Five Brown Kids

Taye, Scotia and Blythe are all doing summer swim. Taye intends to win every single race all summer long and it’s likely he will. Scotia is getting exercise and LOVES helping to coach the little kids. Blythe is so serious about swimming. She works so hard every lap. She was super scared for her first race but after that couldn’t be stopped!

Scotia did a week of sewing camp but I have no pictures. Jaxon is in the midst of a week of basketball camp.   Blythe did a week of preschool camp and I have lots of pictures. Fun adventures for all kids this summer.

Taye is having lots of fun with friends - an endless stream of people coming and going. Here at a lake house with swim friends.

I know it’s summer when we hit up Sandling Beach (Falls Lake) with the Fosters.  We grill hotdogs and the kids play in the water for hours and hours. The fun tubes to play on are definitely a hit.  Such a relaxing afternoon to visit with a friend while the kids all play. I had Emily's kids too because she was out of town.  ( Last year , 2013 )

There were moments I didn’t think this was going to happen. Every morning I would send him out the door "you’re almost done, hang in there, so close to the end, don’t mess it up now." And he did it. High school graduate! So impressive.

After the New York city adventure Courtney picked me up to go visit her for a few days. I saw her new place, hiked the Appalachian, biked around town and best of all got to spend time with her kids undistracted by a crowd. We watched Tobias play baseball and listened to Andrew’s friend stories over supper. I even had time to read a book.

Since I first saw the broadway show " Come From Away " I’ve been dying for my mom to see it. Then one day I just looked up tickets, emailed my Mom and sister-in-law and sisters and invited them all to spend a weekend in NYC with me.  We found a good date and it all just fell into place.  Even Naomi made plans to fly in all the way from Calgary. Mom and Naomi and Hannah had never spent any time in NYC and it was so incredibly fun to wander around without any children and show them all my favorite places.  We walked the high line, did a hop on, hop off bus tour which really allowed us to get an overview of the whole city, took a ferry from Hudson yards and then walked to Battery park. Did the ferry to Ellis island and loved the tour, especially going past the Statue of Liberty.  Come From Away was amazing! It was fun watching them realize what a big deal Broadway is. All the theaters, the super long line for a show about "Newfoundland". The theatre was so beautiful...

Last week Scotia graduated from elementary school. I’ve been sending Brown kids there for 12 years now and it was so bittersweet to say goodbye. (Blythe will go to school closer to our new house).  Partnership has been so good to us. It was a really small school so everyone knew everyone and they were kind and encouraging and really fun. My kids shined at the school!  Scotia walked across the stage and the boys yelled stupid big brother things and we took lots of pictures and said goodbye to friends and teachers.  Time for middle school!