Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Summer Sightings

I have such mixed emotions about summer. On the one hand I love a break from homework and packing lunches and all he schedule and business that can come with the school year, but on the other hand four boys that are all mine all day everyday can be a little intimidating!

Thankfully, so far this summer is off to a super start. :) 

We celebrated Memorial Day at home with friends and a little BBQ - and cotton candy compliments of Biggie. 
Until recently Crew and Coyt wouldn't watch more than two minutes of anything but they have discovered "Back Back" and they are like little Backyardigans addicts. Thankfully this particular addiction allows me to get ready is peace so we are all for it!!
 We were out of school before most of the big school districts in town so we decided to take advantage of our early start to summer and beat the crowd at Hawaiian Falls. We surprised the big boys the morning of and they were SUPER PUMPED!

We met the Woods and Bowdens there and had a GREAT day.





 We've spent several evenings in the driveway just riding away.
A few races. I love how Crew has no idea that his Flintstone peddled car has no chance. :)





 I think I can. I think I can. :)
And just a random picture of a french toast breakfast on Sat. morning because someday I might want to remember the days when the boys all sat on one side of the table. :)
Hope your summer is off to a smashing start. :)

Beach Bound

Shortly after school was out we were headed to Galveston to meet the Michaelis' and Junod's for the weekend. And it just so happened Stacey needed to be in Houston the Thursday/Friday before our beach trip (AWESOME TIMING!!) so we tagged along and made the long weekend into a family vacation.

Happy at the hotel.

My camera was on the wrong setting but you get the idea. :)

 While Stacey headed to a meeting we headed to the pool!! We had it to ourselves most of the time.
You can see a tiny plane in the distance if you look close. This picture does NOT do it justice, but we were staying by the airport so we had our very own air show while we swam.
 I really thought one of the planes might take out our hotel is was SO close to us!
 Happy helpers at the pool.

 Super Stacey!

 All that swimming makes you thirsty!
 After Daddy returned we headed out to Lupe's for some yummy Mexican food.
 Yep, this is what our pictures look like these days.
The next morning we headed over to meet up with Shannon and her kids and were on the road to Galveston. The daddies and Junod's joined us later in the afternoon and we were ready to hit the beach!

Our boys haven't been to the beach, at least not since they were old enough to remember, so this was a very new and exciting adventure for us!! Stacey III did mention that the thought the ocean was supposed to be blue, like in Nemo (his point of reference for all things ocean). Have to love those Texas beaches!! ;) But truthfully, we couldn't have cared less, we were just excited for sand and waves!

Had to include this picture because it is the only one that I got of the twins first impression of the beach. Lots of tears and clinging to Mom and Dad for dear life!
 Not these guys, they LOVED it, the waves and the sand were right up their ally!
 Thankfully Crew and Coyt eventually decided that a gigantic sandbox was pretty fun.




A shot of most of the kids (minus Brooks) enjoying a popsicle. We had 10 kids between us and they really played together so well! The oldest six are all boys (Stacey, Wyatt, Brooks, Barrett, Justin & Levi) then two girls (Lexi and Georgia) then the twinadoes - so everyone had plenty of buddies.
 Coyt found a happy spot in this hole dug by the big boys the day before.


Shannon's family owns the house we stayed in and it sits on the canal, offering the best of both worlds! The beach was fun but it was also really nice to be able to rinse off the salt and sand and come back to the calm canal and chill out.

Nick kindly taking Wyatt for a spin in the canoe
 Lots of fishing!!
It was a super fun weekend and we were so grateful to have the opportunity to show our boys the beach (Thanks Shannon & Derek) and have some fun family time with great friends!!

I did take a few pictures of Shannon and Wendi and I at the beach but they are MIA, because I burned them. Yowza! You know how you think you're sort of working the fedora and your beach blown hair really isn't all that bad? And maybe the swim dress you bought this season (due to your body completely betraying you at 35) is sort of cute?...And then you see a picture of yourself and the overflowing humility that immediately follows crushes any such fleeting thoughts from your summer psyche? Me neither, just checking. :)

School's Out for Summer!!!!

Phew! The last few weeks of school were CRAZY with so many fun end of the year activities and ceremonies! We wrapped up Stacey's first grade year with an awards ceremony. He started this year with little chiclet teeth all in a row and is ending it with a very different smile!!
 Our amazing administrator, Honey, kicking things off.

First he received his mileage club award. He was the only first grader to run over 40 miles this year!! WOW way to run Stacey!! You can tell by this face he thinks it's pretty cool. :)
Then Mrs. Lindsey awarded him for showing Jesus through leadership!!

Mrs. Lindsey has known Stacey since he was born and known his Mommy just about a long. What an incredible blessing!! She is an exceptional teacher and Stacey thrived under her leadership.
Of course the awards ceremony can get a little long as teacher's talk specifically about each student but is is truly amazing that each of these students is known and loved by the teachers and staff at WCS!

Second grade here we come!
Next up was Kindergarten Graduation and the official last day of school!

Candy-grams to mark this special morning.



 Sleepy peeps

Wyatt was all about dressing up in his bow tie. He is BY FAR my most opinionated about his wardrobe and usually finds something as "dressy" as khaki shorts to be some form of clothing torture so I was THRILLED that he was THRILLED to wear such fancy attire. And of course proceeded to take a million pictures of him because, HELLO my six-year-old is WILLINGLY wearing a BOW TIE!!
 New favorite picture of my Wy-Guy. :)




 Show time
 Goofy nervous walk
Wyatt had his first public speaking experience welcoming us all to Kindergarten Graduation! If you blinked you might have missed it. ;)
 They sang a couple of precious songs and then it was time for diplomas.

 Wyatt received the servants heart award from Mrs. Sims! So proud!!
 Three amigos
 Cousins
 Honey and GP with the graduates

The incredible Mrs. Sims, praying right now that she sticks around to teach Crew and Coyt in Kindergarten.

As I told Mrs. Sims and Mrs. Lindsey, they have done so much more than teach Stacey and Wyatt, they are raising our sons with us and shaping their character and we couldn't be happier to have them helping to Shepherd our boys.
 It's Official!