Where did the summer go???

Well, it's now just after the Labor Day holiday and I am finally getting around to documenting the summer of 2009...only it seems as though it came and went so quickly...as they always do. Tanner, this was your first, true to life, summer vacation after an amazing Kindergarten year, and let me just say, you enjoyed it immensely! You hated to see summer pass as much as a teenager in highschool might. I loved having you home everyday and watching you delight in all the wonders of summer fun. Evan loved having his big brother home daily as well, and the two of you were the best of friends, and occasionally, the worst of enemies, but you had each other...all summer...to share in the fun and the memories. I lost count of the times we went to get ice cream, but I know it was at least once a week when Baskin Robbins had dollar scoop night on Tuesday nights. You boys grew to love Tuesday nights this summer as much as your Dad and I did...but for slightly different reasons. We had come to cherish Tuesday nights for Kairos-a very unique and wonderful worship experience at our church, Brentwood Baptist Church. It's like a "date night" for me and your dad...we love it! You guys looked forward to meeting up with the cousins, Lily and Braeden, and all getting to go into the same childcare room and play for the few hours we are in worship. Wow! Those poor teachers having all four of you together. That pretty much equals chaos..and LOUD chaos!! You guys have so much fun together, no matter where you are or what you are doing, and it was really a special time for all of us.

Water fun was abundant this summer! We went to White Water waterpark in Atlanta, Ga. and you guys couldn't get enough. It really was so much fun. Evan's first trip down a waterslide was a scary experience for him and for me, but like the trooper that you are, Evan, you were ready to try another one in mere moments. Being novices at the waterpark thing, your dad and I neglected to notice there were some height restrictions for certain slides, and the sixteen year old kids manning the slides didn't bother to notice either, so you went down a very fast and very curvy slide on your first trip and landed in five feet of water, sinking to the bottom like a rock. The sixteen year old lifeguard in those cute bright red trunks, holding that cute bright red flotation device, with that cute little resuscitator hanging out of his cute little bright red fanny pack did NOTHING, so I promptly grabbed you off the bottom of the pool and assessed your status. "I think I just drownded, Mom" was all that you said, but you were fine...a little shell-shocked, as was I, but you were fine.
Tanner, you wanted the meanest, fastest slides there were, but now that mom and dad knew there were height restrictions, we carefully assessed any and all slides that you tried. But, the faster it went and the wetter you got, the better. It must have been a blast for all of us, because we got there when the park opened at 10 a.m. and stayed until it closed at 7p.m. It was a day full of sun, water, junk food, and laughter!! You guys thought staying in a hotel was the best part...just like your mom!!! We also made our second trip to the Georgia Aquarium and it goes without saying how much the both of you LOVED that experience. We have played "Guess the Animal" from the Georgia or Chattanooga Aquariums all summer long...and Evan you still can't get enough!!

There were also lots of lazy days hanging out at the pool, going to the zoo, setting up the waterslide, picnics in the park, catching critters in the Harpeth River, riding bikes, waterguns, staying up late for movies and junk food, concerts at Crockett park, and going fishing at Montgomery Bell park. Tanner, you turned six the summer of 2009 and we had a small celebration for you at the park on July 4th and then surprised you with our Georgia trip. You had a Pokemon cake and your favorite gifts had to be anything Pokemon (even though you have no clue how to play the game) and your Lego Indiana Jones Wii game- which has entirely replaced Mario Kart on your fascination list.

We didn't make it to the beach this summer, but are hoping to do that this fall or early spring. All in all, we had a great summer...doing what our family does best...hanging out and enjoying our time together!!