Signs of Summer

I know that summer is here, because our ROSES are in bloom and are so so so pretty! 

Oh my gosh I just love these roses. I want to paint these pink and yellow roses, I just can't get enough of them. They are just heaven. A few more pics from today's shots here.

So that is the first sign of summer. Ok, what else... another sign of summer 2) kids playing outside - Abi set up the Badmitton game today and the kids have been having fun doing that. Watching them from our balcony - 

Sign of summer #3: ice cream. 

(plus you can't trust a one year old with a full sized ice cream cone anyway)

I bought drumsticks at Costco cause they were on sale. I gave the kids each a cone after they did their (sign #4) summer chore lists: bedroom, clothes, music, and summer workbooks. Natalie made a detailed summer checklist for herself, on her own initiative. Cute.

Sign of summer #5 - kids coloring. Actually scratch that, we'll call this sign "kids at home making a mess." I bought coloring books on Saturday, and I've never before seen helpless coloring pages be colored in such fury with an onslaught of pens, pencils, crayons, and markers. 

I bought like 8 coloring books and they're all dead and gone. If I buy anymore again, I shall have have to come up with a different approach for their distribution and not just leave them to the wolves. But it was kinda fun watching the kids all be engrossed and go to town on a common activity. Even baby K!

Still in her Sunday dress, an old dress that my mom gave me that my sisters used to wear. It's too small for Katharine now, but the girls insisted she wear it one last time.

Kids coloring more at the counter after I had them clean up the table. So then this morning the coutner was like the aftermath of a tornado. 

It's all good though. Coloring is a good thing. A few more pics from today - A cute note Owen made for Corey -

Translation:   To: DaD   from: Owen  (flip it) - You're Doing Great!

And some stickers inside. Cute kids. 

And lastly, KATHARINE just made us all freak out after scriptures tonight. Corey came home from work feeling sick, so it was me and the kids, and after some scriptures and discussion, when Wesley started to offer a pray, I was holding K and... she clasped her little hands!!! I psst'd to the kids to look up and they all silently "Awwww!"-d with me.

My phone was in the pocket of my pants of the hip she was perched on, so it took a second to wriggle it out to take a photo - I was so glad that she was still folding her hands, CUTEST THING EVER!!! We love her so much.