Our last summer hurah!

At Myrtle Beach enjoying the end of summer! Clair at the beach on our first morning! Kate looking for a great beach find!

Bowen working on the Bright sand castle!

The sunrise the first morning!

The kids loved playing in the sand and the waves. We had so much fun. We can't wait to go back in a couple months and enjoy a less crowded beach!

Camping and Hiking

Here are some photos from the rest of our camping trip including two hikes...one to white water falls and one to stump house mountain tunnel. Yummy camp food - this was our hot dog dinner and I made a yummy pineapple upside down cake in our new dutch oven! I love that thing!

This is the white water falls gang!

I seriously have the most beautiful kids...I just love taking pictures of them!

Now on to the stump house mountain tunnel. There is the enterance behind Bowen and Stephen! Such a cool place- literally!

Our long weekend trip ended on a bad note - Kate got bite by a spider at some point. Her ankel got huge and she couldn't even walk on it. It was red and swollen and tender to the touch. I had to take her to the doc and they put her on heavy antibiotics. Luckly after about 3 days on the meds we started to see improvement!

A day at beautiful lake Jocassee

As soon as school was out we headed off to camp with some of our neighbors for a long weekend! We were lucky to discover that some good friends of ours from church were planing on being on the lake near our camp site with their boat and sea-do. They were SO kind and great examples of good members of the church! They invited us all to join them on the lake and boated us out to a little island where they'd set up a shade tent in a little cove. Here is Clair riding off to the island with Brother Taylor - I think Clair is going to be our thrill seeker! She didn't' hesitate to jump on the sea-do and wanted to go faster! Just look at that lake - isn't it beautiful! Here is Brother Smith with the first of three boats full to ferry over to the island! Kate wanted to ride in the boat - NOT on the sea-do!

Now Bowen's turn on the sea-do!

Here we are on the island...the kids plated in the water and in the sand and just had a blast!

Bowen REALLY liked the sand! He also really liked taking a ride in the little kayak.

Clair and her little friend Zoe loved the rube ride! They kept their thumbs up to go faster the whole time!

Here is Clair after the tube ride - at which time she proclaimed -"This is the best day of my whole life!"

Kate rode on the purple scarier tube, but had the protection of her favorite YW from church, Alexis! I am so glad she has good girls to look up to that are kind and considerate!

Clair got her first sting - a wasp we think. She was "uncomfortable" for a long while...but later she said, "Even though I got stung, it was still the best day of my life!" So, no harm done I guess!

The weather got a little stormy - but man I love this place! Now the Bright family has been bit by the lake bug and we long to have a boat of our own!

Kate's 2nd Grades Awards Day

We were so proud of Kate and all her hard work this year. She really shined at 2nd grade award day! She won several medals for placing in the PTA Reflections contest...she placed in photography, writing, and art. Here is Mrs. Parker (principal) giving her another medal and a big hug! She also won other awards for jump rope for heart, St Jude's math marathon, and the Governors reading award...here is her whole class receiving the reading award they earned!

We were also proud that Kate earned the 2nd grade female music student of the year as well as principals honor roll for making all A's!

Way to go Kate - we are so proud!

If it's not Scottish...It's CRAP!

We decided to go check out the opening parade for the Greenville Scottish Games. It was a fun parade with lots of bagpipes and a REAL prince! Here are the girls. Clair's friend Emily joined us since her sister was having surgery on her elbow. Here they are waiting for the parade to start!

Daddy and Bowen are waiting too!

Doesn't this dude look authentic!

Some bagpipes! LOVE THEM!

This little guy is starting young!

He could be protecting some castle on the Scottish moors!

Here he is...Prince Edward. When I asked Clair, "Isn't he handsome?" She said, "NOOOO - He is OLD!"

Stephen informed the kids..."He puts his pants on one at time just like I do!" I was excited to see him! I made sure all the kids got a good look at him! But laws I know he was hot in that thick expensive suite of his!

Clair's Kindergarten Graduation

With school coming to an end...the Kindergarten had their special Kindergarten graduation! They sang several songs, and then each child's name was called and they received a certificate of completion from Kindergarten. Here they are singing "School is Cool" Clair is on the top left 4 or 5 over! Clair hugging Mrs. Williams after her name was called!

Clair getting her certificate from Mrs. McConaghy. (Sorry for the blur, I CANNOT get good pics in the cafeteria!)

After the group ceremony we went outside with just Clair's class. The kids had been watching the butterfly life cycle and now it was time to let the butterflies go...get the symbolism. It was cute!

Clair did NOT want school to end. She says she wants to be in Kindergarten FOREVER! Thanks to her teachers for making school so enjoyable for her! She learned a lot this year!

Strawberries!

We wanted to go pick strawberries for FHE - but the weather didn't want us to. So we had to wait a few days. We invited our friends to join us. We picnicked and then picked strawberries. Kate showing off a perfect strawberry!

Clair having fun!

Bowen sampling the goods!

The kiddos filling their baskets with strawberries!

We picked four big buckets. I made three batches of jam, two pies, strawberry turnovers, and three batches of strawberry syrup, plus sliced, sugared, and froze some too! I love strawberry season!

Kate's Reflections District Awards

Kate won two awards on the District level for Reflections... Honorable mention in photography - "The Bee and Flower"

Second Place in Literature - "Beautiful Places"

Way to go Kate. We are so proud of you!