I'm SO far behind.. I don't even know where to start!! So, I'll start with the most current first, and as {if} time allows, I'll play catch up! We have been SO super busy this summer, I barley remember any days spent at home! The kids are lovin' [maybe way too much] mom and dads pool, and thus, many hot summer days have been spent there!
Nothin' better than eating home-made ice cream at the pool side!
She has learned (and learned to enjoy) going under this year!
Seriously.. it was the hair that made me capture this image!
And I really like these of Eleesia.. she is doing SO good learning to swim!
Eleesia finished up another year of dance in June, and we have decided that we are going to take a break for a while. It just comes a point in your life when you must re-evaluate your circumstances and determine what is eternal and what is not. Currently, we are breaking from most trivial things in life until we can get some things revamped and on schedule in our lives.
.... priorities......
Regardless, here is her last (at least for a while) dance recital. It was SO adorable [and looking at these pictures makes me miss it already]. The theme was the "Night at the Museum" and she was a security guard. To top it off, the fire alarm started going off right in the middle of the performance and the entire audience had to evacuate (come to find out .. there was no fire, but instead a pressure imbalance in the sprinkle system).
This was Enoch's first year of coach pitch.. and Adam was indeed, the coach. He liked it.. it was fun. A bit too competitive at times (at points I just wanted to scream.. "THEY ARE ONLY 6"!) but alas, it was very entertaining!
At the trophy ceremony (with Aybrin)...
Besides the pool, we spent a lot of our days on the lake! The kids LOVE tubing.. and Adam so enjoys the wake board! Its so fun [and cute] to hear Essa yelling "Why did you stop.. I'm NOT done!"
Enoch with his uncle Nathanael
And a beautiful rainbow I saw one day on our way home from the lake.. perfect ending to a perfect day!
The Sparta's 4th of July event was fun this year (as always)... Adam ended up driving kids around all evening...
While Nathanael and I worked the ticket booth! {and the kids were down on the lake with mom and dad}
If we were not in the pool, or on the lake -- we were fishing! Through some contacts {my hubby is great for that}, we were allotted permission to use this AMAZING fishing hole!
I {mostly} would read.. the girls would play..
pick flowers,
and play with worms
{hence the little dirty fingers}
while the men fished...
We have also taken a few mini vacations this summer.. including Chicago (more to come in a later post), Adam and I went to St. Louis (once again, at a later post), and an overnight trip to AR to stay in a condo for a night. The scenery was gorgeous...
and this was BY FAR The biggest bathtub I've ever seen in my life! I want one!!!
Then a little put-put...
where Enoch scored his first hole in one!
I have been doing TONS of sewing! We have been sewing tons of the kids clothes (pictures to come later).. but also fun stuff such as this organizer that fits on the back of your umbrella stroller, and converts to fit over the seats in the car too...
I've also made a messenger bag to hold my lens (SO much better than carrying around my heavy backpack/camera bag everywhere I've been tromping around), and a couple little clutch purses. Plus {my personal favorite}.. one AMAZING purse organizer!! It took my purse from looking like this:
To looking like this:
{please ignore the fact that I sewed the elephants upside down.. I didn't realize it until it was all sewed and I was not about to rip it all out and start all over!}
The best part about it was I designed it and created it, thus, it fits my needs perfectly! So here is the little clutch purse I was telling you about: (its complete with a divider and pockets on the inside)...
Just because schools out for summer didn't stop us from learning! We participated in all the local reading programs. Here is one from the library.. it was a pirate party and they were all supposed to dress up like pirates...
How can you NOT look at this and smile?
Of course.. we geared up for the kids' annual cousin camp (which they had a BLAST at)! We screen printed all their shirts this year...
I think they turned out SO cute... (the fronts had their name on them)
We've also been trying to keep up with a fairly good sized garden . This year we have many veggies, but we are also going to try to harvest our sunflower seeds..
With school is just around the corner (next Tues), I can't help but wonder what this year has in store for us. Last year we had SO much fun, and participated in some new and different things (such as Enoch's first science fair...)
The kids are SO excited! We are finalizing all affairs before the big day (making final copies, organizing for the daily schedule, etc). Gearing up! Well, with all 5 kiddos snuggeled in their sleeping bags in the next room (its date night for Jemma and Ben this week).. I'm realizing what time it is.. WhOoShE.. time for bed. Night all!
From now on- ALL 3 kids sit in the back- period. UNLESS.... you have front row ticket! Now every child has an opportunity to earn a front row ticket, and then and only then can you exchange your ticket for a front row seat on our trip to town. So- you ask.. "How do you earn a ticket"?
