Carpe Diem

This week has been a non-stop party.  The kids were invited to friend's birthday parties, there were Pioneer Day events and parades and spontaneous neighborhood gatherings that included fire-pits and outdoor movies.  We had a stake dinner (yes stake, not steak) and wagon rides and went boating with friends and watched a lot of fireworks.  On top of it all the weather has been absolutely perfect.  Plenty warm, not too hot, with a slight breeze.  The evenings couldn't get any better.  Throw in the beautiful sunsets and you have the recipe for a perfect summer week.

First of all I must say that good friends are awesome.  Good friends with boats, however, are even awesome-er!  A big shout out to Nate and Malin for inviting us to go boating on Thursday.  It is nice that Adam is flexible with his work and can just pick up and go boating on a Thursday.  The good news is that he can work from anywhere, the bad news is that he can work from anywhere.

In between water skiing and dealing with a paranoid Korinne he answered calls and sent and received e-mails.  Even a few years ago you couldn't sit on a boat and send e-mails--it is kind of amazing when you think about it.  Korinne wasn't sure about the whole boating thing.  It took us about 10 min. and a little force to get her on the boat in the first place.  For the first while she clung to Adam for dear life.  Little by little she began to relax and by the end she was converted.

Jenna didn't need any convincing.  She was the first one to pop up and try anything new.

Here she is getting up on water skis.  She didn't stay up for long, but she definitely got up!

Britton loved the knee board. . .

. . .but was a reluctant water skier.  He tells us that the only reason he tried was because "Dad said he had to try it once".  I didn't get a picture of him up, but I did get one of him starting out.

One try was enough for him. 

It took us awhile, but we finally convinced Korinne to get on the tube with all of us.

She had fun, right up until she thought the boat started going too fast. Click on the picture below to see her face. Priceless.

Adam has water skiing skills I didn't even know about. 

I think my arms are still sore from my tubing and knee boarding adventures.

It was definitely a good workout, if not a little bit humbling.  I'm not as strong as I thought I was.

Nothing says "Happy Pioneer Day" like some free color hair spray and face painting.

At least that is what our local parks and rec dept thinks.  The kids had a great time at a local parade and the big gathering at Willow Park afterwards.  Free kids events included decorating slap bracelets, decorating hacky sacks, getting your hair decorated, your face painted, and having candy shot from a cannon every hour on the hour. Very pioneer like.

Ah, I love summer.