Summer Lately...

Alexee and Crosby just finished two weeks of swim lessons.  They did great--passed all points on the Level III checklist.

                                             

The kids had friends spend the night last Thursday, which was really fun.  We ate dinner outside, and the boys swam until about 9:30 (the girls were busy inside making videos).

One morning last week R & A had orthodontist consultations in Springfield.  We had to be there at 8 a.m., and everyone left depressed about the news of braces and retainers so we went to Hurt's Donuts to make the trip a little more enjoyable.  We had plenty to share with Lane and Crosby when we got home.

Cozy in R's room

Last weekend we took a (belated) birthday cake to my Mom.  We spent the night there and had a fun time with them Saturday and Sunday.  Somehow we made it to their house with the layer cake still assembled!

Saturday afternoon Dad took us fishing.  It was HOT, but I always love going.  The river is always ice cold, so you can stick your toes in the water when it gets so hot you can't take it any more.  And the kids got all the way in the water beside the boat which made for interesting fishing, but at least they were cool!

We had lots of bites, but only reeled in two fish...caught by C & A!

Rhett wanted another dirt-road driving lesson, so he drove us over to Grandmother & Granddad's house to deliver strawberry cake.  He did a great job!

Love the windmill in my grandparents' field.

Later that evening we went to the barn and C climbed into the big tractor.

Sunday drive after church:

I wish it wasn't time to think about it already, but we went school supplies shopping this week.  Rhett is excited about starting Junior High (what!?!), but Alexee and Crosby are not ready to go back.  I'm glad the shopping is done though.  We have the supplies sorted and packed up for meet-the-teacher night so we can forget about it for a couple of weeks and just enjoy the last little bit of summer break.  We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new nephew, we have Texas friends coming to visit, and we are planning a quick trip back to Kansas City!

Basketball Camp & Grandparents

July 11-14:  A & C went to basketball camp at a local college.  The girls' camp was 9 a.m. to noon and the boys' 1-4:00, so we carpooled with a few friends and also did sleepovers, which made camp extra fun!  One day I picked up the girls and took the boys, so we had a picnic on campus between the pick-up and drop-off times.  After they ate, everyone took bread crumbs to the pond to feed the swans and ducks.  

They learned a lot and are looking forward to basketball season now!

These are just a few random pictures of C that I loved and didn't want to forget.  (Reading his Bible before church and mixing up muffins in his (too small) Spider-Man PJs and fuzzy slippers.)  :)  Kids grow up so fast.

On Thursday the 14th Lane's parents came to visit us for the weekend!  The kids were supposed to have tennis clinic Thursday night, but it was postponed due to storms so we went out to eat Mexican food instead.  Friday we had a slow morning at home then we went to Silver Dollar City for a few hours.  It wasn't very crowded, but it was terribly hot.  We didn't stay long.  We rode a few rides and saw the Harlem Globetrotters show.

Grammy & Bobba and the kids going through the Flooded Mine.

We enjoyed the show!

Saturday we split up for a little while.  The girls ate lunch at Sugar Leaf and did some shopping while the boys had lunch at Ruby Tuesday and toured the Titanic Museum.  We met back at home, had spaghetti for dinner and then the kids went for their very first swim in our pool!  This was a long project (nine months), and one that I regretted many times (every time I looked out the window) during that time, but now that it's done I think I can see how much fun it will be!  We still have some landscaping to do, but after that is completed I'll do a post about the whole process.  We started right before Halloween last year, and finished filling it with water on July 16!

FIRST JUMP!

Happy day!

Later that night we went out for frozen custard and a ride on the ferris wheel.

Fun night with Grammy & Bobba!

Lane and I rode with the boys, and Alexee rode with Bob & Rose Mary.

And on Sunday we had the Keeter Center brunch before they left town.  We always enjoy eating there.  They have a huge selection of desserts, which included cotton candy this time!

It was a wonderful weekend!!

Summer Fun

Lately...

The kids are doing a tennis clinic, and they all seem to like it!  Alexee and Crosby are in the same class, Rhett is in the older age division class.

                            

Lane's brother's family was in town for a reunion, so we enjoyed lunch with them!  It was good to catch up and to have the cousins all together. 

Last weekend we decided to do an art "class".  We all painted a jar of fireflies.  Alexee and Crosby had fun doing this...I'm not so sure about Rhett.  :)

Young Artists

We tried to go swimming one afternoon, but it rained/stormed us out after an hour.  We came home, and our power was out.

Last Saturday morning we went out for breakfast.  The cinnamon rolls here are so good!  You can see them making them behind the glass.  

                            

That afternoon we went to see The Secret Life of Pets, which was cute!

I also picked our first produce last weekend!  We used these for tacos that night (plus some lettuce that we grew).

Summer is going by very quickly.  I'm enjoying the time with the kids, and I'm not at all ready for school to start yet.  Things get so crazy busy as soon as school starts.
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