Three cheers for summer vacation!

Finally . . . school has ended here in the Pacific Northwest. And I think I am at least as excited as the kids.  Here are just a few of the reasons:

1. We will have a break from lessons and sports for a few months, which means that I will not need to spend my afternoons and evenings driving around in circles as I chauffeur my progeny to each of their separate activities.
2. No one will have pressing science projects/math homework/English papers/etc. to make them irritable in the evening. We will theoretically be able to get through an entire scripture study session in the evening without someone whining about how we don't have time to talk about what we are reading - we just need to read as fast as we can so that she/he can get back to homework.
3. Bedtime is now a non-issue.  I love that about summer. (Dan loves it less, since he still has to get up and go to work at a reasonable hour.)  I love staying up late together talking, watching movies, playing games, whatever.
4. We have time to re-discover things we like to do. For instance, today Aubrey and Joseph spent hours playing games on Wii Fit. And then Aubrey found a science/craft project we could do, and we did it. They were cooperating, laughing, and doing something constructive in a summer-sort of way.  Now that the stress is over, we are talking about all the possibilities of things we can do or learn or places we can see or visit over the next few months.  We own our schedule. It's awesome.
5. I get to see my kids more. In addition to loving my kids, I really like them. So, I enjoy having them around.
6. I will not need to get up to help Bailey get out the door for early morning Seminary until September. I'm sure that she is even more glad that she can sleep past 5:00 a.m.
7. There is so much light this time of year. It is the antithesis of the gray, dark days of winter. The light is invigorating.
8. And today the sun even produced warmth - we were warmer than 60 degrees.  The weatherman said that the sun may only last one more day, but we'll take it when we can get it.
9. It's almost berry season, which is a fabulous time to live in Washington/Oregon.
10. Because it's summer, we can get away with eating berries, watermelon, corn on the cob, tomatoes, and random other things from the refrigerator for dinner.  I love summer dinners.

This morning I had each of the kids pose for a "last day of school picture."  I've never done that before, but I thought it would be fun to see how they have grown over the school year.

Joseph - last day of 1st grade (holding the nametag which has been on his school desk all year and wearing Hawaiian beads for the 1st grade luau. And wearing very ripped up jeans, because that's what happens when you play hard and have fun at recess all year long).  And on the right - first day of 1st grade.  It's hard to tell from the pictures, but Joseph grew at least three inches this school year!

 Aubrey, who also grew taller this last year, on the last day of 6th grade 

 and first day of 6th grade:

Bailey - who would like to point out that she didn't get much taller (maybe half an inch) this last year because she has decided that she is not growing any more - on the last day of 9th grade and first day of 9th grade:

It has been a great year. And we're glad it's summer. Bring on the popsicles.