summer break

here is our one, sole week of "summer break."  feels like it because the other weeks are filled with daily swim practices and this one week we have to plan leisurely activities.  

monday - looking ahead a little bit - we completed our back-to-school shopping.  i'm telling you.  just one week we have!

tuesday - playdate with kipley, hayes and wyatt.  ella spent 2 hours going up and down this slide:

wednesday - different pool.  fun playdate with jack fletcher

thursday - different pool yet again.  we didn't make our planned trip up to hotham island (we WILL make it up there one day!!!) since we are in the final stages of our renovation and need to be available for meetings about the house.  we decided a little staycation was in order - the kids have been SUCH troopers about the move and temporary housing situation.  we were off for a blissful 24 hours at starr pass!

there was a deer just below our hotel room balcony!!

we had a fabulous day of lazy-river-ing and water-sliding, topped off by a chill night and s'mores

back in the lazy river for friday morning

we left our delightful get-a-way and met up with hailey and her mom at color me mine.

the kiddos each painted something for their new rooms.  walls are painted and countertops have been templated - we get closer and closer to being home!

season finale

and just like that, another swim season with the orcas has come to a close.  

we were at amphi high school bright and very early (6 a.m. warm-ups!) for championship prelims.  ella started it off with her medley relay (she swam the breaststroke leg) and they came in 7th place and ribboned!!  

man, 3 years of swim and this is how we are still "diving" - ha!  way to start things off, max!

with coach shannon

ella's looking great.  max almost PR'd in his backstroke finals (the littles swim a backstroke final and freestyle final instead of doing prelims) with a time of 43.52.  ella didn't qualify for any finals (they have to be in the top 8) but she PR'd both backstroke (with a time of 30.83) and freestyle (with a time of 26.40).  amazing job, guys!!  

we rushed out of championships and got josie and ella to their first day of their creative juice art camp.  

 tuesday morning relaxing before championship finals.

oh, max's freestyle finals.  closest race ever.  max and his buddy, levi were neck-and-neck all the way down...

unfortunately, when they went to touch the wall, max went up and over to touch the top and levi went straight in and max missed being the heat winner by TWO-ONE-HUNDREDTHS OF A SECOND!!!!!!  but...he finished in 36.39 which is almost a FIVE SECOND drop in time.  so so so amazing and i'm beyond impressed.  way to finish the season, buddy!!!  

the boys lined up for their very first free relay!!  so cute with his friends, hayes, levi and levi!

aubrey and els ready for their last free relay of the season

max did great in his first relay ever.  and with that there is no more swimming.  just kidding.  we swam like 8 more times before the week was over.  we were off to peter piper for the championship dinner - the orcas came in 2nd place, woohoo!!!!

a few pics from the team photographer.  

pushing coach lauren in, fully dressed, after practice one day

the little babies of the team.  they had an amazing season!

aubs and els have such a sweet friendship.  excited that they will be neighbors and school-mates!

of course he smiles all the way down during backstroke.  love it.

wednesday night, we were back at the pool one last time for open swim and the season banquet.

max buddied up with the older boys, including coach kenan and judah who were phenomenal with him this season.  

oh, that beautiful dive!!

with his adopted buddy, emma.  she was so so sweet to him this summer!

oh man.  i'm so thankful for this crazy summer activity.  ella and max, you show so much dedication and hard work.  swimming every morning also prevents you from doing any camps and i'm so proud of how committed you were.  what a different year it was with two kids, they were constantly lining up for heats or off hanging out with their friends.  

ella - i cannot say enough how proud i am of you.  it's difficult to come in at 8, when most of the kids have been swimming for 4 seasons, and learn 4 strokes.  you started the season not being able to do a legal breaststroke and now you're one of the fastest in your age group.  you applied the coaching you received and worked so hard - you PR'd at almost every meet!!!!  and you were always there to cheer your friends on - even the friends on the opposing team!  i can't wait to see you continue to swim!!

max - you had another fantastic season and i'm so proud.  after your amazing freestyle final, you commented that you can't wait until next season.  that makes my heart absolutely swell.  

thursday.  our first morning of no practice.  where did we go?

a swim playdate at the fletchers'!!

friday afternoon, the girls finished up their "unicorns and rainbows" art camp at creative juice.  

beautiful job, ella!!!!

okay.  we made it one day not in the pool.  saturday morning, we were back.  for their bookclub end of summer bash!

with addy and sophia, who will also be in mrs. thomas' class with him

my parents took the kids for the weekend (thank you!!!) so we could get a ton of work done at the house.  we are getting closer.  cabinets are installed (yay!) and we are in the home stretch.  in the absence of furniture at the apartment, we took our date night and went to the movies for their amazing recliners.  not slowing down anytime soon but there's nobody else i'd rather have by my side!