What HAVE we been doing?

Cousin Camp....Memorial Day weekend was filled with beautiful family memories.  Our sister and brother in law trotted down from Nashville, along with their wonderful 4 children.  Our house was full of laughter, good food, and sun drenched Texas fun.  I hope it to be an annual visit, and even though long distant family can be difficult; we've found to make lemonade out of it, lots and lots of joyful lemonade!

Take note of the hair.  Ahem! This Momma of all boys went to town and did those girlies' hair.  Ummm, yea, they are adorable.

We celebrated {formally} Big Boy's 6th birthday!  He had dirt pudding with dinosaurs living all over it. 

My beautiful sister {in law, hardly}.  I used to be slightly embarassed to share of the small town Ohio setting we were raised in....where people genuinely loved high school, friendships are still counting years, and more than just a few people go on to get married!  Now, I count it a sweet gracious blessing.  Not all people can welcome their sister and brother in law with hugs and love, then sit and recount memories of being 15. 

Swimming... We've been in pools.  We've been in lakes.  We've been bobbing up and down in life jackets.  We eat graham crackers on the way home and watch a movie upon entering the air conditioning with sun kissed cheeks. Baby Boy insists doing whatever brothers do, so I slap a life jacket on him and off he goes! 

Counting...the days.  We road trip it up north each summer for an annual visit in Ohio with family and friends, and a few other stops along the way.  Driving over 2000 miles with 3 small children, exhausting?  Yes.  But we wouldn't have it any other way.  My husband lives in an airplane and well, I prefer to not step foot in one.  The expense seems pointless, then finding a vehicle, car seats, dealing with unexpected delays.  We love our big summer road trip, and do hope it's just the beginning of a summer memory the boys will always have with them.  They're counting the days, for sure.  I had to convince them that departure is still a long way off, so they would quit packing all their clean clothes in their backpacks. 

Counting again....the days.  Can't wait for Toy Story 3 to come out! Buzz and Woody are merely an extension of our family right now.  They go with us everywhere.

Reading...The Big Picture Story Bible  My sister in law told me about this one, and it's taken me a good year I think to finally get ourselves one.  I'm so glad I did!  Our previous favorite Bible was the Jesus Storybook Bible, which I still enjoy for the constant center on the gospel throughout all the Bible readings.  But I must say, The Big Picture Story Bible is unlike any children's Bible we've ever owned.  I hesitate to even call it a Children's Bible, it's done so well and does not make the the Living Word of God feel like a "Once upon a time" story that maybe did or didn't happen.  It theologically connects the entire Bible.  I love the way it is set up.  We're reading a bit everyday with a bookmark, hoping to read it from cover to cover.  I love picking it up and know I myself am learning new connections within the Word. 

Battling discontentment....to be honest.  We finally settled into a church in late April.  Now it's summer and everyone else is sloooooowing down life for awhile before Fall schedule kicks up.  It's hard for us to slow down when we were never really going that fast.  Now, I'm ready for things to do, places to go, and new friends to make.  Seems I'll have to keep waiting for the Fall on this one as well.  I'm trying to enjoy our slow days and lack of committments, cause I know Fall will be here soon and our schedules will be full.  For now, I hope to continue our summer days with peace for He's offering us great rest.....so He must know we need it. 

Growing!.... I don't know what happened, but all my boys seem really big!  Take a look...

 

And so summer continues...