Summer is....

Summer. Just the word brings excitement weather you are 3 or 93. Summer brings memories of back yard BBQ's with friends, watermelon, fresh tomatoes bought at a local fruit stand, small town snocone stands, and lots of fun with family and friends. There is something about summer that when it begins you feel as though it will be here forever.....and when it is over brings a realization that nothing is forever.

Here are a few things of what summer was for us...

Summer is loosing teeth

and gaining new sons and daughters.

It is never being so busy that you can't have time for the people that matter most.

It is playing dress up with Daddy's glasses and hat.

It is rides on the church bus for ice cream with Papa.

It is trips to the nail salon for girl time.

Summer is making time to get away and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Summer is overcoming fears that bound us for so long and realizing that thing that we feared all our life was nothing scary at all!
(Brailey used to be frightened of people in a costume)

Summer is lots of time spent at the pool and playing basketball. With sunburnt cheeks.

Summer is taking time to get away from it all and gathering with people you love for cook outs.

So tonight I am just looking through the pages of my life and all I can say is thankful. So thankful God allowed me to be Rylan and Brailey's mommy. So thankful to be given the gift to bring them up in the things of God. So thankful to be their mommy. Tomorrow Brailey starts 1st grade. I am overwhelmed in emotion. One part of me so thankful for the little girl that she has become and the other part sad that the baby she was is now over. Saying goodbye to the care free days of summer and going back into homework, field trips, and full schedules. I wouldn't have it any other way.....

So now the house is silent the night before with backpacks ready, lunchboxes full, and a little girl ready to face anything the world will bring her way.....

Summer how I have missed you!

It has been a summer full of days spent at the swimming pool till our cheeks turn red. Lots of splashing and laughing. Mornings spent in pj's till 11 o'clock. Having brownies every now and then for breakfast.

A trip to Sea World that the kids loved. Feeding dolphins, watching seals, & amazed at killer whales. It was a fun trip all the way around. One week of no work just loving on the greatest accomplishments we have had in our life.....Our sweet babies.
(our son hates pictures thus the sad face in the above picture)

(this one I did a sneak attack for a picture so I got a smile)
Movies that makes us all laugh and giggle. Especially the way we looked with those glasses on!

Funny how you forget how much you love summer until it comes and then you remember how wonderful it is to have fun with your babies and not have to try and balance school, ministry and home life. June is coming to a close soon and July will be full of conferences and youth camp. July life will quickly go from slow and peaceful back to busy and a different kind of wonderful. For right now I am thinking of how wonderful it is not to have something going on everyday. How great it is to just have time to breath. Most of all how thankful I am for the two babies we have in our life....

Where did summer go?

I remember when I was young...it seemed as though when I was in school that summer would never get there and when summer was upon me it seemed like I would never go back to school to see all my friends. I got to thinking it is almost August. This summer has flown by...

Before long girls we will be back to getting kids off to school. Set bed times, mornings filled with busyness trying to get everyone and everything together before they go to school. So I got to thinking where did the summer go? I thought I would share where mine went!

My daughter turned 4. She is wondering if it is time for her to get married, and if it is who is she going to marry. Most importantly when will she get to have her first baby? She really wants to know these things. As you can tell she is my 100% girly girl (look out you get what you pray for when you say you want a REALLY GIRLY GIRL! God takes this serious I found out ;) )




My baby boy turned three, or as he says "Mom, I am taking it to three". This summer was filled with adventure for Rylan. From hunting down bugs in the backyard, to trying to scale our fence, to peeing out in our backyard as all the neighbors drove by and watched on their way to work in the morning. Rylan is starting his K-3 school here in just a few short weeks. It has made me realize how quickly they grow up......

My best friend (C.D. the one in the center) is getting married on September 12th so there has been lots of planning for her wedding and then there are showers and the dress and the invitations and the decor and the cake!!! Whew planning a wedding is a lot of work!

One of the most amazing things this summer has been getting to minister with Chiks like April Simons and Misty Westlund! There are a lot great things in life. One of the best is seeing women's lives changed! There is something so amazing about seeing women come in one way and then see them totally changed by the love of God when the leave! The above picture is with Mrs. April and myself at her Chik Nite at High Point Church in July.

Ohhhh now don't get me wrong I would be lieing if I acted like there wasn't any fun. There has been multiple trips to Starbucks, Chuck-E-Cheese, pool with the kids, Six Flags with all the family and lots of time spent with tickling sessions on our living room floor.

K-3 Graduations, road trips, new members to our family, lake, and good times!

Well I have missed all of you! Things have been so busy around here! There has been so much going on! I took pictures a long the way though knowing that I wanted to let all of you in on what I have been up to!

For starters Brailey graduated for her K-3 program at her school....she is very excited mommy was a little teary.

Do you see my little baby up there??


Once again Brailey loves pictures.....Rylan not so much.

This was at her after graduation party!


We got two new members to our family two goldfish. One named Henry (my son's) and Little Miss. Sunshine (my daughter's).

This is bear asleep in the car holding the bag with his fish.

Brailey was so excited to get Little Miss Sunshine home!!

All of my family always goes to the lake on Memorial day weekend. So off we went to the lake to spend time with the family! There is nothing like getting away from everything for a while and just enjoying nature and your children!

Brailey will never pass up a chance to have her picture taken. Bear on the other hand didn't want his picture taken that day!

Then it was off to Bryan's hometown for his cousin's high school graduation! No trip to the farm would be complete with out hay rides, Popsicles and rides around to see all of the animals!

This is Rylan and my nephew Ian.

Rylan and Aunt Brenda

Ian eating his Popsicle!

My beautiful sister in law and her daughter Zoe and Ian.

So that has been my last two weeks! It has been fast and furious. Brailey's 4th birthday was yesterday and it was wonderful! We are having her party on Saturday and she is super excited! I hope all of your summer's are off to a great start mine sure is!