Summer Fun





 

This Summer has been a whirlwind of fun and crazy family time. Among other things, we visited Hogle Zoo and Lagoon, and celebrated Zoey's and Gavin's birthday.

 

Calvin has become very mobile in his own way. He learned to crawl, but prefers to bum scoot. He gets everywhere on his little bum, and by the end of the day his legs are filthy! All the time in the sun has turned his hair a dark shade of blond! He is learning to sign and can now sign some basic things: sleep, eat, more, hat, and dog. He is learning to sign "please" and "thank you". He is a sweet, happy boy and loves playing with his big sister. He will be 1 this week.

 





 

 

 

 

 



Zoey turned three! When I asked her what kind of cake she would like she said "Strawberry" but then later asked for M&Ms on her cake. The end result was colorful and yummy. She loved it!

For her birthday party she went swimming with her two best friends. They all had a good time.

I've been loving staying at home with these munchkins. They are certainly a handful, but they teach me so much. This year I've dedicated myself to being more patient with them and trying to enjoy the moment, even if that moment involves thousands of tiny Cheerios flying in every direction, or watercolor paints that "accidentally" get all over the Zoey's face. (For those of you who know how OCD I can be, this is a pretty big feat!) So far I feel like we are understanding one another better and the kids are learning more and feeling happier. Now if only I can learn how to do all that and keep the house clean! Baby steps...

 

 

Gavin has been working hard, learning some new things. He has been learning new coding languages and really enjoying that. He keeps things running smoothly and has become the calm voice of reason in our sometimes chaotic home. We've been starting to exercise together and it has been challenging to make the time, but fun too.



And now, we're on to our next big adventure. My brother, Ricky and his family are moving in with us for a few months while he settles into his new job and they find a house. It will be crazy to have a house of 9 people, but we are grateful for the opportunity to have them close by and to serve.

Our family is well and happy and busy and learning. We love our life and recognize how blessed we truly are. We are surrounded in goodness and kindness, and we are growing together.