Whirlwind Summer Part 2: Studying for the Bar Exam (or What Everyone Else Did While Daddy Studied)

BAR STUDY (Sorry, no pics of that)
Even though we've had lots of friends graduate from law school and take the Bar exam, until it was our turn, I really didn't realize how grueling the exam (or the study) would be.  Since Mike spent the first two weeks after school was over getting the house ready to sell, once it was on the market studying became a full-time job of 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week.  He usually went to the law library or the public library to study.  There is a ridiculous amount of information covered on the exam.  Very little of it is actually taught in law school.  There is lots of memorization involved.  California's Bar exam is especially brutal, as it lasts 3 days instead of 2.

FUN TIMES
Enough of the boring study, on to how we entertained ourselves while Daddy was studying!

Both Eliza and Caleb took swimming lessons at the pool near our house.  It was fun having them in the same class.  They both did well and enjoyed themselves.

In addition to swim lessons, we had several other chances to swim at different places.

The kids and I left Mike in Illinois and took a trip to Ohio for about two weeks.  First we met my parents and Darbie's family in central Ohio where we camped near the Mohican river for the 4th of July weekend.  I'm pretty sure it was the hottest week of the year.  Between the pool and my parents' air conditioned RV, we managed to not completely melt.

Josh and Lucy meet for the first time.  These cousins are just a month apart.  Josh weighs about twice what Lucy weighed, but she could totally take him in her maneuverability skills.

The kids has lots of fun spending time with cousins, especially in the water!

It was nice to have Chad available to help catch flying children while I had my hands full of chubby cheeks.

Grandma Melinda spent the morning and afternoon of the 4th of July crafting with the kids in order to be ready for their personal parade around the RV park.

It was well over a hundred degrees when Grandma and her four goslings marched proudly throughout the park.  It was the highlight for all of them.

Grandma also let the kids frost some fancy star cookies.

We drove into the neighboring tiny town for fireworks.  The kids had fun catching fireflies while we waited for the sun to go down.

When we were back up at my parents' house, we all went to an outdoor Arlo Guthrie concert in downtown Akron.  As you can see by the sweaty kiddos, it was another hot one!  It was a really fun concert, even for the kids (they were the youngest bunch there for sure).

 Carly and Eliza had fun dancing to the bluegrass opening act.

My kiddos were all fully awake when we left the concert, but Darbie had two that were totally out.

Later in the week Whitney came in to town.  It was fun to have all the cousins together.  Grandpa Monte was the parking lot crossing guard on our way into the Akron Zoo.

 Sadly, this was the best shot I had of Grandpa and Grandma with the grandkids.  It was really hot and everyone was too tired and grumpy to look at the camera, let alone at the same time.

 This one is a little better.  We had just eaten lunch, so there are a few more smiles and eyes.

One of the kids' favorite parts of the zoo was the zookeeper exhibit where they could prepare nutritious meals for the animals using the fake food and animal dietary guidelines.

They also liked learning about and touching the sting rays and horseshoe crabs.

 Grandma took the kids letterboxing (it's like geocaching except on foot with rubber stamps).

She carved each of the kiddos their own stamp with their name and gave them each a little log book.  We have letterboxed a few other times with her, so the kids know all about it.

And they each have bright orange backpacks to carry their stuff in (and so we can spot them easily).

 Joshy and Grandma Melinda at the new park in Copley (well it's not really new, but it wasn't around when I lived there).

 And a few random moments in between:

Eliza was "babysitting" Josh on the recliner when we were house-sitting.

 "Take our picture, Mom."

 I think this black eye came from falling off the monkey bars, but I can't remember if that was this time or another time.

 Finn and Josh just sitting around in their coordinating onesies.  The size disparity in their respective parents is becoming even more apparent in the rising generation :)

And I just have to add this one for virtual cheek-pinching.

 HOORAY FOR SUNDAYS
Keeping the Sabbath day holy has always been one of my favorite commandments, even when I was younger.  Throughout college, I appreciated having a day set aside where I could put away school books and not give a thought to the test coming up on Monday morning.  I loved changing my focus on Sunday and know I was blessed for my obedience.  My testimony of the blessings of Sabbath day observance has only increased in law school.  Though the competition in law school was tough and the demands were intense, there was never a question for us whether or not Mike would study or do school-related work on Sundays.   Since we saw so little of Mike during the week while he was studying for the Bar, Sundays during the months of Bar study were especially special