whewwww! Then school started the beginning of August. Crazy!! So that gives you a little idea of why we were not in the blogging world this summer. :-)

Ending Summer Vacation with a Bang!!

Daddy and Ava, chillin in the warm water.
The boys enjoying the Mummy tube ride.
Mommy and Ava hanging on the tube ride.
Mommy racing down the slide on the left.

Mommy and Ava having fun in the wave pool.

I cant believe school is finally starting next Monday.  It has been a long summer, my kids go to a Charter School and they were building a new school building this summer so lucky us we got 4 months of summer!!  All of their neighborhood friends have already been in school for a month and the boys have been bored to death!  Four months of summer is way too long.  But God knew what we needed with our trip to China this summer, if school would have started on schedule the boys would have been back in school 2 days after we got home.  That would have been a nightmare, I am so thankful we have had an extra month to settle in with Ava.  The kids are ready to go back even if they wont admit it. :-)

My brother has been with us all summer and was a great help with our animals when we were in China.  He was also great company when my hubby was traveling this summer with work.  Thanks Norm!  Yesterday we took him to the airport for his flight to Spain, he will be working in over 11 countries over the next 10 months in Europe.  He works for Feld Entertainment and is in a Disney Magic show, what a life.

Anyway, after we took him to the airport we took the kids out to lunch and then we headed to Water World for the first time.  It was the last day of the season and we never had a chance to check it out this summer.  We had an amazing time and four hours was not long enough.  Ava loves the water and enjoying all the rides.  We made the decision when we left that next year we will buy season passes and enjoy it many times next summer!!  The weather was perfect and in the mid 80's.  Everyone made the hour drive back home and we all crashed 15 minutes after walking through the door.

Enjoy the pictures at our wonderful day at the water park.....