Wrapping Up Summer...Sort Of

I hesitate to say that we are "wrapping up summer" because this very week we are having the warmest weather we have had all year! We might even hit 90 tomorrow! Summer in the Northwest is more pleasant than summer anywhere else...seriously. The skies are clear, the temps are mild, and it is so enjoyable to be outside. And frankly, if summer wants to hang around into what is supposed to be fall, you won't find this southern girl complaining - not one bit.



This has been one of the best summers I can remember. I really don't enjoy looking back over summer break and wondering where it went...feeling like it flew right past me. I can definitely look back on summer 2011 and remember exactly how I spent it, and boy was it fun!

Here are some highlights of Summer Vacation 2011:

- We got to take a little trip to a new place, Las Vegas!!
- I got to fulfill a 20 year old dream...
- G & Zack spent a week with us and we got have lots of adventures!
- We welcomed Tesa & Tyce Lewallen into our lives.
- We had ten wonderful days with Mom.
- Finally made it to Mt. St. Helen's!
- Celebrated Derek's "Halfway to 50" birthday!
- I got to spend a week back home so that I could go to Texas with my parents, share some good times with family, and see Jared play varsity football.

What a fabulous summer!! Now school is back in full swing, but we did get to squeeze in a few more adventures before summer vacation ended...

We made another day trip out to the Northwest Trek and enjoyed a view of some animals we didn't get the last time we were there. The weather was much more cooperative and the animals were out and ready to be seen.




I'll spare you the rest...you've seen it before =)

We gathered with some great friends on the beach for a little celebration...


Okay, it was a BIG celebration! Our friend Steph was baptized!! And how cool that her husband John wanted to be the one to baptize her...awesome!



Hooray for Stephanie!!

We enjoyed a beautiful evening of Tacoma Rainiers baseball.


Some people can't go to a baseball game without Cracker Jacks...

...I can't go without having some garlic fries, yum!

Then we went on a guided walking tour of Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Fremont is an area of Seattle that we hadn't explored yet - it's famous for having large random pieces of eclectic artwork. People in Fremont call themselves "Fremonsters" or at least that's what we were told.



Since I really can't remember the details of what the tour guides told us, I'll just share the pictures of the artwork...I'm sure it speaks for itself.






Anyone is free to decorate the artwork at any time - it's called an "art attack." Looks like someone has it all decorated for a birthday!


Poor Derek...our tour guide roped him into this, he was a great sport and played along.






The highlight of the tour was getting to check out the famous "Fremont Troll." We knew this guy existed, but just hadn't made it to Fremont to pay him a visit.

Looks like that Volkswagen didn't pay the toll...


But thankfully, we did, ha!


Well, I guess that does wrap up our lovely summer. I really do love being back at Chloe Clark with all of the kiddos, but I sure am thankful to have had such a wonderful summer filled with so many wonderful memories. Now I'm looking forward to beautiful fall and all of the wonderful things it brings with it. I love fall colors, flavors, and scents - they are my favorite! But I have a confession to make and please don't judge me for this...as soon as the weather starts to cool and fall is officially arriving, I am ready to put up the Christmas tree. I just can't help it, ha!