Summertime!

I LOVE SUMMER!!!  I love the sun, the water, the time with the kids, the warm weather, and the birthdays! I love everything about the months June, July and August.  This is Benjamin's first summer of his life, and he is enjoying it to the fullest!  He would rather be outside than inside at all times!  He loves to swing, swim, play, eat watermelon, drive the golf cart, play with the water hose--anything really as long as it is outside.  

So far we have had a pretty full summer with quite a bit of rain that kept us indoors for a few weeks.  Annalisa went to her first camp (it was G.A. camp) in June.  She cried quite a bit the night before she left, but thanks to her wonderfully awesome and patient daddy she decided she would like to go.  Once she got there she had so much fun she cried when she found out we were picking her up a day early to go to a family reunion!  

 

The reunion was in Arkansas and we had a lot of fun there.  We played golf, had a washers tournament, ate homemade peach ice cream, listened to singing and guitar playing while watching the fireflies, and went to Oil Town.  

We got home from the family reunion, and VBS started the next week.  The kids LOVED the Saddle Ridge Ranch theme and learned a lot of fun new songs.  Annalisa and Jacob accepted the LORD as their Savior a few years ago at VBS but have never been baptized. This year they both asked to be baptized, and I think we will do that sometime in August.  I am so excited for that day to get here!!!  

When VBS was over I met Granma and gave the older 3 kids over to her for the next week and 1/2.  While they were with her they got to go to another VBS--High Seas Adventure--at my brother and sister-in-law's church.  The kids really enjoyed that VBS also and came home with some more fun songs and dances!  The boys got to go fishing with Uncle Michael, and Annalisa got some good girl time with Reagan, Abbie, Emma and Sydney while she was there.  

 

We went to get the kids from Peepaw and Granma last Thursday then left on Friday to go to Longview for Alex's 1st birthday.  We had his party on Saturday.  Susan did such a great job with the decorating and food preparation. She also had a 30' slip-n-slide for the kids!! They LOVED it!! It rained, which would be disappointing for any mom celebrating her kids' 1st birthday, but Susan handled it so well!!  The kids thought the rain just made the slip-n-slide that much more fun! 

Now we are home and don't have any plans for a few more weeks---Jacob goes to football camp the last week of July, then Ben's birthday, followed by R.A. camp for the boys. After that is Cole's birthday, Benjamin's first birthday, school starts and finally Annalisa's birthday!  In the meantime I am hoping to get my Etsy shop back up and running soon. Whew!  God is good and I love my life!