Farewell to Summer

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but it did. The summer is over and I haven't blogged once! I guess you could say that's evidence of a good summer - right?

So, here is our summer of 2014 condensed into the pictures from my phone. I don't know if we were that busy, or I'm just that lazy, but I did not take one picture this summer with our good camera.  I think it mostly means we are living in the moment and don't have time to lug around our big expensive SLR. Maybe this year?

Except for my huge excursion to Ireland, and a few camping trips, we were home for the summer. We played the local tourist and it was amazing. Even after that, there's still so much to explore and see around Bend!

Showing off their shamrock pants all the way from Ireland. 

I came back from Ireland with one of my running trails partially burned! Yikes! 

We took a trip to a friend's family farm.

Tried out the go-carts.

Had several visits to the museum. 

Did a little bike racing. This was the Northwest Crossing Hullabaloo Kiddie Crit. So fun and cute! 

Noella rocked it!

She rocked her popsicle too. 

We splashed in Tumalo Creek quite a bit this summer. 

Had a visit from Meems. 

Decorated and dressed festively for the 4th of July.

And ate our weight in watermelon. 

We sparkled. 

Took Mommy/Noella/Hattie Field trips (Lava Butte and Lava Caves).

Even Hattie and I got some one-on-one time while Noella took a pottery camp.

We took camping trips with friends. 

Lava Lake.

Ruthie and Noella.

We got REALLY dirty. 

It was shocking. 

We learned some new tricks. 

Ate a lot of popsicles. 

As well as fresh veggies from our garden.

We played lots of games. 

Had a dance camp. 

Even the Kansas Bleckman's visited. Noella and Lucy at Tumalo Falls. 

We took some dares. 

Brrrrrrrr!

Did lots of different things while wearing swim suits. 

Took another trip to the museum. 

We had cousin couch time. 

And cousin popsicle time. 

We played in the sandbox.

Heard lots of bedtime stories. 

Washed our bikes. 

Planted and grew lots of pretty things. 

We climbed our first mountain together as a family! 

It was exhausting. 

Noella has grown and blossomed so much this summer. 

We fake camped in the front yard. 

Shared ice cream cones. 

Cheered for Mom at a trail race. 

Ran wild through the mountains and trees. 

Got even dirtier than before (didn't think it was possible). 

Rode bikes some more. 

Went visited many lakes (Sparks Lake pictured here). 

Had a beauty spa day. 

Did a lot of art and coloring. Both of these girls love markers and crayons. 

We got fancy. 

Played at parks. 

Had more visiting friends (and went to the museum AGAIN! We kind of like that place).

Adam and I even got to go see Jack Johnson with other grown ups. 

We had fun (a little too much).

Noella got to go camping on her own with Dad, Alex and Mary. 

Hattie and I just visited. 

We explored a few more lakes (East Lake pictured). 

We swam, fished and boated. 

We bonded. 

A bittersweet goodbye to summer. Summer in Bend is very magical, and I'm sad to see it go. It is a little bit of consolation that fall is just as beautiful.