A day at the Beach

So we go out to the beach for what may be the last time this year. (We have only been three times thus far...it has been a rainy, rainy summer.) The Thompson's came with us which was great. The kids all just ran, ran, ran into the water, ran out of the water and ran some more. One would think that this would mean they would be exhausted, right? Well no, we went to the Eva's house to rinse of their feet and their kids wanted to show off their toys. So off they run up the stairs and then we hear much laughter and thumps. Cautiously the moms go up the stairs to find that they have pushed the bunk beds from the wall, closer to their spare bed and were using the top bunk as a launch to jump down six feet to the spare twin bed. Luckily none were hurt and well evidently ready for whatever fun their little minds could imagine.
This is Kaya with Skye. She is only three months older but to her that is the difference between a big girl and a baby. Too bad Skye doesn't understand Kaya's reasoning since she has two older brothers too and is ready to rumble.
Kaya keeping up with her brothers. She did whatever they did fearlessly. YIKES
Connor taking a very rare break.


It isn't a day at the beach without this picture.


You can't see them on the blog, but Kaya's legs are covered with mosquito bites

Brothers!!!

It really was a great day with constant laughter and fun! A great way to spend a summer night.

Beach Basketball

So here is a new sport Connor made up. Beach Basketball....rules: Well when you are five there aren't any rules: winner, always Connor. If anyone from the IOC is reading this, I think it is a better alternative to many strange sports in the Olympics so let's hear it for Beach Basketball in 2012!!!!

Flash Back

Do you remember this?

Freeze Tag

So yesterday the kids wanted to play tag with me which is their favorite thing to do right now: tag and hide and go seek. Well I, thinking ever so cleverly, decided that we would play "freeze tag" where I would freeze them with the flash of my camera. When the flash of the camera went off they had to freeze for 30 seconds. They were having a great time and I was getting great pictures! Oh how sweet was my victory!! Until................

Colin got suspicious. Clearly the camera was their enemy and I was letting them play for a very long time...so he asked me, "Mommy are you taking our pictures?"

I said, "No honey, we are playing freeze tag."

He listened....

He thought about it....

Then he smacked his head and said with a bit of reproof in his voice, "You are taking our picture mommy and that's not fair. This is kids time not mommy time."

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Maxie's Kittens

Here are the kittens that are making me want to build a barn. Colin's kitten is Lightening. Connor's is Papsie. Kaya would take any kitten, cat or wild animal and love it. But like many toddlers loves with a bit more strength then the recipient is comfortable with. We catch her daily happily strangling or squishing them. Luckily they just hang there and wait to be rescued.

I can take all of the cutest pictures in the world of my kids. I love them and see all the beauty that is in their eyes, their faces and their souls. It isn't hard at all I just let the camera see what their Mommy sees.

But if you want the real Connor, Colin and Kaya....see below. (Oh I call the picture of Kaya the Little House on the Prairie run)

They make a mommy proud!

So it's the gigantic water slide bouncer that will forever for a sore spot for Brian. He was completely against and I was completely for it soooo we got it. Although it has proven to be a mistake, I blame the constant rain which created a nice mold that took over the bouncer. But, as you can plainly see, when it was out it created more laughs and giggles than "The Burbs". Now if I can just get rid of the mold I'll have all of next summer to prove I was right :) This is Andrew, my nephew with Connor...Colin preferred to watch the Mayham.

So here we go.....late I know....and not at all close to when I got back from Kentucky but well, I can only do so much and after sending so many pictures to Holly and JoJuan, I was still in recovery until now. So let's go back in time....It's June and I have just returned from a VERY flu laden week at home. And so instead of by time, I am just going to least the memories as they come to me. Picture above, Colin telling everyone by the weiner roast ghost stories for about ten minutes...Reagan (not pictured above that it Bryce) being the best possible audience until he paused, tilted his head to the side, threw his hands in the air and said, "Well that's all I got."

Quite the mystery really but there are some that believe that it was the pond behind Kaya that was the germ culprit. Nobody knows for sure where the mystery illness came from but it did start the evening after our visit to the Park sooooooo you draw your own conclusions. As cute as this picture is, it was not worth the 5 day puke cost to my family.

Would it even be a visit to Papa's without the tractor ride? Connor and Colin would have to say no since they call dad, the Grandpa with the Tractor.

Unlike Connor, Colin was eager to see what he could do if he "opened" the tractor up. He aimed for a dead log and ran it over...delighting in the sound of it being flattened.

Kaya hung out with me and watched the older kids on the trampoline. This was after church and she hadn't started getting sick. So pretty.....

Connor on the trampoline. We really couldn't get the kids off of this. Red Ants, open springs, threat to life and limb, none were deterrants to the thrill of the trampoline.

I don't know if Colin is thrilled that he is being allowed on it with the big kids or if he is just having fun here. It is probably a mixture of both. Nate was wonderful and made sure that big or small, all the kids obeyed the rules and had fun.

OK....it's a Tobey moment here. Aeven loved Connor and Connor tolerated the adoration. This picture was my favorite of all the pictures I took. It is a perfect glimpse of Connor and Aeven as teenagers.

Colin and Isaac are playing Ben10 Alien Force. I believe they are going Humongousaur. I tell you I wouldn't want to face Colin or Isaac in a dark alley. Those two are fierce and determined. Poor Mary and me!

Ice cream out on the porch. We are only missing two kids in the picture, Violine and Samuel. One of those rare moments where all the kids were together and relatively happy. Once again before the flu hit us.

This picture was JoJuan's idea and I Love it! She called it the "boys of summer". I wish you could get a closer at their faces...For these reasons alone, I will dare the flight and road trip to Kentucky. Change the faces and it could easily be Angie, Tonya, Holly, JoJuan, Amanda and me. And that crew brings me my most embarassing and funny childhood memories. How could I not want that for my own children?