SUMMER!!!

What a great first week of summer! I am loving the slower pace of things! Yesterday I took the kids over to MiMi and PaPa's pool to keep them out of the way so Mike could work his magic in the packing dept...(Thanks Mike!)...always easier to pack w/o little ones underfoot...when we got to their house I got Carter out first and put him down on the B-Ball court...then I got M out...I was grabbing the pool stuff out of the car when I hear M say, "Carter is playing with one of MiMi and PaPa's snakes!" ...ummmm what!??! I looked over and saw my baby with a snake slithering all over his hands up near his face! He was having a good ol time....Yikes! I told him to put it down and he did...here is a pic of one of their cats with it before MiMi trapped it under a bucket for PaPa to identify when he got home...PaPa says it's a garter snake....so harmless...but snakes really freak me out! An exciting start to our pool day...hopefully we learned that we don't play with snakes!!! :)

The cats don't know what to think of all the packing...

I think they want to come with us...but we have some highly qualified cat sitters coming so we know they will be just fine...Can't wait to feel the sand between my toes today! :)

Road-trip!!!

MiMi and I headed on a road-trip to have a playdate with our Beach Buds and meet the littlest member of the crew...We all had a blast! Becky read to the older two after lunch....

Carter and Adam took snoozes and Zack and Mal got to skip naptime and go on a hike with Amy and I! It's neat as the kids get older they really do have "beach memories"...these 2 are so excited to go! It is fun to see the next generation...My sisters and I used to get so excited about the beach...it was like Christmas the night before going on vacation...love to see and hear their excitement! :)

Did a little "fishing" at the creek...then came home and "juiced up" w/ MiMi...

Carter woke up and got back to playing trains and trying to chase after the older two and Peter...he got right to playing with the kids when he got home from work....He was so fun! The kids loved him! Can't wait to get Charlotte in the mix next week...5 kids 4 and under...it is going to be an action packed week! :) 4, 3, 2, 1, and 7 wks...

And the newest Beach Babe...little Adam...thanks for such a fun playdate guys...can't wait for the beach....it's almost here!!!

Cook Out!

Carter got a smooch from his Aunt Susan when she arrived...she left behind the evidence! :)

Kingston had been waiting for our guests on his perch at the door...

Happy Father's Day PaPa...so good to celebrate with you!

We had yummy food and Susan took Kingston for his first walk outside...can't believe we own a cat leash now...but you gotta love the dollar aisle at Target...he will be an inside outside cat soon so we want to slowly get him used to the great outdoors! Can't wait to say Goodbye to the kitty litter! He won't be going outside alone til we get back from the beach though...It was a bit overwhelming to him, but he liked it after a while....

Father's Day....

It was so fun to celebrate all Mike is to us yesterday! We got him some bongos for Father's Day...I love you Mike and I am sooooo glad our kids have you for a father!

"What I can't see is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before.

Now you're my whole life now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you [boy]
Well look back some day at this moment that we're in
And I'll look at you and say and I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then..."
~Brad Paisley

Chi Visits!

We had fun with Chiquita this weekend...she had a conference in town and came and stayed with us! Played a little Hi Ho Cheerio and rocket ship with the kiddos....thanks for coming Chi!

School's Out 4 Summer!

Last week was sooooo BUSY and I'm not even teaching...and this weekend was out of control too....but we are so excited that school is out for summer....Mike only has 2 Teacher Days left! Yay!!! Mike came with us to a Dress Up Party on Sat morning and then Mike and I headed to a wedding a little later that afternoon...such a fun Sat!! :)

His name...

Last Sunday was a special day...we got to see our niece baptized in the river...we had a little picnic in their yard beforehand courtesy of Abby and Thomas...chocolate milk, pickles, cheese, and ranch....yummmm! The cousins love the same things!

It was a scorcher...Mallory wanted to get in the water too..I told her it was for people who wanted to give their life to Jesus and live for him....and she said, "But I believe in Jesus!"...We hope and pray that each day she learns more about Him and really chooses one day to live her life for Him...we were so happy to celebrate with Abby...Couldn't get a good pic of Mike while we were there...he was entertaining a little boy who didn't get a nap in the shade of the trees...

We gave Abby this book....even though it's for kids younger than her-- we love reading it as adults! We can't say enough good stuff about it! We love reading it as a family before bed...M is really into it...I love seeing her excitement about God's word...Every story REALLY DOES whisper His name...in the Bible and in all of our "life stories" as well....



It was neat to see her baptized and reflect on all that the Lord has done in my life since I was baptized when I was 13...and this week I was overwhelmed during worship at church looking around at all the people I know there and their life stories and how His Name is whispered during the good and the bad times in their lives...

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

In other news Mr. Man thinks he is Mr. Bigstuff because he can climb up on M's bed now...

And speaking of beds Sir Kingston is quite the snuggler...and quite a "bed potato"! He has to smush his face right up on your arm! :)

Daddy Daughter Date

Mike and Mal are on a date to see Peter Pan during naptime today...M is so excited! When we saw Cinderella with Grandma lots of the girls wore their costumes and I thought that was fun so I asked if she wanted to wear her Tinkerbell dress today and she did! She also wanted to bring along her Tinkerbell doll from Aunt Susan...she was all set to go...I can't wait to hear all about it! When we worked with the youth at church we went to see some of the kids in some plays put on by this company....and they were always so well done...if either of our kids get into theater I would love for them to get involved with this Christian group...I was always so impressed with their work...hopefully I'll get to go to some shows soon...I haven't been since having kids...it's fun to have a kid old enough to take now! :)

Mommy Son Date

Carter and I are having a Mommy Son Date this afternoon...which started out with these muscle men pictured above (while M&M were still here)...is now including napping/blogging time, and we will conclude it with prob more playtime with various figurines...he is so into it! And below...I was trying to be all stealth and get the convo he was having with the characters, but he saw me and says, "Cheese!" 3xs...I really might have a problem! I love my special time with my boy though! :)

I LOVE Saturdays!

I love waking up on Saturdays with just the 4 of us! Having a lazy start to the morning and then playing outside...

This boy is busy!

Can't wait to have Mike home even more in a week....I love SUMMERTIME!

Baking a cake with my little lady before lunch...yumminess!

Run Carter runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

Sir Kingston

We have had a hard yr around here in the pet dept...it felt so empty being a one cat house...and there are so many cats right now that need homes...Mike went over to the SPCA and brought home a new friend for the family...

Maggie regards the new friend with Carter...M said..."I can pet him and kiss him!!!!" M asks about Stella a lot and understands that she was very sick and the vet tried to help her, but couldn't...her little 3 yr old mind is trying to understand it...she hasn't gotten upset over it bc I think their relationship was distant...Mags is so much more "in" the kids lives...

The B&A crew approves...this cat is going ot get a lot of love from them...

No one will ever replace Stella and it was quick to get a new cat...normally we wouldn't get one so quick, but with the summer coming up we were really worried about Mags...she gets so depressed when we go away on vacation and we wanted the cats to have time before we start leaving to get to know one another and bond...and it felt really empty in our house with only one cat...Mike met Kingston and home he came...he is a 5 yr old cat so he is just a little younger than Maggie...they regard each other at this point...no fighting just a little hissing...hopefully they will be pals soon! We are so happy to have another cat around the house to love! :)

Ode to Stella

I went through old pics the other day to look back at Stella...this is when you could snuggle up with her and she loved up on you...for many yrs we haven't been able to touch her for fear of a scratch or a bite...she loved being around the family, but def. had her "personal space bubble"...Don't pop it!

We adopted her from our first apartment complex...she was living out of a dumpster and she was so grateful when we brought her home...She and Mags were pals and snuggle buddies....then all of a sudden she changed and became "the mean cat"...I was worried about how she would be around children when we were preg. with Mallory...we taught the kids early on to give her space and we cohabited nicely as a family...

Last weekend she went missing for 5 days (and she has NEVER gone missing in the 6 yrs we have had her)...she is a plump and lazy gal who never went very far from home...we had to squirt her with water bottles to make her go outside to use the restroom...(these pics are from when she was skinny....pre SASSY)...When the kids and I returned home the other day for naptime she was in our front yard...I actually gasped when I saw her...she looked like death (I will spare the details)...we took her into the vet and they worked on her and kept her over night to try to save her, but they couldn't...We feel like she drug herself home to say, "Goodbye"...

It is weird to mourn a pet who didn't really want to relate to you...I wonder what the kids will remember about her...(prob me saying to all our friends when they came over, "Don't touch the gray cat..she's the mean cat"...how SAD!)

*We loved the way she would lay belly up on the rug and sleep...she felt secure here...ain't no one gonna touch her! :)
*When you would get ice from the fridge you would hear her scramble to get to the kitchen (one of the only times you could see her really get moving)
*She loved brooms and would love to watch you sweep and would try to sit on the broom
*Listening to her snore under our bed at night...didn't know cats snored until her...
*She was always right with us- in the yard or in the house...wanting to be near her family- just don't touch her (!!!)

We miss you Stella and are glad you aren't in any more pain! You are our Sassy Stella Bella...

Deja-ZOO!

We can't get enough of the zoo and the weather was just right on Tues to head on over! I feel like it is a weekly thing for us! Carter really wanted to sit on the rides (sans coins) at the beginning...is it just me or does he look ji---normous! What in the world! I love it when he says, "Cheese!!!" his tongue sticks out a bit...

This giraffe pic is for you Aunt Lu!

And we got to see the baby camel...this one if for you Auntie Sue!

And we finished with a ride on the carousel...

Good times...Can't wait to go with playgroup next week! :)

Around the House...

MiMi and PaPa got a couple of HUGE trees cut down in their backyard...here is M on one of the stumps...the kids will be playing in their new SUNNIER yard a lot in July bc I will be teaching PreK summer school...a HUGE answer to prayer! I'm so excited and I know the kids will have fun with MiMi in the mornings while I teach! :)

We found our yard turtle "Yurtle" (we love Dr. Seuss!) when we got back to our house on Sunday (we had brunch with Laura and friends before they headed home)...hadn't seen him since Grandma's visit...but we have been looking! :) It was good to see the little guy again!

Spent some time inside during some rain...

Played with little figures...Carter is obsessed and so much better at playing by himself than our eldest... :) Her current fav. games to play w/ someone: putting on sunscreen, Time Out, and Bus Stop...it cracks me up that the things we do a lot of we spend our free time pretending to do!!!!