It has been a tremendous summer, filled with fun travels and visits with extended family. In July, we drove out to North Carolina (near Asheville) to spend a week at Beth’s family reunion. The week was filled with a lot of swimming, playing baseball, going to an Asheville Tourists baseball game (single-A minor leagues), performing in a talent show, and hunting for gems and minerals. Not only did the kids enjoy spending the week with Grandma and Grandpa Oakes, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Joe, Aunt Mardie and Uncle Tony, but they re-bonded with all of their second cousins as well.
In the beginning of August, we headed out to California to see Eugene’s family. After flying into San Francisco, we drove down to Southern California for a cousins’ reunion at Disneyland. There we met up with Aunt Nancy, Uncle Russ, Jordan and Gracelyn; and Uncle Charles, Matt and Sara flew out from Hawaii. All six cousins (Matt, Sara, Jordan, Gracelyn, Emily and Ethan) had a great time, spending two days at the Disneyland parks in Anaheim. After Disney, we drove back up to the Bay Area with Matt and Sara (Charles had to return to Hawaii) and spent the rest of the week visiting with Grandma Rose in Oakland. Bay Area highlights included seeing Aunt Mardie and Uncle Tony in San Francisco, going to a San Francisco Giants game, visiting the San Francisco Zoo and Golden Gate Park, and eating some yummy ramen in Santa Clara before visiting Apple headquarters in Cupertino and the Stanford campus.
Upon returning to Iowa, we were left with only a few days to get ready for the new school year to start. Emily (5th grade) and Ethan (3rd grade) both have new teachers this year; and both were not excited about the summer ending so soon.
In other kids’ news, we have decided to drop gymnastics from Ethan’s activities this year. Instead of spending nine hours a week in the gym, we are getting him more involved in baseball activities (a sport he has more interest in now). Emily decided to take on swimming, and will be starting in a swim club this fall. Both continue with their music studies; Emily has decided to drop the double bass and pick up the flute this year, now that 5th graders can learn band instruments! She will continue with violin and Ethan with piano.