Tuesday 1 October 2013

Summer living 2013

Today is the first day of October and summer is over.  It's autumn now - the leaves are falling, the mornings are crisp and jeans are back in the laundry circulation.



We didn't do a grand trip this year however we did do lots of fun things and some weekend trips within North Carolina. Here's our summer in brief:

Lucy and Fiona went to Disney World and Legoland for the weekend to celebrate her 7th birthday.



Henry spent 2 weeks at UNCW swimming lessons. He also spent a week at Kim's Gym doing soccer and bike riding.


Auntie Julie and cousins Edward and Cordelia visited us for 10 days.  We went strawberry picking a couple of times, visited the battleship and aquarium and played lots of board games.

We visited Asheboro Zoo (about 3.5 long hours away!) We had a great time and hope to go back soon.


Lucy spent a week at Wrightsville Surf Camp learning how to boogie board, visiting the turtle hospital and playing the ukelele. She also spent a week at Power Camp at Myrtle Grove Presbyterian learning how to do lego animation and a week at Engineering Camp at UNCW learning how critters construct their homes. She also read half the NHC library.


We spent the fourth of July at the Lake Waccamaw celebrations.



Henry turned 4 and celebrated with a monster truck party.  Andrew built a super duper 'carwash' sprinkler for the kids and constructed a mud pit.


  
He also got to visit a real monster truck and sit inside it.

  


We took a trip up to the Crystal Coast to visit the aquarium as well as Fort Macon. We had a memorable lunch in a picnic shelter on the sound watching the boats. 



Camped in the backyard several times as well as having lots of opportunities for a fire pit and toasting marshmallows or making smores. 

We also played lego a little. Just a little.




Attended lots of playdates at the pool, at the park, at the farm and at the fire station



We went bike riding, played in the back yard and grew our own tomatoes (over 1,000 so far)


We spent time with Robin including having a tea party! 



We made jam! Strawberry jam, strawberry syrup and frozen whole strawberries. Then blueberry butter. Tomato jam (divine!) Then from 90lbs peaches we made peach jam, peach butter, peach passion butter. Then Cara Cara orange marmalade. Now that it's fall we are planning on apple butter, apple sauce and apple jelly.



We ate ice cream. Lots of ice cream. At home. At Boombalattis. At the beach. Bucket loads.



We visited Carolina Beach State Park to see Venus Fly traps in their natural habitat. We bought a plant on the way home and then watched it catch a fly!



We farewelled the Lingenfelters! This is Henry's turn on the zipline.



 
The kids started school/preschool