Not Too Bad

I think I need a little mid-summer break from the pool but then afterwards, I'm ready to hit it hard again til the end.  We went three days in a row and then this weekend with friends, who we are desperately trying to convince to join.  

I mean, seriously, look at them.

The pool was mostly empty b/c it was getting cloudy (and it just dies out the second half of summer... which I love!). So Mike and our friend, Elliott, decided to do some synchro flips off the boards.  

Man, was I glad I'd taken my "real" camera for the first time all summer.  

Hello, sports mode.  And laughing til my belly hurts. 

My husband has got some serious good form, huh?  He's a hottie and can flip.  

He said he's gonna start training for a one and a half.  ;)  Paw, are you proud?!

Girlies turn!  Go girls!!

So fun.  I mean life is so much easier in the summer with lots of daylight and hours at the pool.  Could we get a vote for it to be so year round?

VBS

It was our 3rd year to do VBS at a church near us (not our church).  Its during the day, and ours is at night.  I think its fun for my kids to have a daytime VBS week.  It feels like a summer childhood essential.  So although there is some initial guilt of sending my kids to a church that isn't ours and I'm not helping with, everyone there welcomes us and its always a sweet picture to me of the body of Christ and a reminder of salvation.  We receive a great gift without doing a thing.  And I love what my kids learn each year!  

This was the first year Lily could go.  As I've mentioned, Lily is more shy than Peter and nervous about new social settings.  So it was perfect that the week's theme was "Facing Fear, Trusting God."  There were some tears but the staff were sweet to let her bring her blanket a few days and move over to Peter's class a few days.  By the end of the week, she was singing the songs, doing the hand motions and chanting, "Facing Fear, Trusting God!"  It was a sweet gift from God to work through that in this setting (and something we have to learn and do it over and over, right?!)

Here are pics from "Family Night"...  I convinced our friends, the Z kids, to come along with us all week!  :)

The "kids" on the "coaster"!  Mike is soo fun.  We love him.  So thankful for the strong & gentle man my husband is as we come up on 10 years of life together.

Peter told me his favorite song was "Change my Heart".  When I went and looked it up and saw the lyrics, all I could think was of course. 

ps- thankfully, I'm not feeling too nervous for K... we are mostly excited and trying to soak up every drop of these sweet last weeks of summer!!

Busytown

 We met friends this morning to see our first play, Busytown.

Just another cute pic from the week...   They are having fun in their second week of VBS.  Lily has been doing a really great job at pushing thru sadness and is having a great time! 

Summer River Weekends

We've enjoyed two straight weekends on the water and it's been oh so lovely.

At my parents river house, my mom gave Lily a bag of hair stuff.  While we had a morning rain shower, Lily fixed my hair.  If you know me, you know this is close to heaven for me.  

This was the final product.  Clips that attach head bands to make my hair longer.  

Yes, please. 

I was then too relaxed to go on the kids canoe trip.  

Lily's favorite new saying: "I canoe. Can you?"

But Paw and I took the jet ski out to find them and explore around the other side of the river.

The kids had fun at the beaver dam.

Mike and Paw fished with a bamboo pole and bobber, which will be fun for the kids to try.    They kept catching these little fish.

 Mike and I had fun skiing!  I thought I should try to impress my kids now that they are old enough to understand.  ;)  And try to actively prevent becoming a fuddy duddy mom, which I often am.  (I wasn't on the canoe trip.)  

The kids tubed which was fun (and stressful for me to see my kids heads and neck bouncing like that).  I am looking forward to them learning and enjoying water sports! 

 There had to be a dock jumping pic. 

Yesterday, we had a fun day on the Chowan river for the NC family reunion.  It was sweet for me to see the little community of kids and how much they all enjoyed each other.  They range from 16-4.  The older kids are so kind & helpful to my kids.  Which I love b/c I hope my kids will to be that way.  And it was fun to see them all just play and get more comfortable with each other as the day went on.  It is fun to see how 'playing' just levels the field for kids.  They all love it and join in as if they've always known each other and see each other regularly.  Thankful for a day by the water.

Summer Times

From my phone:

Bagel Date.

Target Run.

Dancing with Friends.

 A Saturday trip to BG with the Gs... all 8 of us packed into one van!

Mamas got the front!  ;)

 

 There was one kid who slept the whole way home... guess who?!

 Sunday Snuggles with the girl.

Oh, their imagination.  I love, love, love it.  I know these days aren't forever.  

I so enjoy their imaginations.

Lily is inside an "egg" under the blanket and Peter is sitting on his egg.

 Lily hatched!  Peter is feeding her.  

 VBS at our church.

 Checking out the babies at a toy store.

 Writing Practice.

Memory. 

 Lily loves to put lots of hair bows on one strand of hair and then swing it.  :)

 Luke's Birthday Party at Build-a-Bear!

 I was super tired last week after coming back from NY and who knows what else.  It was our last week of swim lessons (5 total weeks for Peter, 4 total weeks for Lily! Whew. I can't imagine what swim team is going to be like!) and I went to the pool with 2 different flip flops on.  Embarrassing!

 So fun to use our van to capacity... we had neighbors and friends who played with us last week... lots of fun!

 Towel Tent!

 And another group of friends!! 

 And ice cream with friends who couldn't come to Lily's party!