Good Mornin!

Okay, well, I have lots to post about, because its been awhile.....so get ready- lots of words and pictures coming up :)  We have had such a busy summer this year that I sometimes feel like Im a zombie and just cant wake myself up! Thad and I have been busy with our different things and so when we meet up at home after the dinner, baths, teeth brushing, story telling and everything is done for the night we want to hang out, and usually we are getting started late and then watch a movie and dont end up going to bed until 12 or 1 so needless to say, we're pooped!!  But, God is good and we are blessed!

One thing I have always tried to do with the kids is make regular trips to the library.  They LOVE going into the library and picking out mountains of books!  One set of books we really love are the ladybug girl books- they are so cute and very accurately written from a little girls perspective- my kids really enjoyed them.  And of course anything with dinosaurs or trucks tickles Jude's fancy. :)

            

I so enjoy reading and Im so glad that my kids do too!

We also have really tried to be purposeful about spending time together as a family, just us four.  We have been doing some hiking this summer and going to the resevoir to swim and play in the sand ( and chase around all the annoying seagulls)  The kids have really enjoyed their summer so far i hope and although we've had lots of changes its been fun!

We've also had a few ( very few) relaxing days at home to just play and watch movies.  My kids' favorite movies right now are, just tv shows we have on dvd ( we dont have any kind of regular tv- we can only watch movies, which is VERY okay with me- there is not much worth watching on tv) like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and of course Thomas.  We also took them to see dispicable me at the theater and they loved it, or more they loved all the snacks they got to  eat and getting to drink real pop!! woohoo! ;)

Jude's been adding to his ever growing HotWheels collection

And it seems all my kids wanna do is SNACK.....ALL.DAY. LONG!! see example below

But.....I'm just as guilty

We have also had alot of parties this summer too- Jude turned 4 and his best buddy Gibson turned 4 the next day

But, we have had a full summer and had lots of fun, but we are so ready for fall and cooler weather and hopefully some slowing down in the pace of things. So, thats been our family life this summer! Now here's some of whats been going on with FBI youth!

We have had a really busy summer with the students, and loved every minute!  Our kids got to join us for Slosh wars and they had a blast!  I'll let the photos speak for themselves :)

Here's one of the games from one of our regular youth services, again, the pics speak for themselves :)

we've had so much fun with the students this summer!! Please continue to be in prayer for our Students and our ministry! 

I hope you all have also had a wonderful summer and enjoyed your families as much as I have, now bring on sweaters and cool weather!!

While Lamby is away....

Elsie will exhaust herself :) This is what I found the other day when Lamby was in the laundry during naptime ( bad timing by mommy. )  Elsie would not tell me she was tired that afternoon or want to lay down for alittle bit (Yes, she usually informs me- "mommy Im sleepy" and promptly goes upstairs to lay down! )  But not this day, and when the laundry was finally done she dragged everything out of the dryer and grabbed lamby and fell fast asleep on the laundry room floor :)

More of summer and vacation

Many days of our summer are spent swimming in papaws pool! We usually go after church on sunday, eat, and swim ( thanks for all the tasty food Mendy- we love you!)  Anyways, my kids love to go to papaws, and despite being a little timid in the water ( no going under for them!) they love swimming in the pool.  Jude swims all around the pool, but Elsie usually sits on the steps and jumps up and down them saying "mommy, I jumped in!" haha  And also when my kids have been swimming all day I know we are in for a pretty good nap- and my kids will eat just about anything you set before them b/c they are sooo hungry! 

Daddy has also been making fires alot ( he's the next Bear Grylls ) and cooked us up some good summer food! :) YUMMY!

We also did alot of swimming on our vacation this year- we went with Steve and Mendy and the girls to Gatlinburg and stayed in a beautiful log cabin about 10 miles outside of Gatlinburg.  My kids were sooo excited to go on "daycation" and they loved the wood house so much! 

We went too Dollywood 2 days and we went to the Forbidden caves and of course did some shopping:) We also did a little bit of hiking.

Making a mountain out of a molehill

Well, today, my sweet children decided to make a "mountain"!!  And by mountain I mean a HUGE mess!  This is the third time my house has been hit by a mountain! I'll describe it to you like this: Just imagine walking into your closet and seeing NOTHING hanging on the rack, the clothes that are supposed to be on hangers....are not.  They are scattered all over your closet floor....off.the.hangers.  My kids happily and joyfully say to you "look mommy!! We made a mountain!" As they say this to you they are laughing and jumping all over the pile of de-hangered clothes.  I cannot describe the rage that boiled up inside me today when they hit jude's closet.  I am not the kind of person who always has my laundry hung up as soon as its out of the dryer, so when I do accomplish the feat of getting all the laundry hung up- I feel nice and organized and very accomplished!  Thats why I couldnt bear to take any pictures of the mountain- I want no memory of this terrible natural disaster that occured in jude's closet today.  I did manage to get it cleaned up and his closet is more organized than before, but now I have a whole other basket of freshly laundered clothes sitting in my laundry room waiting to be folded and hung up- I think I'll put a deadbolt on our closet doors!  HAHAHA!! But as I sit here typing this I think "you know, my mom let me do crazy stuff like pack my bookbags with all my little toys and stuff and hideout in the bathroom and pretend it was my little apartment, maybe I need to chill out a little and let my kids have an imagination....."  Let my babies live a little and have fun memories- I just wish making memories didnt have to be soo messy!

Sunday Mornings

Do your kids ever act like this on Sunday mornings??  Good! Thought I was the only one!  Well, I'll have a longer post later.....right now I have to get ready for church! ;)

My Kids' New Obsession

Just thought I would show all you mommy's this lunch that my kids have been obsessed with lately- they ask for these ALL THE TIME!! My kids aren't huge fans of jelly, so we just do pb! Hope your kids enjoy them too!