I Have Some BRAVE Kiddos

It was yet another lake weekend last weekend.  It's just too darn hot not to be somewhere close to or in water.  We started the day with Donuts.  We get a 50% discount because Robert does their accounting.  LOVE the perks of some of his jobs!!

There was also a good bit of work done that weekend.  And it involved 4-wheelers, MACK trucks, and fork lifts.  Pretty much heaven on earth for the kids.

But then on Sunday, we decided to make the trek to Chimney Rock.  The kids jumped off of a small (if you call 10+ feet small) rock at the end of last year and have been DYING to go back again.  So Olivia and Landon jumped off the little rock a few times.

Lillian and Robert bobbed in the water.  But then she convinced him to take her up!!  What!?!?  She won't even tube!

So there they went!  I didn't know how this would turn out!

So while they were having a pep talk (she's in the neon yellow life jacket and Robert in the red), Olivia and Landon ventured across the rock to another place to jump.  Again, shocking the ever living daylights out of their mom.  Wasn't it just the beginning of last summer Landon wouldn't even get IN the water OR tube??

And there he goes leading the way.

Meanwhile, Lillian took the plunge!

Look at her go!  I was SOOOO proud of her.  I don't know many other 3 year olds that would attempt that!

Then there was Olivia and Landon on the second place to jump.

They're old pros now.... ;-)

Then Olivia took it even further (with apparent approval from her father, because I was clearly not asked - I probably would have said no) to go up even FURTHER!!!

Let's see if you can get an idea....

We're talking like 20 feet or so!  She had to ask one of the little boys (who wouldn't go) to move so she could go!  HAHA!  So proud of Olivia!  She made one little squeak as she went down but didn't hesitate at all!

Priceless face:

It kinda scares me.  If they are doing these 'scary' things at 3, 6, and 8, what will they be doing when their 14, 16, and 18????

YIKES!

11 and Counting

All of the great grand kid cousins got together the other day.  On my dad's side of the family there are 11 great grand kids with one more on the way - Lacey's baby.  We all packed lunches and bathing suits and went to play!!

Landon wanted a coke.  I was kinda nervous because he's never had coke.  THANK THE LORD he didn't like it! ;-)  He doesn't need any help in the energy department.

We played and played...

The boys were, well, BOYS. 

We sported our speedo. 

Mingled with our California cousins!

And ATE!

Then I got my hands on the newest addition to the family.  5 day old Miss Selma Grace. 

SO.STINKIN.SWEET.  So good to get my hands on all these babies!  Then give 'em right back!

Cousin Trent came to wrestle and play for a bit.  The kids loved it.

Jack!!!  So cute!!!

Miss SG was very well loved on. 

Rhodes wanted to chill on the swing most of the time. 

Until he found a bucket.

And Olivia couldn't wait to do this....AWE!!!!

All 11 together....look at them all!  And looking at the camera (mostly) too!

And to think that only 4 of the 11 Adult Grand Kids have had children.  I have a feelin' this family is gonna be HUGE one day!

My Summer Routine

I know I keep saying this, but I can't get over how much easier this summer is than last summer!!  It's been SOOO fun!

So far our days have looked like this.

SLEEP IN UNTIL 7:30 or 8:00.   Yes SIR!

Can I get an AMEN!??  It.Is.Glorious.

Then we eat, clean up, get dressed and pack up for the morning.  Last week it was head to the gym and let mommy get her sweat on for an hour and then go swim.  And WOW, it's hot and we're all sweating up a storm in my classes.  But it feels oh so good.


Then I go change into my bathing suity and get the kids.  We swim from 10:30 to whenever we get hungry or someone has a meltdown.  ;-)


Come home, eat lunch, put the younger 2 down for nap (sometimes the WHOLE house - including me -  has to go down - I just use my mom radar for that one) and I get whatever I need to get done around here.  Sometimes it's computer work, usually keeping the laundry going, cooking dinner, and if I'm lucky, a shower for me! 


I've also incorporated a mandatory READING time for the older ones.  We are trying to keep up with the summer reading, but when you have 3 that need YOU to either read TO them or read WITH them, it gets crazy.  I keep telling them, "Guys, there's 4 of you and one of me - I'm doing the best I can!"


Then after some reading time, they are free to watch some TV.  If it weren't 100 degrees outside, I'd force them out there.  But quite frankly, I wouldn't want to be out there and can't bring myself to lock force them outside.  And sometimes I get sucked into all the old I Love Lucy episodes too. 


Some afternoons we head back out for errands or library time.  Tonight it happens to be softball for Robert.  Can't wait!


This week we started a VBS.  So after our morning routine, I drop the older 2 off at VBS, head to the gym and then take the younger two to the baby pool.   Read: Mommy lounges by the gated baby pool and works on her tan while the little ones play.  As opposed to having to get in with all four in the big pool and have them hang on me the whole time.  Which is FINE but I also like to relax sometimes.  :-)


Then we head to get Olivia and Landon and go home for our afternoon routine. 


I make myself stay home all day about one day a week to do major cleaning and catching up.  But I've found that the more we're gone, the less the house gets messed up!  IMAGINE THAT!


Evenings are spend in the driveway playing, or doing something fun with Robert.  Sometimes a cookout or any other activity we can find. 


With Robert's new job, he will be occasionally traveling, so establishing my little routine early in the summer I'm sure will be helpful. 


So, just in case you were wondering how we are spending our days, that's the skeleton of it all! 

Do you have a general routine you follow???

Long Weekend

Last weekend for the long holiday weekend, we had planned to stay in town and hang out.  We had been so busy the past 2 weekends we thought we needed to have a calm one at home.  After my day trip Saturday and then getting up early for church, we drove into the driveway and realized....what are we doing?  There's NOTHING to do here! 

So we said, "KIDS!  Go get your bathing suit on and pack 1 pair of pjs, underwear, and a change of clothes and get in the car!  WE'RE GOING TO THE LAKE!"

And then we were off for a last minute 1 night stay at the lake. 

Best.Decision.Ever. 

Again, it's gotten "easy" to throw everyone in the car and just GO!

We immediately jumped in the boat and started up this:

And some of this:

And maybe just a little of this:

Rhodesie Boy is walking this year, so he had to relearn his center of gravity with his life vest on.  He did VERY well playing on the dock and not complaining about his life jacket!

The water felt GREAT!!!

And the kids swam and played until their heads hit the pillow.

We enjoyed an ice cream sandwich or two.  ;-)

And this guy took a nice little nap in the hammock!

Lillian spent most of her time on the dock in this little bucket.

One of the best lake trips ever!  The kids slept in Sunday morning, and we swam and played until we loaded up to go home!  We got home around 7:30!!  If it had been a school night, we wouldn't have been able to stay so late!!

LOVING SUMMER!!!  Can't wait to play at the lake some more!!!!