I Keep Forgetting My Camera!!!

I've not posted in almost a week since I've posted and crazily it's because I keep forgetting to take my camera with me when we go out and I've missed some really great memories! Dang it!

Last Friday, Mom and I took the kids to the park to play on the playground. We had so much fun! A cool front came in Friday and it was actually a little cold! I was sitting on a bench under the shade with Emma in the stroller beside me and I had to move us into the sun! Imagine that! In July!!! The playground was packed with mom and kids. Everyone wanted to be out. Then we walked across to the town square to get burgers at a restaurant. We took them out to the square and had a picnic and the kids played in the fountain. I was soooooo mad for not having my camera! I took some with my phone, but it's not the same. After we ate we went into a couple shops on the square and then at Luke's insistence, we went into the Walton Museum. He loves it. It's hysterical. He always wants to see Sam Walton's office and truck.

Then it was home for naps. It was a great day. I am so glad my parents are here so they can have days like that with the kids.

Lance's mom met me Sat to get the kids and take them home with her to spend the night. They, along with their 2 cousins slept in a tent in the back yard with GiGi. She is either a saint or insane! The kids had a blast!!

I realized a couple days ago that we only have 4 more weeks before school starts. We've been busy all summer and I feel like there is so much I wanted us to do that we haven't done. We are going camping this Saturday through next Wed. and then we have another camping trip planned for the week before school starts. It's going to fly past. I'm sad to see the summer end. But at the same time, it will be nice to have a couple days a week without kids to get errands run. That's been the hardest part of the summer. But I'm going to miss the laidback days of summer.

Weekend Getaway

This past weekend was a first for me. My best friend lives in GA. We have been friends since 7th grade and our friendship has just grown closer over the years. We have vacationed together with our families and we talk on the phone 2-3 times a day. The crazy thing is that we haven't physically seen each other in 2 years! When I realized that it blew my mind. She's been going through some rough stuff personally lately and I decided it was time to see her and give her a big hug. So, I flew to GA on Friday and stayed til Monday. WITHOUT KIDS!!!!!! It was weird. Probably weirder was I wasn't with Lance either. I was totally on my own. Walking through an airport with no one but myself to take care of was so foreign!

We had a great time though. It was so good just to be together and be able to talk for hours instead of 30 min here and 15 min there. She has 4 kids like me. As a matter of fact, she's the one to blame for my 4th! After she got pregnant with her 4th, she started praying for me to get pregnant!! We just hung out, worked on decorating her kids playroom and talked. It was wonderful.

BFFs

I got home and man did I miss my kids!!! It was nice to have a break from being Momma and just get to be Jennifer, but I was ready to get home! As soon as I saw a familiar landmark when we were descending in the plane to the airport, I started smiling. I missed my family!!!! The kids were thrilled to see me. (I think Lance was too!) It was so fun. To be that important to 5 people is humbling and amazing!

Today we went swimming at a good friends house with several of my close friends. The kids love to swim and they are getting better and better as the summer progresses.

ring around the rosy

Smile for the camera!

Cutie patootie!

Sara and I went to the grocery store this afternoon to get things for dinner. On the way we passed a man that works at our church. His name is Mr. Billy. We stopped to say hi and when we started driving again, Sara said, I'm glad Mr. Billy isn't dead because Billy Mays (from Pitchmen tv show and Oxyclean fame) is. I just died laughing!

And one more big milestone tonight. Emma ate table food!!! Woo Hoo! She's been so delayed in her eating. All of the other kids were eating table food by now and by 11 months they all ate pizza! She has not been that way. So we are working on it and tonight we had burritos. I gave her some hamburger meat and some shredded cheese. She turned her nose up at first, but then got the hang of it and ate several bites on her own. Then she got tired and ate a couple jars of baby food. But hey, I'll take it!

What a big girl!

So good to be home!!!!

Summer Fun

I haven't had a chance to blog in a couple of days. We've been up late and going, going, going. I'm leaving tomorrow to fly to Atlanta to visit my best friend. We talk 2-3 times a day but haven't seen each other in 2 years! It's crazy! I'm just glad that I get to see her finally. I hate leaving Lance and the kids, but I'm looking forward to giving her a hug in person!

We've had a good week this week. Tuesday, we went down to Lance's parents house to have swim and do fireworks with the family. The kids had so much fun and I'm so glad we went. Lance had to unload some cinder blocks off a trailer down in the field, so Hope and I went to help. She was so adorable. I let her sit in my lap and "drive" the Tahoe. She was in hog heaven! She says the funniest things. The other day, Luke said something about cracking his "nuts" and I know what you're thinking, but he meant knuckles! I laughed so hard. But it has stuck and while we were driving, Hope grabbed my hand and pulled my fingers. Then she laughed and said, "I crack your nuts, Momma!" She loved "helping" Lance and I and kept saying, "I a big helper."

Yesterday, I broke out the waterslide for the first time. We haven't had time to get it out yet this summer because of how busy we've been with swimming lessons, VBS, and the family reunion. So it came out yesterday and the kids have been on it constantly! This is our 3rd summer to have it and the kids LOVE it. Here are some pics of the fun!

Great 4th of July Weekend

We had the BEST weekend. I look forward to my family reunion every year, but the past few years since we started having kids haven't been quite as enjoyable for me. We go over for a few hours and I'm chasing kids and trying to keep them away from the river and having a hard time visiting with anyone. This year was great! With us camping, we had a "homebase" that we could get in out of the heat with the kids, the kids knew their boundaries better since we were there longer, and it was so much fun camping with family. And we had more time to visit with everyone since we were there the whole weekend. Lance and I didn't know what to expect for the weekend because we didn't know if the kids would get bored or something, but we all really had a lot of fun. The kids didn't want to leave.

Hope loved her some orange soda!

Luke being silly

Hope loves Grandpa!

Luke going down the zipline at my cousin's house

lighting some fireworks

too cute!

mmmmm, cookies!

Daddy and his girl!


long weekend!

There are some memories that I want to write down so I'll remember them.

• Luke learning how to work a clicker and lighting fireworks. (thanks Uncle Keith!)
• Sara and Hope riding in my lap down the zipline
• Sara floating on her back in the river and going down the water slide
• Luke wanting to play volleyball soooo bad
• Hope falling asleep in my lap during the fireworks
• Emma smiling at everyone
• Luke sneaking up behind me and smearing icing all on my neck
• Sara clinging to me when we first got there because she didn't know anyone
• Hope sitting in Granddad and Granny Edna's laps
• the kids riding in the bed of the truck for the first time

It was so much fun that we are going to camp again next year and so are Jeremy and Leah and hopefully Mom and Dad. I am so blessed with such a great family. And the fact that every year, before lunch starts, we pledge allegiance to the Flag and sing the star spangled banner and then pray. I do pray that God continues to bless our land. But it does remind me that He says "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, I will heal their land."

Holy Cow!

OK, so when you have a family of six, packing just to go away for 2 nights might as well be for 10! There is soooo much to pack. It's 12:30 and I'm just about to go to bed and then get up in the morning and finish before we leave. My grandmother's (mom's mom) family has had a family reunion on the 4th of July for around 40 years. I have grown up doing the "4th" all of my life. I seriously think I have only missed it maybe 3 times my whole life. It is so cool that now my kids look forward to the 4th.

This year we're taking the camper. I don't necessarily want to camp every year, but I grew up camping down at the river for the 4th and want my kids to have that same experience. They are so looking forward to it! Hope has asked for 2 days if we're going camping today. Tonight, I was bringing some extra pillows in from the camper and she thought I was taking them out to it. So she went and got some decorative pillows off of our bed and put them by the door and told me that she got pillows for camping. She is so ready to go!

So, I'll be gone for the weekend, having a blast with my family, and enjoying the 4th of July. Happy Birthday America!

A Wii Bit of Fun!

I was so worn out this evening. I had a babysitter come watch the kids for a couple hours so I could run some errands to get us ready for my family reunion this weekend. It's been hard this summer trying to get things done with all 4 kids at home. I'm used to Luke being at school and have 2 days a week with the girls at MDO to get things done! The past 3 weeks have been a challenge!

So I ran several errands, and worked on the house some when I got back. I was worn out after that. Unfortunately, when I get run down, I get cranky. That doesn't bode well for the kids. So, I was a grouch this afternoon. I felt badly about it and wanted to make it up to them. Lance was at a meeting and wasn't able to be home this evening, so after dinner, the kids and I did some Wii bowling and cow racing! They had a blast. Sara surprised me and did GREAT. She placed 2nd in bowling behind me. Luke was not happy. :) And Hope cracked me up screaming for joy whether she hit the balls or guttered!

Sara and Hope cow racing. Hope is determined!

Luke and Sara cow racing

It was a fun night with me and the kids. I just wish I could relax and enjoy more of those. I said a prayer asking for forgiveness tonight and I know that I have to turn myself daily, minute by minute over to the Lord and allow his peace to flow through me and to my children. I fail miserably at it every day.

Fun Afternoon in the Sun

It has been so HOT lately! We had swimming lessons for the first 2 weeks out of school and then VBS last week and it was a good thing. It was way too hot to go outside and play. We haven't been outside in 3 weeks really. I've missed it and I know the kids have. So this afternoon, we went in the front yard and played for a couple hours. The kids had a blast. I think they got every bike, scooter, big wheel and sidewalk toy out! I was proud of Luke. Sara was racing Hope on the sidewalk. Sara was on the big wheel and Hope was running in the grass. Then Luke joined in on his bike on the road right beside the sidewalk. He would wait for Sara to get going on the big wheel before he would start on his bike and then time it so they would finish at the same time and yell "TIE!" He was being so sweet!

Emma loves being outside!

Sara is quite the artist!

Hope loved sidewalk paint

Luke and his scooter