Summer of Fun 2011

I always seem to forget about blogging over the long summer. We have had such a great summer though, that I didn't want to skip it altogether. I am squeezing this little summary in before school starts next week. It's image heavy, but that's what you get when you squish a whole summer into a few pictures!

Sophie got to see Disney Princesses on Ice in the late spring with her friend Bekka. Bekka invited Sophie and I to come watch with her and her mom. The girls were too cute, and hardly said two words to each other, but they shared their snacks, and lots of smiles throughout the show. We saw Bekka at Monkey Joe's on Wednesday, and the girls were inseparable!

This picture is from Soccer Shots, which the twins did all winter, and into the spring. In the summer, we signed them up for Kiddie Kickers, which was quite the experience. Coach Dennis is Irish, and full of energy. Some might say crazy. He has the kids running all over the indoor field for the entire hour. The twins were the youngest kids there, which was a little intimidating to them, but as time went on, they got more comfortable.

We had lots of park playdates this summer! Jack and Sophie like the sand box the best, but also love to climb and slide.

We saw "Cars 2" twice this summer. Once in the movie theater, and once at the drive in. Even though we sat far away at the drive in, it was a hit. I made popcorn, and brought drinks, and we enjoyed the warmth in our pj's! The kids stayed up through the whole movie, which started at nine, and ended at 10:30. Eeep!

Lots of playing in the back yard, and getting muddy. My kids LOVE dirt. Although I hate to clean it up, I love that they get dirty. They have just a couple of years in their lives where they can cover themselves in dirt or grass.

We had lots of playdates around Hershey and Harrisburg. This picture is from Hershey Gardens. It was hot that day! Jack and Sophie did not want to sit still for my picture! ;) Sophie adored the butterfly house, and they fact that she could be so close to butterflies.

Jack, Sophie and I did the Meelard Shuffle at my high school again this year. I walked the 5K, and then the kids ran a 100m. Jack was practicing running circles around our house the morning before the race, and he was ready. He ran the whole distance, and came in first! Sophie also ran super, duper fast, and was the first girl! They are starting to get competitive!
We found a new place to hang out this summer, that is close to our house. The Splash Park! It's a little park with a playground, and then an area where water turns on everyday at 11:00. There are lots of sprinklers that the kids can run through and get cooled off. Water may be the best part of summer!
Matt traveled to D.C. at the end of July for a weekend of soccer! He got to see Manchester United vs. Barcelona. What could be better? He went down for two days with a friend, and was able to watch the practice sessions on Friday night, before the game on Saturday. He was in soccer heaven.We stayed at a lake house for a week with the Perini family, and enjoyed the outdoors. Jack loved having Matt row him in the boat all week. We also enjoyed feeding a family of ducks, playing in the sand, playing in the pool, and just being together. Aunt Laurie and Uncle Josh came, which is always fun! We miss them in England like crazy! Congrats to them on their engagement. Sophie is already planning her part in the wedding! ;)
We hiked Boulder Field at Hickory Run State Park, which is literally a huge field covered in boulders. It was rainy, but the kids loved climbing as long as they had a little help. Not the most flattering picture of me and my big belly. ;)


Lots of pool time. We got the twins floaties, which help them in the water. We went camping for the weekend with the Anderson Clan, including The Fredrick Andersons. The kids loved having Rachel there to play with! We spent most of the day Saturday in a pool with a huge splash park. Jack was really brave, and ran through every sprinkler! He loved it. They also loved the playground an amphitheater at the site.


We took a trip to Kneobels. Sophie was finally tall enough to ride the roller coaster. She rode with Matt, and Jack rode with Uncle Josh. Needless to say, Sophie did not like it! Jack on the other hand, wanted to go again. Matt said it was a little scary too! ;) The park is almost always calm, and it is nice that the twins can get on any ride almost immediately. It makes for such a fun day! All in all, it was a wonderful summer! We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly! I am especially looking forward to fall now, which is unequivocally the best season! :)