Lake Fun, Pool Fun, Fun All Around

 Mom was starting to feel better this past Thursday.  She didn't feel great, but she felt well enough to go to the lake with us for a picnic and some fun.  The kids had a ball playing on the new equipment and swimming.

KyKy was able to come for a few minutes before heading to work. 

My partner in crime....

They held hands on the walk down.  It was very sweet.

 Hank, his grandpa, and a friend ended up coming too.  It was a nice surprise.  The kiddos had so much fun.

He brought an inter-tube.....they had a lot of fun with it!

 ....Surfer Karter....

 We came home just in time to get baths, a quick nap, and head to vbs.  Babee was the baby rocker :)!!!  They fell right to sleep.....

Wild Thing wearing Hanks hat after vbs.

 I thought Soph was just going to dance a sweet dance and maybe do some singing.... what I didn't expect her to do was...... put on a stripper show..... to none other than Disney Channel's Soul Train...

 Y'all know I have been super excited about my flowers.  My Mom got me this beautiful Hibiscus and pot, so we planted it and I was VERY excited the next morning that I actually had a bloom.  Made me happy happy!

Hot summer days means lots of Snow Cone trips....

 Okay, so these two were in charge of their water just long enough for me to run something outside and back in.  Heidi came out to let me know just how full they let it get...... They could hardly move without it going over the sides.....

 The kiddos were supposed to be cleaning their rooms.  I was cleaning the kitchen and heard lots of laughter and loud music.  I couldn't help but go check it out with my camera..... I LOVED what I saw....

 Friday night was family fun  night at church.  (pics to come).  Sophie was so excited to be able to make her "star debut" on stage.  She had been waiting for stardom on stage for some time now haha.  Anyway, after Family Fun Night Presley came home with us to spend the night :).  Kman decided to go home with Babee and dodge all the girls.  The girls had a ball playing all night. 

The next morning we got up, I did breakfast for them, and then we headed to their friend, Madalyn's, pool party. 

 Sophie always has a blast at her sisters friends' parties.....

 After the party we hung out at Babee's.  She ended up talking me into a spontaneous pedicure trip.  When we came back the kiddos were swimming with KyKy and having a good time..... then we trimmed some trees, fed the fish, and while I had supper cooking they went night swimming....

 After supper and baths, Soph ended up falling fast to sleep sitting up in Babee's lap.....

 Sunday morning we were so close to missing Sunday School.  We have to leave by 8:30 and I woke up at 8:00.  Usually the kids are my alarm clocks, but I guess they were so tired from our Saturday fun that they were snoozing away.  I somehow managed to get a shower, blow dry my hair, get ready, get 3 kids ready and left at 8:40.  Not to shabby :)!! 

After church we went to a family reunion.  It has been a LONG time since I have been to one and the food was PHENOMENAL! 

 We visited Bigmama in the nursing home (My Moms mom) before coming home.  We came home just in time to get ready for church. 

I snagged this cute picture of these divas before church started....

Sophie and Stella Kayte

 Heidi Bug spent the night with Presley last night.  She said she had a lot of fun.  Valerie sent me this picture of them playing beauty shop....

 The babies and I went to Papa and Nana's a little before lunch to swim, eat, and swim some more.  When we first got there they spotted a cat and ended up going on a "mission" (as they said).  I thought this picture was cute...  They really are BFFs....

 We had so much fun swimming all afternoon.  Kman wore his bracelet that Trey made him and he had me take a picture to send to Mrs. Tina :) {Treys Mom}.....

 Karter just started randomly singing (or trying to sing) "Sweet Cherry Pie".... Love that little video.  He got the words WAY wrong... but it was too cute.

Checking things out with Papa

 They both started jumping in backwards and twisting while jumping in....

Air Shot!

.... And I have to end with Sophie's new "fan version" of Frozen.... She's got it going on.....

A Perfectly Made Bed

Our summer chores have kicked in to full swing.  One of them is they have to make their bed each morning.  Well, Heidi sleeps with me when Kyle is gone and the babies still sleep in her bed.  So Heidi helps me and Karter and Sophie make Heidi's bed. 

I didn't tell them "how to make it" or tell them this is right or that's wrong.  I just let them make it.  And they did an absolutely fantastic job!

As soon as I saw it, I just smiled so big.  They made it so perfectly in their eyes.  They even came to where I was in Sophie's room to find Heidi's owl pillow to put in the center.

I love it and I know it will improve with each making. 

It got me to thinking about how "we" as parents sometimes try to perfect our children in certain areas.  It could be things we don't even realize (such as making the bed right or wrong) or it could be their hobbies like dance, cheer, ball, etc.   I want our children to be busy with activities, but I want them to do things that they enjoy doing.  It may take us trying several different things to figure out what each one likes the best, but that is okay.  I'm not going to "make" them do what I want them to do.  Heidi had decided she wanted to take this year off from dance.  I kept asking her if she was sure, and I mentioned her taking baton or something different to see if she would like it.  She said no, that she wanted to take the year off from activities.  As much as I didn't want her to do that, I was okay with taking a year off so that she could figure out if she missed dance or if she wanted to try something new.  I also knew that once she put some thought in to it she wouldn't want to quit.  I was right.  She is excited and ready to start dance this coming year.

Karter and Sophie both love to help me in the kitchen.  We make the biggest, funnest messes.  We make memories..... not perfecting dishes.  They stir too fast and almost always sling stuff out of the bowls. But each time they help me, they get better and better at stirring. 

Something as simple as when they help me load or unload the dish washer, I don't go behind them correcting them the entire time.  Kyle laughs at me because I am just like my Dad and I like our dish washer to me loaded a certain way, I almost always re-do it when the kids put the dishes in, but not in front of them.  I don't want them to get the idea that they can't do anything right.

Sophie loves to help me do laundry.  She likes to toss the clothes in the dryer, put them in the washer, and pour the detergent in.  Do you know how many times she has dropped the detergent in the washer lid, or on the top of the "spinner" where water doesn't get, or the side where the water doesn't hit?  That's A-Okay.  She is learning a little more each time she helps me.

Or how about yesterday when they were collecting the eggs?  They probably dropped and cracked about 5 total (which is unusual might I add), but they were all working together.

** I try to tell our kids every day how proud I am of them and I always tell them thank you when they do what they are supposed to or asked to do.  Granted, sometimes they half way do things and they have to re-do them, but when Karter and Sophie made that bed together, just seeing their concentration and how proud they were of their accomplishment, it made me so very proud of them.

 

McDs with Papa & Library Fun!

 Papa took Kman and Soph to McDonald's Tuesdsay morning.  They had so much fun eating breakfast, playing on the playground, and hanging out with Papa.

 When they got back, Heidi and I went over and they went swimming for a little bit until time to come home to get ready for VBS :).

Yesterday morning we met our friends Tina and Trey for breakfast and then we all went to the Library.  The Library offers this neat Summer Reading Program for the kids.  They get points for books they read and they have neat programs that I'll take the kids to.

Heidi picking out her books....

 Presley is the "big competition".  This is our first year participating, so Heidi is very excited about it.  We were joking with the ladies at the Library about Presley being the competition and just a few minutes later Pres walked in to return some books and get new ones :)!!

 Sophie said, "I can read all these books".... and trust me, she "read" to us A LOT yesterday haha!

 We ate lunch with MeMe after our library trip and then went to Babee's to play and swim until time for VBS.  It was a great day.

I'm thinking about maybe a picnic at the lake today.

I saw this eCard and it fit Heidi and I perfectly (although she does look just like I did when I was her age.... she is still SUPER clumsy just like I was)....

 ... and this was PERFECT for my friend, Kayla...... she does NOT like light up shoes LOL....

 

Moms 4th Treatment, VBS 2014, Swim Party

This pretty lady had her 4th treatment Thursday.  They gave her a new mouth wash recipe to try.  She has to do it 5 times a day.  That has seemed to help her mouth some and lots of resting has seemed to help her over all.  This chemo is BAD "stuff".  She still has all of her other symptoms ( nausea, blurred vision, extreme fatigue, body aches, mouth sores & thrush, etc), but Praise the Lord she has not had the chemical burn to show up this time. 

 Last week we started helping decorate for Vacation Bible School.  The kiddos loved going up there and playing all day with all of their friends. 

 Kayla got these 2 on snap chat :)....

Papa sent this one night after the girls and I had already left..... Kyle said he looked like a wrestler haha.  Kman stayed with Papa and Nana that night.

 He had a good time playing with Stella Kayte and Presley.....

 Heidi has been "designing" pictures on my phone.... she has done a good job too :).....

 Saturday night we went to Heidi's friends swimming party.  The kids had a blast!  The coloring was off in this picture, but Kman was jumping off the diving board (see him at the water?).

Heidi, Presley, Sophie

Kman and Kade... Karter was "freezing to death"..

 ..... and YAY!!! Sunday night started VBS 2014!! Agency D3 is this years theme!

 We look forward to VBS every year.  As tiring as it is, everyone has a fabulous time. 

The 2nd grade class

 I am helping with the 2 year old class.  They are so sweet :).  We had 7 Sunday night and 9 last night.

 They get to do REC, crafts, and music just like all the big kids.  It really is a great time for all ages!

The sanctuary decor!  My step Mom (& her crew) always does a fabulous job designing and crafting all of the "main" areas during vbs. (the teachers do their rooms)

Foyer Entrance

Seriously how "realistic" does this look?

Kitchen

Foyer

1 of the "elevators"

 The 4 year old room was really cool to me so these next several pictures are from it.  Hopefully I'll have more of the rooms to share later this week.

 Lots of creativity go into preparing and planning for this week.  It really pays off with the kids excitement.  Which I have to admit, the adults get just as excited over the decor.

Karter and John Matthew

Maggie, Stella Kayte (not sure what she is looking at), Heidi, Hank, Presley, Sophie, John Matthew.

And just for your own laughs, once we got home last night, Heidi and I realized her shirt had been on backwards the entire night!!!! The buttons do tend to go in the back.... like my Mama said, this can go along with the picture I have of either Sophie or Karter with their shoes on the wrong feet haha.
#proudmommoment
#thankfullyitwasnttoonoticeable