a family reunion

Last weekend, Mimi's family got together at a nearby park/lake to spend the day. We expected a hot, humid summer day. We were looking forward to all the fun we would have but figured we would melt before it was over. The Lord blessed us with lots of fun - but, also a breezy, cloudy day. It was WONDERFUL! We spent the day talking and snacking and watching all of our kiddos have a ball exploring the outdoors. And, we didn't melt! It was an amazing day!

Our Bear has become a "monkey" - he climbs everything standing still! He had a blast all day long! He just explored and ate and then explored again - a perfect day for the Bear! The big kiddos enjoyed the homemade slip n slide. My big buddy stayed on that slide ALL day long. They played king of the mountain and all kinds of great games. Oh, a day in the life of a seven year old boy... Little Miss enjoyed herself also. She slid for a while but then wanted to socialize with some cousins...
And, Bear had the best time reaching the bottom of his ice cream cup. At one point, he turned it up to catch the last drops only to dump it down his back...ahhh, that kid was sticky from head to toe...had to be hosed off. He didn't like getting clean half as much as getting dirty/sticky! My honey and I sure enjoyed ourselves too! We were able to talk with our family, which is always so much fun for us. The day was so relaxing....allowing our children to play with their cousins in a fun, safe place....just roaming and laughing....while we sat and caught up with all the adults.
This group of aunts and uncles and cousins is such a blessing to us! They love the Lord, love each other, and there is no pretense to how things have to be. Wherever, doing whatever - this group blends together so well and conversation flows so freely. What a great Saturday! Can't wait to see everyone again at Christmas!!!

sidewalk chalk paint

As a mom of three, I have purchased my share of sidewalk chalk. My kiddos and I have spent hours drawing cities, our shadows, and armies of creatures. I enjoy sitting on the sidewalk as much as they do creating our powdery art. I always love to hear the conversations that take place while we sit together.

Well, we have now taken it up a notch, folks! We have stumbled upon sidewalk chalk paint - homemade by US - which makes it even more fun. First, we each pick a chalk stick and place it in a ziploc bag. Then, we break it into crumbs. We pour the crumbs into a bowl...like this: Then, we add a little water to make a paste and get our paint brushes ready! We did have to add a little more water as we painted. But, it was so easy - and, the colors were SO much more vibrant than regular chalk (after our creations had dried a few minutes). I neglected to get a picture of the whole sidewalk's masterpieces - we left town heading back home soon after they finished and I had already packed my camera....

But, we will sure be trying this again! I feel pretty sure about that one! Let me know if you try it.......something about a paint brush on a sidewalk.......just sounds fun!

a little family time

While Daddy worked late at night last week, we decided to take a few days to head to MS. We had such a great time visiting with family for a few days. The kiddos swam almost every day with their cousins...so much fun! Even Bear was jumping in and swimming to me by the last day! We made crayons one morning...such a fun activity...for all of us. One day, we went to Mimi and Papaw's house to play and to make tomato juice...23 quarts...Yay!! I chopped, Papaw juiced. I got my first lesson in canning tomato juice. Sweet Mimi took the kids outside to keep them busy while Papaw and I finished up with the tomatoes. Some silly string was involved.... We also hit the mall one day to look for backpacks and have lunch. The kiddos needed a little entertainment and fun while we were there...my big guy is always looking for an adventure. And, the girls and Bear wanted a little train ride. We had a great visit with our sweet family. The kids loved spending the night with their cousins. I saw lots of smiles from my three while we were there....

summer so far....

Well, I just spent an hour downloading and organizing pictures from my big camera, purse camera, and phone. The job had been hanging over my head for a while. So, now that that is done (cue clapping and whoo hoo's), I have a few pictures from the summer to share.

Back in May, I went on a girls' night away to the lake with some friends from our Sunday school class. My boys have become big buddies, mohawks and all, this summer! The next few pictures came from Day Camp week at our church. The big kids went to camp while the moms had a camp of our own for our middles and littles, as they are all lovingly called.


This fella has decided that he REALLY likes popsicles on a hot summer day! And, I just love this sassy girl. And, she loves riding on a boat! And, this guy and his buddy sure enjoyed a night of fireworks. I had fun watching them watch the show!

Thanks for checking in on us....we are loving summertime!!!

the zoo

My sweet hubby took the day off the Friday before the Fourth to spend some time with the fam - he surprised us. I just love that guy!

So, we headed to the zoo! We had not been in soooo long. We thought our Bear might enjoy seeing the animals and knew that they all would like the splash pad. Looks like we were right - Fun was had by all!!! They got the biggest kick out of that monkey! He seemed to like them too... This mama enjoys a little sibling love....this moment about made me melt....(or, was it the 100 degree heat index?) If it stands still, he climbs it.... And, our favorite exhibit was the new elephant habitat - so very neat - my little guy now does an amazing elephant impression! A definite highlight was feeding the giraffes! I don't know who was more excited though...daddy or the kiddos!
To end our wonderful day at the zoo, we let the guys hit the splash pad to cool off. They were so hot and this was the perfect end to a GREAT day!

We Love the Fourth!!!

Our family really does love the Fourth of July - the celebration of freedom, the unity of a nation, and the food is not bad either! This crew loves ice cream and bbq, friends. We began celebrating the Thursday before at our city's party in the park. Popcorn, inflatables, a movie on a huge screen, balloons, and 98 degree heat - what else could we have asked for? Last minute decision to go, but we had a great time just "being" there with the hundreds of others who had decided to show up. My mom came in town Friday to spend the night and take Bear home with her the next day. She was a brave lady, folks. That kiddo of mine is a handful! And, she took him for 3 days. He absolutely loved it! All the attention - no sharing - he enjoyed every minute! While he was gone, E and I took the two big kids to the lake with our sweet friends again. Two days of riding on the boat and swimming....now, that is the way to celebrate July 4th!! We had a blast!! We saw some of this: And, we even saw this: Whoo Hoo, Buddy!!! Way to go!! He made it up on his second time out! Yay!! My children have been to the lake twice this summer...and have really liked it! We sure appreciate our buddies for the invite!! These two have had so much fun! After the lake, we headed to an annual party where we watch fireworks with new and old friends. We look forward to it every year. Hope everyone had a fun-filled, thankful heart filled holiday!