Our Summer Blues

We are really having an amazing summer...the blues come with the weather.  It is the end of June...and still cold!!!  We have only really gotten to enjoy our pool for 2 days so far due to inclimate (is that a word???)weather.  And of course- I refuse to get in until we see 85-90!!!  The kids are trying everyday to get it, and they make it now to about 5 minutes of swimming! So we hope to have some good weather soon.

MacKenzie is off at Whitman College at team soccer camp.  She is having a great time.  She has to borrow everyone's phone to call home- she is the only team member without a cell phone! She says the coach is "hard core- and it is awesome"  This is a trial run to see how I do without my MacKenzie.  She will be gone 2 weeks later this summer on a mission trip.  She has almost finished raising her funds to go and she is so excited.  I think we will do fine, I know she will do great- it is us at home that I am worried about.  Sammy did not know what to do with himself yesterday.  Annabelle was gone for several hours at gymnastics and MacKenzie is gone.....he kept asking when they were coming home!

MacKenzie's creations- she sold at a bake sale for her mission trip

Snapping out of it

Well- I know I have not kept up very well.  I got a little unmotivated because I was not sure if anyone is looking at our pics.  I realized though that regardless of whether anyone looks- this is just fun.  It is such a reflective time to try to capture life at our home so I will continue to try!  We have had a bunch going on, yet seem to be able to enjoy the laziness of summer amongst it all.  Swim team has started and all 4 children are taking part this year.  This is Sammy's first year!  I spent all day Wednesday (first meet) telling him how he can grab the line but to not push off...all day- only to find out that he did not have to stop and grab the line at all.  He was in 4 events and swam the whole length for every one of them.....SO PROUD! 
We have also been busy raising support for MacKenzie's mission trip.  She has almost finished raising all of her funding.  She has worked hard babysitting, bake sales, car wash, and gardening...SO PROUD!
I find there are many things to be proud of with my kiddos, I think everyone feels that way.  I am just so thankful for every moment right now with them and I am trying really hard to capture our moments together. 

Sammy's first swim meet, Leavenworth, WA

Working on our Father's Day gift, a mural from Art Projects For kids

MacKenzie has no problem going the extra mile!!

I guess for that matter---neither does her brother!

Summer fun has Begun

Definitely the highlight of the week!

Well- the pool has finally been filled!  Unfortunately- it has not reached above 75 yet....that has not deterred the troops!  They have been in every day BUT- the longevity of their swims are about 5 minutes at a time.  Then they beg for a hot bath.  Hopefully at some point the weather will begin to resemble summer and they can enjoy this blessing.

The new addition

Although Annabelle asks for a new baby sister almost daily--that is NOT the new addition!  But- how fun  is this:  I am completely struck by God's abundance.  Go promises to provide our needs, and we have never gone without.  We constantly live month to month amazed at His provisions, but honestly I take this for granted so often.  This month we were blessed with a gift, not just a gift- an ABUNDANT gift!  It all started with fun thoughts in my head- "Wouldn't it be fun to get a pool!"  Of course, these thoughts never left my head until I finally mentioned it to Rob before he was headed out of town,  his response, "Please don't do anything while I am out of town!"
Me???? I wouldn't do that!  (tehehe) I didn't, I just started asking friends about the maintenance of a pool, knowing it was a long shot and looking at prices there was actually no way to make this a reality.  Until about a week later I got a phone call asking if I was still thinking about getting a pool.  Well......thinking about was a bit of an overstatement, dreaming was more like it.  This friend said, "Well I have a pool for you!"  Her parents needed to get rid of their pool and wanted to give it away!!!!!  After some convincing of my husband, we agreed!  But- this is where I find the "abundance" of God's love amazing...it is not just a pool-----it is a 24ft pool!!!!! Have you ever seen one of these things- it is HUGE!!  I find it just tickles me that God wanted to bless us, not with a need, but with a very fun toy and He did it abundantly! This makes me smile- we would have never gotten such a huge pool- maybe we could have gotten one half the size, if at all.  But God wanted us to have fun this summer.....and lots of it! Of course, the next problem is if we can afford to fill it??? It is currently sitting with only 6 inches of water in it as we debate if we can fill it up, we will wait and see!

There she blows!!!

Even 6 inches of water is great entertainment

Lots of Fun

My special present this year was to go shopping!!! Something that doesn't happen often in our house.  Rob had the kids all day and even took a friends' kids after school so she could go with me (3 boys).  The exciting part was not the shopping.......it was THE SNAKE at home.  With 9 kids the excitement of a snake in the yard proved priceless.  Apparently it was not the fact that there was a snake- it was the fact that our dog tore it to shreds! The kids loved every moment and I have heard several renditions of the event, plus- they saved it for me to see!!!! What a moment for me! The best part was that the "nervous station" still worked after it had it's head bit off, and it still moved. 


And her he is in his last minutes, he didn't know what he had coming! 

Another great part of my birthday was friends coming over, but with lots of families come lots of kids.....What a BLAST:

what a crowd!