Hanging Time

The kids had such a great time with all their cousins! There are 19 grandkids, so needless to say it was a full house with lots of happy children. Mika loved playing with Jared, and also with the girls in their attic hideout. :) She'd get her snuggle time with Kaylin at quiet time....

Kaylin loved playing family night games. Here she's relay racing with Jared.

Kaylin also got a haircut by Aunt Emily who is the best beautician ever!!!

These 3, along with Abby and occasionally little sisters were inseperable. I love how close in age they all are and how friendly they are to each other.

Mika was never too busy for mama's hugs.

The "boy quiet time" if Travis wasn't napping with Mika, he was watching the boy movie for quiet time. I'd say he deserves this vacation!!

Eating with 30 or so people was as overwhelming as I thought...here's Travis and I enjoying a spot next to each other...

After I took Family pictures on Tuesday I spent a lot of nights editing and going through favorites with sisters. :) Here's Tami and I...

There were so many more I wanted to post--each with a fun memory behind it. I miss the beach so much and being with everyone....

1st day of school!

After sweet Father's Blessings the night before, here are the kids geared up ready to go! They woke up full of excitement and anticipation! Kaylin is in 2nd grade now and Ethan is in Kindergarten. Kaylin wasn't very interested in picture taking this morning, but Ethan was all smiles.

Mika was a bit lonely today. She stuck to me like glue. She talked my ear off non-stop, but only asked about bubby twice. Usually she'd be down for a nap when the bus comes, but I kept her up so she could see them. The bus stop is 3 houses down the street.

I love their bus driver! He let Kaylin sit with Ethan (for the first week) and is so sweet with Kindergartners having them sit in the first rows. Ethan's class theme is chica chica boom boom so he had a jungle hat on today. :)

Travis is 31!

Travis was gone on a scout campout this weekend, so we just had to spoil him rotten on Sunday. I can't believe he's 31--the years go by so fast.
He doesn't like cake, so we had banana splits and my mom made homemade apple pie that was really goooood, says the Birthday Boy. :) He wanted everything low-key so it was easy for the birthday planner and nice to just hang out with friends and family..... And of course he got lots of loves through out the day. We tried to give him 31 kisses :)

We had friends and family join us--Thanks wonderful girlie cousins, my parents, the Anthonys, the Gardners, the Butlers, and Brad and Vicki (not in photo) It's always so fun being with the people we love all together! Thanks for the gifts too!

Thus sayeth Bubby

Ethan: Mom! Kaylin is trying to be a mom!
Me: What? Beautiful and sweet?
Ethan: No, she's being bossy. She thinks she's the boss like a mom!

Ethan: I'm nervous for school. I think the bus will be the only fun thing. And at class, it'll just be a little fun, not fun all the time.
But in his night prayers, he prayed that Kaylin wouldn't be nervous. ;)

Campin Out

We took our friends, the Butlers to Wedowee one last time before school starts up again. It was so much fun! But SO HOT!!!! We were sweating most of the time, and that's like dripping sweat. The water was bath water, on the verge of a hot tub....so we'd usually go find a cove with clear green water and take a swim...

Mika is a fish in the making. She loves wearing her jacket, but finds walking around with no jacket, up to her neck is way more fun. :)
Kaylin loves the water, that's no surprise. I can't remember a time she was out of it, besides sleeping and eating. Such a gorgeous thing....
Every morning there would be tiny fish all along the shore. (ew!) So Jeff and Travis decided to get them with a net and put them in a tupperware. (one less fish to nibble at me!)
Jeff's trying to lure them with leftover eggs...I don't have a pic of it, but Kaylin would sit in it and watch the fish nibble at her. Ethan would ask, "Kaylin WHAT are you doing?!?" She'd reply, "Shhh! I'm having the fish nibble on my legs!" Oh boy.....
Ethan is getting so good with out his jacket. The water looks gross, but it's just mud all turned up.
There was a rope swing and for some reason Britt and I decided to go too. It actually was a lot of fun....
After the tube ride with my girlies, we went for a little swim. Travis and Ethan joined us too!
Savannah, Brittany, Kaylin, Me and Mika swimmin.....
On the tube ride with Mika and Kaylin. I asked Kaylin why she always put her head down and she said it's because it hurts her neck to look up the whole time. We may have to invest in one of the sitting tubes!
At the beginning of summer Travis bribed me to come to the lake saying I didn't have to do anything but read....Nice huh? Well I still feed everybody, tend to kid owies, and dips in the warm water, but I don't feel guilty at all curling up in the mushroom chair, reading a nice book in the shade. Thanks babe!

Family

We love Grandma!It was so great spending time with my brother. I've missed him so much. Saturday he took my mom and I out to lunch. We ate at the cutest little resturant called Little Red Riding Hood (or something like that) and everything was antique and vintage. Then he took us to the best donut place ever and I got a true Boston Creme! (we were in MA) Love you bro!
Before heading back on the road, we took some pics by Sarena's gorgeous flowers. The girls--we had such a great time together. :) And Mika even warmed up to Sarena in 3 short days!

The boys--

Sharps, you guys were so great, fun and hospitable. Kenz let me and the kids take over her room and bathroom--such a good sport!! She was a vagabond most nights. It was fun to talk about books with her and watching movies when the youngens went to bed. Jared was so gentlemenly to the girls, always protecting them. Trev was so helpful and I had a great time laughing with him. And Karinn was so sweet to all my kids. She shared and played with them all week. They adored her.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Kaylin's 7th Birthday!

Kaylin was so excited to be with her cousins for her birthday--even tho Daddy wasnt with us
:(
We went to church, had a big brunch, opened presents, had cupcakes and then waited for some fireworks after grilling burgers!

Kaylin wanted these dolls so bad. They were on sale so we got her two so her and Karinn could play them together. She got some great gifts! One is a necklace from her daddy with a cat that sparkles.

Talking to her daddy on her bday....

Blowing out 7 candles!!!

Coloring with her new pastels from Grandma Wendy. Isn't her picture pretty?!

Connecticut Adventures!

Salmon Brook Park--the kids could not stop climbing the erosion. They had a blast. The water was so beautiful, clear and no Goergia clay! But it was freeeezing for these Southerners! :)

I couldn't believe Ethan was in that ice cold water. He loved it.

Children's Museum--

Me and Mika were on TV! :) Blowing Big Bubbles.

The Shadow Wall. We did a bunch of different funny poses.

Mika loved the water area. She was very determined to pour that watering can.

There was a little tractor Ethan loved "driving"

The "Doctors" fixing up poor Makenzie.

One of the favorites of the Children's Museum was this Curvy Climber. It's carpeted and the wires are string pulled really tight. They played tag for forever. Even Mika went up there (with me) and had a blast climbing.

Look Park---

Here are the kids at the Petting Zoo. They had lots of fun looking at this Peacock for a while. :) On the Paddleboats. Mika was born a worrier and things haven't changed. When the worker boy tried to put on her jacket she flipped out and wouldn't put it on at all after that and would not budge from my lap.

Grandma had the "boy boat" They all took turns paddling and the worker girl in the canoe had to tell them to "be careful" more than once....

The Aventurers!