Interruption - "The Rest of Summer" and "School Started!"

Summer, why do you pass so quickly?!?

I don't think anyone was real excited to start school this year (maybe Sean?).  We had our great adventure to England, and then it felt like it took the rest of summer to recover.  I also had to work, which was extremely strange to me.  Hoping that I have another job by next summer, so that I don't have to work summers.

Sean got to celebrate his 12th birthday while we were in England.  While that might have been exciting to most people, he still wanted to have a party with his friends when we returned home.  So they went swimming, and then played video games - super easy for me!

Happy #12 Sean!

Making his wish.

Having way too much fun.

Crazy boys!  (Sean, Zane, Christian, and Braydon)

Sean was only able to fit one play in this summer.  "Twelfth Night" and he got to play the part of Orsino.

Clara and Sean.

Sean is a complete natural at acting.

Sean and Katelyn.

Then Chad decided to have a birthday and grow older too.  He is now 16!!!!!!  He was able to get his driver's license and a car!!!!  How is that for one lucky kid?!  The car was a complete surprise.  I was able to get a good deal on a car from work (it still needs a little TLC on the outside but runs great).  We took Chad down to my work to "look" at cars.  When we came to this one I asked him if he wanted to try it out. Of course he did.  And then I told him, "Why don't you just drive it home, it's yours!"  He was in total shock and just sat in the car for a minute with his mouth wide open.  So his first solo ride with his new license was in his new car (well, technically, it is the "kid" car, but he is the only one that can drive at the moment).

Chad and the new car.  Happy 16th bud.

Showing us what he will not be doing while driving.

Tradition:  Read Grandma's writing in the birthday card.

16 and able to date now too!  "Dating 101" from mom.

One happy birthday boy/man.

Chad's party - playing "4 Square in the Air."

Then all of a sudden school started!  Why does it always come so quickly?  I want another summer!!!

Chad's ready for 10th grade.  He has this high school thing down now.

Looking pretty stylish.

 Chad is taking Chamber Orchestra (elite group), Chemistry, Honors English, German 1, Bio-Med 2, Algebra 2 and World History (online).  He is running varsity for Cross-Country.

Halle - going into 9th grade and high school.  How did that happen?

So cute.

Halle is taking Jazz Orchestra (elite group), Geometry, Honors English, French 1, Foods and Nutrition, Wind Ensemble (elite group), Biology, and P.E/Health (online).  She just had her first cross-country meet Saturday and made it onto the varsity team.

Brother and sister together.

Chad is now the new bus driver for the Caviness high schoolers and seminary.

By kiddos!  Can't believe they can just take off without me now.

Sean is ready to begin his adventures in middle school!

Looking good.

A Sean pose.

Ready to walk to school with best friend, Christian.

Bragging moment!  After just two weeks into school I got a call from Sean's math teacher.  She said he seemed to be bored, raised his hand to answer every question and aced the pre-test on math the kids had never learned before.  She thought he needed to be bumped up to Algebra (9th grade math). So basically he just skipped two grades in math.

So Sean is taking Literacy, Accelerated English, Washington History, P.E.,  Algebra, and 7th Grade Science.