Pioneer Imposters

Thought these pics would be fun to post. They're from a ward activity we had over the summer to celebrate Pioneer Day. Our ward activities committee chairperson works at a children's theater and has access to all kinds of great western wear.

You will notice Jordan is absent. I think he was glad he was at scout camp that week. =)

When Jason, Alyssa, and I were dressing up for our pictures, Courtney wanted no part of it. It wasn't until much later that her Primary teacher talked her into a photo! =)

My personal favorite - Jason & Alyssa

And thanks to the talent behind the camera - Sabrina Lewis, our in-house ward photographer. (simplemomentsnc.com)

Fantasy Football Mattingley Style

For the past four years, Jason has invited the young men (and an assortment of dads and leaders) to join his fantasy football league. Everyone gathers on a designated Saturday for the draft. Two hours, 16 rounds, and a double batch of chocolate chip cookies later, the teams are set, and everyone is ready to play for seasonal bragging rights.

the snacks

the league commissioner
(notice his sweet setup with the laptop feeding to the TV)

team Mattingley

Jason describes this as "one of my favorite days of the year." =)

Summer Memories

The summer flew by this year. Suddenly it was August, and we still had things to do and places to go. Here's a recap of the kids' last two of weeks of freedom...

Swimming with Friends

Having a neighborhood pool makes summer in the South bearable. Having friends to meet us there makes summer fun.

Monkey Joe Madness

If you've never been to Monkey Joe's, it's basically a giant room filled with inflatables for kids to jump, slide, and bounce on until either a) they are exhausted, or b) their mom is tired of sitting there. I tried very hard for it to be option a, but after FOUR hours and with dinner time looming, I finally had to concede defeat and call option b.

Their favorite is this giant two-story slide.

Fun at the Y

Because the girls take dance at the YMCA, we get a couple of free passes to the water park each summer. The highlight is definitely the water slides!

It's always a good idea to hold your nose...

...because you never know when something like this might happen!

I love this shot of Jordan!

A Dream Come True

Lego finally opened a store in Charlotte! And as part of the Grand Opening celebration, kids could help a "Lego Master Builder" assemble an 8-foot RD-D2 in the food court at the mall. It was a no brainer - Jordan had to be there. =)

They had a bunch of tables set up for kids to assemble the giant bricks.

Then you took them to the Master Builder (safely roped off for protection, I guess) who added them to the actual model. (Compare it to the mini R2-D2 off to the side to get an idea of how big it will be when finished.)

Now if Jordan can just get a job there someday...

Where Are Those Ear Plugs??

Yes, we took the kids to see the Jonas Brothers in concert. It was actually a lot of fun, and to their credit, the trio puts on quite a show. (I'll even admit to having a few JB songs on my MP3.) Despite being surrounded by THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of screaming tweens, we had a good time. Courtney did ask if we could sit closer next time. =)

The concert was Friday night, and the kids started school on Tuesday, so it was a great way to wrap up a fun summer!