Summertime!

It has been a very eventful and fun summer for us! We went on our first family vacation and it was the best! Our kids had so much fun camping and being outdoors! We went to Arkansas and went to the Crater of Diamonds in Murfreesboro. What an adventure! It was fun to dig and search for diamonds, even if it was hot and not much shade! We did not find a diamond but the experience was memorable!



 

After we went to the diamond area, we headed to Hot Springs. I had memories of the Bathhouse Row from going as a kid and I hoped it was going to be fun for the girls and for Brian. It was still the same. Our facinacion was the HOT water, of course. We all were amazed that it can be so hot when it's coming straight out of the ground! Very cool for them to experience!

 

 Since we didn't get there until later in the day, we didn't have as much time as I would have liked but we still made good use of our time there!

The we headed to Ouachita State Park for our camping! Wow, Brian and I went before kids and it was just as beautiful as we remembered!



The girls had a great time sleeping in the tent, eating food from the fire and of course roasting marshmallows!



We were able to swim in the beautiful water and admire the mountains, the first the girls had ever seen!

We went on a hike, climbing up part of the mountain and it was fun for us to do it as a family. It is so hard for us to always be together and this was a great chance for us to do exactly that!

We hated to leave but we were hoping to find an equally fun place to camp in Oklahoma. WE WERE WRONG! We headed to Broken Bow in Southern OK and it was awful, to understate it. We arrived to find the campsites very dirty, hardly any shade, and just an overall unsafe feel. And this was in the middle of the day! We regret we did not take pictures but after 2 1/2 hours trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, we were so frustrated we decided Texas was where we needed to be. We had no cell service until we made it to Texas and by then a big storm was rolling in. When that happened, we felt like our wind and been blown out and we decided just to head home. We were sad for the girls to miss out on more camping but it was best for all of us to head home. We tried to continue the vacation by pitching the tent in the living room, making smores and eating the same food we would have if we had been to the campsite! The kids thought is was great! We gave ourselves a pat on the back for turning it around!

The next day we took everyone bowling and that was fun too! The girls had the best time with the modified vacation and they definitely have the memories to hang on to for a lifetime!

Overall, we had the best time and the girls are ready to go camping again! We will definitely question our research more before heading out but we are happy to have had the experience just the same! Now we know! We have had an amazing summer and the girls are so thankful for everything they have been able to do!!



Restarting

Okay, here is my attempt to get restarted on the blogging. I have no excuse now, with digital access everywhere I go.

I have no children at home this week! The girls are in Houston for Zoo Camp. Leah's first time and Michelle's 6th. Carolyn's 4th. They are pros at this point!! So, Brian and I are finding lots of time to be together. Well, kind of. He has been working like crazy this week and I did a redo of our brick patio. It was time. Now that the patio is complete, I am realizing that the kids are not home and it is really quiet. Too quiet. I have to have the radio on all the time so I have noise. Please don't remind me of this later. I will deny that I ever said anything.

 We are in the first week of summer and I was so ready. So many activities this year and they were constant! I am glad that my kids enjoy the things they are involved in from Girl Scouts, to softball, dance, friends, and oh yeah, school. With the big girls finishing 3rd and 1st grades, I realize I only have 2 years left before they are not all at the same school ever again. Boohooo!

 Leah still has another year before she goes to Kindergarten. Thank goodness. I am not ready for that little puppy to go off to school full time yet! Yes, she's the baby so you hang on to them more. But she's just so tiny!! I can't imagine her being in Kinder!

 So, we have lots of things planned for the summertime and I will keep you posted on what we've got going on! We've already been to the beach and when they get back from camp we will have a few days with friends before another camp and VBS. Before you know it, July is here and we have July 4th in Waller and Brian will be racing his motorcycle a few times. We are trying to get a family vacation in there too!

Happy Summertime!!

Mommyhood

Okay, seriously. How are there moms out there that are actually able to maintain a blog daily, weekly, or even monthly! It is sad, I haven't posted since November!

I don't think I can recap the things that we have been doing that keep up so busy. You will have to sit through the slideshow to see!

We are headed to Houston to enjoy the Houston Rodeo this weekend. I LOVE this rodeo. It is different with my own kids with me remembering all the times I went with friends and walked around and watched concerts and such. I want my kids to enjoy some of the same experiences as I did. The rodeo is one of those fun memories I have. The kids think it is so weird that we are doing something that not only I did as a kid but that my PARENTS did as well. Cause that was so long ago right? I guess when it is your grandparents, it kind of is.

 I keep realizing that my girls are getting older and soon will not want to do fun things with me anymore. Michelle is constantly wanting to be with friends now and is always wanting sleepovers and to go places. Thankfully she is still young enough that she needs snuggle time with mommy. I imagine that soon enough I will hardly ever see her. So, I'm banking on one of the other two to stay close to home!

Carolyn is in Kindergarten this year and is learning a little more independence and Leah is attempting hers but keeps remembering she needs me. I love being there for them as much as I need timeouts too.

We are always running it seems, school, Girl Scouts, dance and homework. Softball starts next week, adding to my busy schedule. Each girl has something but then I know they enjoy it and that is what matters.

Mommyhood is crazy but it is worth it.

Off to work

Yesterday was so adorable. Since everyone is home for Thankgiving break, Brian had a few jobs that would be appropriate for him to take the girls to. He took Leah to work in the morning and then Michelle in the afternoon. Leah ended up playing with the customers kids! Michelle helped pump the brakes for Brian and earned $5 before she took an opportunity to go over to a friends house that was next door to the customer! Carolyn didn't go to work with Brian but not wanting her to feel left out, he took her to the store and she got a reward of gum.

 The girls are always sad when Daddy has to go to work when they are off of school. They just want to play with him! It was a great time for him and he always has a special time with them when they are one on one. I hope that the girls will remember these times they get to spend time with their Daddy and that lots of kids cannot go to work with their parents.

 I wished I had taken pics of them going off to work but I will next time!

Paparazzi

Kids are like paparazzi, they follow you everywhere just trying to get a glimpse of you! Looking out windows, knocking on doors, screaming your name. I should be flattered that I am such a celebrity at my house. But I'm not. As with famous people, I'm sure that as nice as it is that people are interested in what they are doing 24/7, do you really need to know how often I am in the bathroom, what I am reading, when I am getting dressed, where am I going, etc? I know, I know, these days will be missed when the girls are older but really? Will I?

We have been working on understanding privacy these days. They ask for it but are still having trouble knowing that other people want some as well. I don't need help getting dressed. I don't need so many questions. I have to go to my car to get something, I will be right back. Yes, I have a meeting and I will be back later. No, you can't come with me. I am going crazy right now and no I don't want you banging on the door asking me what I am doing or screaming/crying because you want in, just because. Of course, as soon as the door is opened, all is right in the world.

They know that if you lay down and put your mouth right at the bottom of the door, your voice will travel so much better than just standing by the door.

There are plenty of times, like right now as I sit in peace and quiet (because everyone is at school) that I wonder if it will be sad someday when this is all I hear and the noises are less frequent. I know that my sensitive ears will appreciate it but my heart will not. Someday my girls will not need me as they do now. Of course, it drives me crazy how much they can need me sometimes but it is there way of saying, "Mommy you are my guide and I don't know what to do without you!" Of course as they grow and are more independent, I know that they are understanding that God is following them wherever they go and that He is their guide.

Children start out being your paparazzi but in the end, you end up being theirs.

An Eight Year Old and a Three Year Old!

Why do kids keep growing? We celebrated 2 birthdays this past weekend with LOTS of partying! Of course, no I am paying for it by being sick. Anyway, Michelle turned 8 and Leah turned 3! hard to believe!

Michelle has grown so much this past year, has gotten more mature and probably a little more saucy! I have to remind her constantly that she is NOT a teenager yet and should not be carrying her attitude as though she is one! She is definitely wanting more responsibility and I am doing my best to work with that. She wants to take care of her sisters and seriously thinks she is ready to walk to school by herself with her sister, most likely drive a car, and all the other things she thinks she can do! Thankfully we can bring he down from that cloud every so often and remind her to slow down because as soon as she passes these milestones, she'll be wishing she could go back!

Leah has also grown so much. She has such a great heart and loves so beautifully! It is hard to believe she is getting farther away from the baby I have always seen her as! At least she is still small and I can scoop her up and squeeze her! I know that those times are getting closer to being done and knowing she is my baby makes that hard.

My girls are the best gifts I could ever ask for. I have to remind myself that they will grow up and they will not need me as much as they do now and when I am getting irritated by the clothes, toys, shoes, dishes and many other things that are all over the house and by all the snuggling that they want to do when I am trying to cook dinner or do laundry, I know that someday I will be hungering for these moments. Take them now!

School!

Hard to believe that I now have two girls in elementary school. We are coming to finishing the first two weeks of school and they love it! I am so happy to have girls that WANT to do something everyday. I mean, Carolyn said she wants to live at school! She thinks the weekend just gets in the way of the fun of school! How long will this last? So far, it's the only thing that they are doing right now. Ballet starts next week and then Nutcracker rehearsals will start after that! Then they may get too tired to do be as happy about school! I hope not though!

 I just can't get over that Carolyn is in Kindergarten and Michelle is in 2nd grade! At least Leah still has 3 more years before she goes. I don't think I could handle all of them in school yet. It moves me closer to having to get a job though! I would like for that to take all the time it can getting here! I do not want to go back to working. I enjoy being involved with the girls in every way I can. I love this part of being a mom!