We have been trying to teach our kids about money and the value of saving. They saw these dart guns at Walmart that they were wanting so they have been saving for the last while. Anyhow, yesterday they finally got these guns. As you can imagine the kids are giddy with excitement.

Ok, now picture this with me... 7:30 am today. A battle began in our livingroom. Brayden was holding one gun. The other gun was held by none other than Kenny! Yes, my third child aka my husband was in full battle with my son! Kenny, in fine 007 form was crawling along the ground, hiding behind walls and crouching beside the bed like he was Jack Bauer from 24! Brayden desperately tried to keep up with his CIA agent dad, but Kenny was in no mood to lose. The funniest thing about it was that they were both in their undies!! I would have taken a picture for you but, well, this is not that kind of blog!

Finally I informed Kenny that he actually had to be at work in 40 minutes and he surrendered. Now as I sit here the battle continues as Brayden is now fighting Ethan. My serene home has now become a battlefield!

I guess that is life with a house full of boys!

Ethan loved the tire swing at our campground

Kenny and the boys on our family camping trip

Brayden boating on Shuswap Lake

Charlene and Bailey in Charlene's parent's boat

The boys with Ethan's pet snail that he found

Well, to be honest, I'm not sure I thought this summer would ever end! This time next week Brayden will be back at school and Ethan will be beginning preschool shortly after. I'm not sure the kids are excited to get back into the grind... but I sure am!

Our summer consisted of lots of company (I think I counted at least 6 sets of company who came from anywhere between 2 days to 5 days!). I attended a birth right at the start of the summer. My parents retired and moved out here. Brayden had summer camp. We excavated and sodded our yard. Both boys had swimming lessons every morning for 2 weeks straight. We went camping with another family for 4 days and then a week later went again just our family for another 4 days. Kenny went to Manitoba for a golf holiday with some friends. And the grand finale occurred when our van broke down and left me and the boys stranded in Kelowna for 10 hours. We quickly had to do some serious van shopping and now have a newer one!

In between our busyness I was at home with both boys, who are really quite interested in fighting ALL THE TIME! That proved to be the most challenging of things. And that is what made me consider running away and never coming back! Just kidding... sort of! For me, September means that the boys will be separated for the majority of the day (good news all around) and I will have some sanity back. Don't get me wrong, I love them and all, but hearing the words, "Brayden stop that... Ethan NOOOOO" just gets a little much after 2 months. Do all siblings do this or is this a brother thing? Of course, I only have a sister and we always lived in perfect harmony so I just don't understand my kids!!!!

At any rate, although this summer will not go into the record books as one of my favorites, it was so great to see so many people and to have even just a few days as a family. We had not had any time as a family in a year and a half. It was a great time (even if a skunk kept us up one night eating Bailey's dog food and scaring the crap out of Kenny... just the thought of it makes me giggle again)!

I'll keep you posted on the ever changing lives of the Toews Family!