Tea's Party

Tea decided on a beach themed pool party this year.  I made these colorful ice cream cone cupcakes and the kids (and adults) really enjoyed them.  Every time we plan and put together a party I am reminded how fleeting our time of parenting little ones is.  I can't believe how big our kids are getting.  It really is a joy to celebrate with them.

We put together a cute little snack table with pebble crispy treats, gold fish in a fish bowl, and some chips and crackers. 

 The kids played several games split up into groups.  There were 18 children guests, but they all seemed to have a really good time.

 Of course there were presents which Tea enjoyed very much.  She has a good bit of money to shop this week as well.

I am so glad it went so well.  Now we just have to pull off Boo's and we are done until February!

8 is Great!

My sweet Tea turned 8 years old yesterday!  She is such a bubbly, happy, energetic little girl.  She is very mature for her age and such a joy to be around.  She is very athletic, loves sports, and reading.  We are having a pool party for her tomorrow and if the weather holds up I think it will be pretty awesome!  We love you so much sweet Tea....stay little just a bit longer!

The Big 5

 Today my sweet baby Boo girl turned 5!  I just cannot believe it.  She is such a darling.  This has been a much anticipated birthday.  When you have 3 older siblings I think 5 is a pretty big deal.  She is now old enough to be in the big class at church, go to youth group, and start Kindergarten in the Fall.  Very exciting stuff.

This year Boo and Tea agreed that they wanted to have separate parties.  Tea's will be this Saturday and Boo's will be in early August.  That didn't keep us from celebrating though.  Boo picked green chili burritos for dinner and requested I make a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting.

After dinner she opened a few gifts which she loved.  I love how excited all of the kids get for the gift part!

Her new kitty helped her eat her cake and ice cream.  I think she had a great night.  We love you Boo so darn much.  You are such a delight to our entire family.  I can't wait for school to start so that you can learn to read.  We are so proud of you, keep being yourself!

Looking Ahead

If you would have asked me in May, I would have said it was impossible, but we are all actually very much looking forward to the upcoming school year.  We have so many fun things planned.  I have some new ideas too.  One of the things that we will be doing differently this year is easing back in.  Instead of starting full throttle we will start with a subject or two the first week or two and then slowly add the others.  This will keep us from getting overwhelmed in the beginning and also help with scheduling.  Sometimes it looks good on paper but then the implementation is a different story. 

I am hoping to go shopping for supplies soon.  Much like the kids, I think this is one of my favorite parts.  Something about new folders, notebooks, pencils, and binders just make us all happy I suppose.  I will be setting up our final schedule sometime this week so hopefully I'll have more to share soon.

Day at the Beach

Our time off is quickly coming to an end.  When I got back from camp I really wanted to do something as a family for the day.  We decided to take the kids to the lake.  We got lucky with gorgeous weather and the kids were thrilled.

 Chiggie loves to swim and always has.  I don't think we saw her up on the pavilion at all after lunch.  She just hung out in the water all day.

 Boo is getting much more adventurous.  She can't wait until she can go out into the deeper water, but for now she is content hanging out on the beach.

 Midge spent almost the entire time we were there collecting shells.  She kept them in empty chip bags.

 Buster is a little too adventurous for his own good.  We had to follow him very closely as he really doesn't know his limitations.

Tea is just a happy kid all around.  She had a great day doing a little bit of everything.  I was very happy to get to spend this day as a family.

Camp Como 2012

 Don't give up on me.  I am definitely still around and doing my very best to make this summer one to remember, even under unbelievably difficult circumstances.  Last week I took Chiggie and my little sister to Camp Como.  We had a really good time despite the fact that the engine blew on our SUV on the way up making things interesting as always.

The weather was gorgeous.  We got several showers, but I have missed the rain so much that I didn't mind at all.  The rainbows afterwards made it all worthwhile.

 It was a good opportunity for Chiggie and Marlee to get away for a bit.  They are enjoying their last little bit of time as young kids.

 The theme of the camp this year was "The Sweet Salvation Soda Shop."  They had a sock hop and everything.  It was quite cute.

 They both enjoyed climbing the outdoor rock wall this year.  I am just glad they both had the nerve to at least try.

 The food was great, but most of the time I was able to avoid the major temptations.  It  was a great detox because I had no access to soda for 4 days.

I am glad we got to spend this time together growing closer to God.  This will be Chiggie's last year at Camp Como!

Game On

 This morning we headed outside early for some swimming and side walk art.  I wanted to get in a little outdoor time before coming in and starting the get ready for camp process.  It's amazing how much effort goes into just getting everything ready.  Just to keep things organized I am also planning out the other kids clothes and such for while we are gone.  They will be spending the nights with the King, but will be at my Mom's for the days.  They are also taking a field trip with the church youth group to the Denver Children's Museum.  I hope they have fun, I will miss them so.

Our Festivities

Despite the fire ban and the ban on fireworks, we had a great 4th of July.  To add to the fun I painted the kids faces.  It's amazing how something so little can make them so happy.

 We packed a picnic and headed up to the college to eat on the lawn.  There was live music and a bouncy house for the kids to play in. 

 There was also all you can eat watermelon.  I am pretty sure each one of our kids ate an entire watermelon on their own!

 Of course we had our traditional flag cake.  It was absolutely delicious even when eaten in the pouring rain.

 The girls were adorable dancing around to the music.  It makes my heart smile to see them making memories like these.

Buster just couldn't get over the bouncy house.  He was exhausted when we finally left.  I think he bounced for a combined total of 2 hours!  We had a lot of fun.  I can't believe our Summer is half over.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!  I am so thankful for the many freedoms that I have!

Last Appointment

Today was our last dentist appointment for awhile.  Poor Boo was so nervous it made me sad.  Top that with the fact that she has a black eye from hitting her head at the baby sitter's and I felt pretty rotten.  She just had a very small cavity.  She didn't even have to have any numbing medication.  A little laughing gas and she was good to go. 

I am very glad to be getting these things out of the way.  We will be busy getting ready for camp this week.  I am going as the upper grade sponsor for our church and taking Chiggie with me.  We will only be gone for 4 days but I will miss the little ones.  They have some fun plans while I'm gone so I hope they stay busy!

Soaking it Up

I am doing everything I can to soak up every last drop of this summer.  Trying to let go of the things that I cannot control and just enjoy my family.  Today we headed over to the river for some swimming and tubing after church.  We had an absolute blast!  I know when the fall rolls around and everything is back to "normal" I will really appreciate these moments!

Hello July!

Just stopping in to marvel at the fact that it is indeed July 1st!  My favorite month has come to a close and now we are moving in to my second favorite.  One of my favorite holidays is July 4th.  Unfortunately this year there will not be any fireworks to celebrate. That's okay, I am sure we'll find a way to have fun anyway.  Here's to July!