Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Run Down!

Friday- Colby had his 8 year old well check at the doc. Things were great and I am thankful for a healthy boy! That afternoon we grocery shopped and then rested! 
Saturday- We went swimming at my parent's. We have enjoyed the pool and loved having that option! The kids are fishes! 
Sunday- Church...we went to 1st service. Austin helped me with my class. We had 10 or 11. After church we went to Copeland's for brunch.
Monday- Austin was off so we decided to go do something special with the kids. We thought it might be our last really big summer outting. We took them to the Cool Zoo. This was their 2nd trip there this summer. It was really enjoyable though b/c it was pretty quiet this time. The kids had a great time and were pretty independent. They both also really loved the Lazy River on this trip. We ate lunch at McAlister's and just enjoyed spending the afternoon together. Lindsay had dance class that night. 
Tuesday- I had Bible study so the the kids went to my parents house. I think as always they enjoyed that. I picked them up after though and we just spent the rest of the day at home. After several busy days it was nice to not have to be anywhere the rest of the day! 
Wednesday- We had our cleaning lady here that day so I felt a little hectic and flustered. The kids and I had breakfast at chickfila then went to Petsmart and Target. We came home and worked on things around the house. We rested then got ready to go to church that night. It was the last of the summer sessions. We only had 4 kids. Thankfully Genevieve was there so Lindsay was happy. Our other 2 kids in class are 3 and 1. My bigs will be promoting when the fall session starts so the dynamics will change a lot. 
Thursday- We stayed home that day in order to pack and rest some before camp! I knew we needed that time to just pack and take it easy. That night Lindsay did have dance. It was her last night of the summer. I am still on the fence about whether to sign her up for the fall or not. On one hand she truly loves it and she lights up on the dance floor! And I want her to find something she loves doing. I just fear 4 is still too young for that type of commitment and its going to be a lot of money and time. I also fear our time schedule. Our week during school is jam packed and with church on Sundays...Saturday is our only down day. I have always tried to keep that sacred b/c I feel like children are losing out on their childhood when they go from one scheduled activity to the next. I love having my kids home and having lazy Saturdays. I also love having the freedom for travel and being able to do what we want. So we will see I am still praying about it! 

Hattiesburg and other Fun Things

Last week was a complete blur. As summer is winding down I find that we are trying to cram every bit of fun into these last few weeks. 
Monday- The kids and I had a stay at home day mostly. It was nice. Its been great this summer that we have been able to do that a few times. The kids seem to enjoy it and its allowed us to not be so tired and worn out. I mostly worked on laundry and packing and they played. It really was a nice day. That evening Lindsay had her dance class. Once again she is doing so awesome! I am so proud of her! After dance we hurried home to get our bags ready and meet up with Austin to head to Hattiesburg. We don't normally leave so late but now that the kids are older we figured they could handle it. So we stopped at Cane's before leaving the city though since by this point it was after 7. We finally got on the road near 8. It was crazy to be leaving this late but it was just what worked with our crazy summer schedule. We arrived in Hattiesburg around 9:45. We went straight to the apartment and immediately started getting the kids ready for bed. They were still 10:30 going to bed. We were all quite tired that night! 
Tuesday- We were up pretty early. It seems as if on vacation the kids do not know how to sleep in. We all got dressed and ready and went to Austin's parents house. We visited and hung out for about an hour. They wanted to bring the kids to ToysRUs to get Colby a b-day present and something small for Lindsay. So we let them take the kids and we went to Target to get a few things. We had to pick out presents for Shelbi and Maggie b/c due to our move and craziness of summer we never saw Shelbi around her b-day. We also knew with school starting on Maggie's b-day we wouldn't be back up there for that. So after our errands we met up at a local bounce place. Our kids had been there before but like when Colby was 4 and Lindsay 1. The place almost seemed juvenile now but they still had fun for about an hour or so. It was nice to just sit and visit while the kids played. After that we went to meet up with Wendi and the girls at Shelbi's art lesson. The place was super neat. Its called Southern Art. The front is basically like a boutique type store but in the back they have lots of old stuff. It was pretty interesting just walking around. We spent a little while in there before all meeting up and heading to lunch. We ate lunch at our usual Sweet Peppers. It was a nice time of getting to catch up with Austin's family and letting the cousins chat. Especially Maggie and Colby! They love to sit by one another and chat about Minecraft! After lunch we went back to his parent's house. His mom had made a b-day cake to celebrate all the summer b-days: Mr. Jim, Colby, and Maggie. That afternoon we just hung out over there. The kids all played and the adults rested and hung out. It was relaxing to just sit and relax. It was really too hot to do much else. Although by about 4 I had had enough sitting! Once Wendi and the girls left we took the kids outside. They played some but between the heat and bugs it didn't last long. We soon ate dinner. After dinner we decided to go walk around USM. One I felt after such a heavy dinner we needed a walk, 2) I was tired of sitting, and 3) its tradition that we go walk around the campus. I enjoy being up there during different seasons. After the walk we were all pretty hot and sweaty and headed back to his parent's house for cake. 
We left soon after that b/c it had been a very busy and long day and the kids needed to go to bed. 
The next morning (Wednesday) we all slept in a little which was great! We got dressed and went to his parent's house for breakfast. We stayed and visited a bit then decided to come on home and try to stay ahead of any rain. We got home and just enjoyed our day and night around the house. We decided to skip church that night. We knew we needed a night at home to just catch up and relax.
Thursday it was back to reality for us! I had a meeting at Aurora b/c I am going to be the music teacher at the preschool this coming year! I am super excited about the job! Melissa had also told me I could bring the kids since camp was going on and Lindsay's friend Claire would be there. We got there around 9:30. At first Lindsay was super shy and wouldn't talk to anyone. I was shocked that Colby went straight to playing and she was the one who held back. I guess it was weird for her to go back to "school" after 2 1/2 months off and then all her friends swarmed her. Well while I chatted with Melissa she hung on to me and sat in my lap. Once we were finished talking and the kids were about to go outside for splash day she warmed up. I was glad to see her go have fun with her friend Claire. Colby played with the older kids many who were his former peers in preschool. It was so nice to see them back playing on that playground. We stayed until about 11...then I dropped them off at my parent's house and quickly headed home. I ate lunch and took a few minutes to rest before going to my 1:00 haircut. I really hated so many things fell in one day. I really don't like doing so much in 1 day but it was just the way it worked out. I did enjoy my hair appt though and the time to relax and chat with Korey. Afterwards I had to get back to pick them up then head home and we had exactly an hour to hang out until it was time to get ready for Lindsay's dance class. Once again she did super! Needless to say we were all exhausted that evening! 

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Colby's birthday weekend

Well our little man celebrated his birthday this past weekend. I would say he had a great time! He started the celebrations Thursday when my parents took them shopping and it continued through Tuesday in Hattiesburg. 
Friday the kids and I had to go grocery shopping. This summer my day somehow ended up on Saturday but with his party on Saturdya and nearly running out of food we went Friday morning. We decided after that to just spend the rest of the day at home. It rained most of the afternoon so it was nice to just stay in and chill out. That night we did Peter Pan for our movie night.
Saturday was the big party day. We got up early and got everything ready. His friends arrived around 9:45. Shortly after they got here we loaded them up and headed out to Sector 6. This year instead of a big birthday bash we opted to just do a friend day. He invited his 3 best buddies from church/school. We had Makyrin, JT, and Nijel who are all 8. We also had Lindsay ofcourse. We got there around 10:40. We got all checked in and ready. This was our first time. Nijel and Makyrin had been though. The kids were super excited. Our flight time was for 11. We had to stand around a wait just for a bit. Once we got in everyone was ready to jump. We had bought 6 tickets b/c originally we thought Colby's friend Ella would be able to come too. Well since she was out of town Austin just used that ticket so he could help keep up with Lindsay. I sat and watched the stuff and had the water bottles ready for when they were hot and thirsty. I was a little jealous though to not be bouncing! Looked like so much fun! The boys pretty much split up after awhile. Colby and JT did a few things together while Nijel and Makyrin did a few things then it swapped to Makyrin and Jt and Colby and Nijel. Lindsay pretty much did her own thing the whole time. Her fav thing was the big trampoline room and little kid area. They had an under 6 area which was nice for her too. They give you and hour for your flight time which I honestly think was perfect. It was enough time to really wear the kids out but any longer I think some would have gotten bored or really worn out. This left them wanting more too which I guess is a good thing too? We left and headed back towards the Westbank. Oh my the boys were so loud in the car!! Austin and I couldn't even really hear each other talk. I couldn't believe 4 boys could be so loud! When we got home the boys immediately ate lunch. And boy could some of them eat pizza. We bought 2 large pizzas and when it was all said and done we had 2 pieces left! After pizza we let them play for about an hour. Austin turned on some music and tried to get some of them to dance but only 2 were really interested. Those same 2 he took outside to ride bikes and play. Colby and Nijel were most interested in putting together legos. Around 2 we gathered them back up for cake and ice-cream. After that they had a little bit to play before their parents came. I think everyone was gone by 3. And we were all exhausted!! We rested for a bit to recover! That evening was pretty low key. We had steaks and baked potatoes and went for a walk. I think Colby had an awesome day though! 
Sunday was actually Colby's birthday (July 17th). Ofcourse we had church that morning. We made French toast for him for breakfast. We had thought about donuts but we already had cookie cake and that afternoon we were having cupcakes so I just felt it would be too much sweets. His b-day has fallen one other time on a Sunday and that is when he was 3. I always thought Sunday b-days were kinda cool b/c you get wished happy birthday by a ton of people! I think he enjoyed all the attention even though he might say he didn't. He was greeted with a donut when we first got to church so how could that be bad? We gave him the choice of staying for 1 or both services. He actually loves now when we stay for both services b/c he stays upstairs with the kids. Austin helped me in my class. It went well we had 11 kids so we were pretty busy but I felt like everyone was well behaved. Then we went to 2nd service and brought Lindsay with us. It was an awesome service. Our pastor basically shared his story (testimony) with us. Then we had the Lord's Supper. After the service we went out for Mexican with my parents and brother and sis in law. We rarely all go out to eat on Sundays b/c of the 2 services and we don't stay for both very often. It was nice and it was fun to celebrate Colby. After lunch we all came back to our house for cupcakes. We enjoyed visiting and Colby enjoyed opening up his presents. Randall and Lizzie gave him pictures of Randall's first 2 cars. He is going to love it for his room! That afternoon we just relaxed. My thoughts of Sunday afternoons are rest and prepare for the week. So that we did! 
I think Colby had an excellent birthday! He got a lot of Lego sets, some car things, and model cars. I cannot believe my first baby is 8 years old! I keep telling him he is 1/2 way to driving age!! I cannot believe it! 

Monday, July 18, 2016

Living in Paradise

I truly feel like this summer has been paradise. I don't know...something about it has just felt right. Maybe its the kids ages now. Maybe its that I've learned the balance of staying home and getting out. Maybe its that I appreciate both for what they are? I am sure its probably all of them. This summer though has been such a sweet balance. Its been busy but also not too busy. We haven't been bored but we also haven't been crazy and stressed either. 
Monday- Austin was off. Again like always when he's off we try to squeeze in something fun. We decided to go back to the WW2 museum. I'm not sure I would call it "fun" but its educational and really awesome to go to. We took the kids last year and Colby really got into it and enjoyed himself. Lindsay did SO well this year. Last year I feel she could care less but she was only 3. This year at 4 I felt her understanding of history was a little more there. She would still get impatient and want to move on to the next thing but for a 4 year old girl she did awesome. We also invited my parents to go along with us. My dad has a membership and I know they rarely go by themselves so I thought it would be a fun thing to do. We all really enjoyed the time together. Its so neat to have our kids soak up and appreciate history of our country. We did the Road to Tokyo. This was the newest exhibit and one we had never done before. I found it really interesting b/c I didn't know much about the war in the Pacific Islands. We then took them to the big building with all the planes which is ofcourse always a hit! After the museum we decided to take my parents to Mahoney's for lunch. Again another fun thing! Something we never do! It was fun to just visit over lunch! Ofcourse the kids thought it was great having grandparents along! 
That afternoon Lindsay started back to dance classes. She has been anxious to return since last summer. My heart is so torn b/c on one hand I love that she loves dance and I want my kids to find hobbies and passions and pursue them...but on the other hand when I thought about the almost year round commitment on Saturdays I decided that wasn't for us. I know one of these days our Saturdays will be taken with sports and kid activities but right now in the sweet days of still having them young and wanting to hang out with me I like to keep that our simple, relaxing day of the week. I've watched as some of their friends have gotten so tied up in Saturday activities that they don't have time to do anything else. I love taking my kids fun places or just staying home and relaxing on Saturdays. So I am thankful for the summer session and that she can experience it. She did great! It was crazy to watch this year as she became one of the "Big kids". Her class is 2-6 year olds. She was the 2nd oldest in the class. It was mostly 2 year olds. I really wish they were split up b/c I feel Lindsay could do more advanced stuff in a smaller class with kids more her age. Nonetheless it was still super cute and she enjoyed it! Also her friend Makylee is doing the same classes so that's fun too! The boys stayed up and made home made pizzas and cupcakes. I am thankful that Austin took that time to be with Colby and have some male bonding time and that they cooked for their girls.
Tuesday- Austin was off again. I had Bible study first thing but he opted to keep the kids here this week. Last week was hectic with trying to get them from my parents then go on with our day. I figured we would end up being happier if they spent the morning at home with dad. Once I got home from Bible study I picked everyone up and we headed out to Lakeside. We ate lunch in the Food Court. We then went to Stride Rite to get school shoes for both. Lindsay really didn't "need" shoes right away but I figured to go ahead and buy one pair. She's pretty hard on shoes so I figured with her I will rotate through about 3 pair. Her foot measured to be an 11 so they said get her an 11 1/2 but then they tried to talk us into an 11. I swear I don't understand! Colby's foot measured to be a 13 1/2 so they said he could get as big as a 1 1/2 so that's what we did for him. After shoes we went to the Disney store so he could pick out a little gift. He wanted Legos this year and the ones he chose weren't very expensive so I told him he could pick something there. He picked this racing set. Too bad it didn't end up being what he thought it caused for some tears and disappointment later that evening. After that shopping we went on to the movies. The kids have been dying to see "Secret Life of Pets". Usually we only maybe see 1 movie a summer and this summer 2 but now that they are getting older plus this summer they just had some good movies out! The kids loved the movie and so did we! Again I just love our family time. We got home and settled in for the evening. It was nice to not get out. We had left overs for dinner and took a walk. That evening we also watched their births on video. They loved that! 
Wednesday was a stay at home day for us! We have only had 1 other day like that. It was really nice to just relax and do stuff around the house. Since we go to church on Wednesday nights its really not all that bad since we leave for 4:30 to go there. Since the kids are older they are pretty good just playing by themselves around the house. We played outside some and I was able to work a little on my Bible study. That night church went well. I think there were 8 kiddos. I had a meeting for Centrikid camp coming up so I missed most of the night! Thanks to Natalie and Kristen who watched the class. I'm so thankful for our mid-week classes. Especially during the summer. I am glad that my kids love going to church and get to see so many of their friends while there too. Once I got back in the class we made our "world" craft then it was about time for everyone to go home. 
Thursday was a nice day for us. Well first Colby had a dentist appointment and that didn't go so well. He acted out like a mad man! I couldn't believe it! He has never done that...well not since he was a toddler. They had to get 3 people just to hold him down. I was just shocked. He's been funny about his teeth ever since he started losing them. Thankfully he had no cavities and he has 1 loose tooth currently. He has 4 adult teeth and she said they look good right now.
After the dentist he had a date with my parents. And Lindsay and I had some girl time planned. We dropped him off then I brought her to the mall to get beignets b/c that's what she wanted to do. I loved having that time with her. I have missed that this summer. I love being with them both and I love being out with just Colby but there's something sweet about girl time. After that we went to Educator to shop around and we got her nap mat for preschool. After that it looked like it might storm so we came on home. We had a nice day just relaxing around the house. With dance that night I didn't want to be out too long and I wanted her to have a nap. That night dance went well again. Lindsay is the oldest in the class though and I think the 2 year olds annoy her. Since she has an older brother I think she thrives and loves to be around big kids. The class is ages 2-6 and last year she was a middle kid with kids on both sides but now being the oldest I think she gets a little bored. But its still good practice and experience for her. I am still not sure about the all year commitment. Every Saturday for 9 months just seems to be too much. 

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Weekending

So this past weekend we had a good time together. Friday morning we got going early so we could meet Lindsay's friend Layla for breakfast at Chickfila. Lindsay was so excited to see her since she hasn't seen her since VBS. They had a great time playing. I enjoyed visiting with Cindy and her mom. We stayed for about an hour and a half. Afterwards we made a quick stop at Party City for a few party things for Colby. This year we aren't throwing a big party...instead we are taking a few of his friends somewhere then coming back for lunch and cake here! That afternoon was very low key. We stayed in and the kids got a little crazy but it was nice to not be running out anywhere. They chose to watch Planes 2 Fire and Rescue for movie night.
Saturday we had a low key morning before heading out to the grocery. Again I hate it falls on saturdays but for us its really no big deal. We had lunch and rested before going to my parents house to swim. I let the kids and grandparents have it this week. I had female issues to contend with so I wasn't really wanting to get in the pool. It was nice to get their crazies out though. Austin also did the yard work so the kids enjoyed a little time outside that evening as well. 
Sunday was church ofcourse. I had a good day in preschool. I had 2 helpers and we had 11 kids. Things seemed to go smoothly and it just felt like a good week. We learned about God creating animals so I felt like that was a fun story for them. Lindsay ofcourse always has fun with Mia and Ebbie. That afternoon was very low key. I really try to make Sundays about resting. We came in and took naps after lunch and just enjoyed the time at home. I used to feel guilty about it but now I don't b/c even God rested so I think its ok to have a day like that. 

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Sweet Summer Days

Well we are marching on through July. Hard to believe! Feels like it was just May and we were just getting out of school. Anyway so on with our week! 
Tuesday- Austin was still off which was nice. I had to get up early though for Bible Study. The kids went to my parent's house so that Austin could get a few things done by himself. He kept them last week so I know he needed a break too. Bible study was nice. I am so enjoying the summer session. Once it was over I went to get the kids. Well things got a little nasty...I went to get them and neither wanted to leave. In fact they refused to get up. It aggravated me so much. They have been with grandparents a lot this week and I honestly think that's part of the problem. They had also been at my parent's house a lot and I had told them that morning that they would only be there for a couple hours then when I got there it would be time to go. Anyway we had a COME to JESUS meeting. I reported the behavior to Austin and he was mad too. Anyway once we got home and everyone had a moment we were able to carry on with our family day. We went to SAM'S to stock up on a few things. The kids are eating so much these days! I hope to start going there once or twice a month for certain things. After that we brought everything home then went to lunch at a Mexican place for lunch. Again eating out during the summer is just the best. We don't do it much during the school year so its fun just to be together. That afternoon we hung out at home. 
Wednesday- It was back to work for Austin and it was a super busy day for the kids and I. First we had the bug lady and our house keeper showing up. That always makes for a busy and interesting start to the day. I always feel completely flustered while trying to get ready while she is here. We finally got out the house and I took the kids school supply shopping. I still felt flustered and crazy. I enjoyed it but it felt rushed and knowing I was coming back to the crazy made it seem harder. The kids and I mostly relaxed and hung out since we had church that evening. Church went well but it was another night I felt crazed. I hate that feeling! Things were going great...we had a great dinner and Colby and Lindsay got to sit with Coach Stephen, Eli and Ella for dinner. I had a parent approach me though about not giving their kid a paper cup though for snack time b/c she brings a water bottle. That just left me in a tizzy and sort of upset. I knew my heart wasn't in it like I should be. We had 8 kids though so it was a full house! 
Thursday - This was another fun and full day! We had a low key morning then we went to pick up Ella for her to spend the day with us. We picked her up at 10:15 and brought her to my parent's house to go swim. The kids had a blast! I had fun too! Ella and Colby are both fishes and did so well. Lindsay is also becoming a fish and did super in the water. I loved seeing them have fun! We were in the pool about 2 hours. My mom even made home made pizzas for them. They were all starving after the long time in the pool We ate and had dessert before coming back home. I brought the kids back here to play. Colby and Ella mostly played in his room. I turned on Finding Nemo...mostly for Lindsay but they were in and out watching it. After the movie we drove Ella back home to her house. Once we were home we were all pooped. It was leftovers that night for dinner. 
Its been a great week and a great summer! I have enjoyed having them home and having playdates with their friends!! 

Thursday, July 7, 2016

4th of July Weekend

We have loved having a long, summer weekend. A time to enjoy one another and be thankful for our country and just celebrate being American.
Friday we began the day with a swim at my parent's house. I am loving the fact that we have had more time to swim this summer. The kids are loving it too! We spent almost 2 hours in the pool! I feel like its also keeping us healthy! I strive to keep my children active! We had lunch with my parents then I actually left and they stayed! They both wanted to spend the night. It was actually nice having that quiet time. I haven't really been alone all summer so I was thankful for it. I came home and worked on scheduling Colby's b-day party with friends then took a nap. I was able to get some little projects done around the house. That afternoon I enjoyed some time outside working on my Bible study and doing some exercises. Austin got home around 6:30 and brought home burgers for us. It was nice to eat together and just be able to have a normal conversation. After dinner we took Allie for a walk. Its crazy how peaceful and quiet it is without the kiddos! That night we just watched tv and enjoyed the peace. I missed them but it truly was nice to get a break.
Saturday I got up and going about 7. I did enjoy the couple of hours I had to do stuff around the house before going to pick them up. I got them about 9:30 then we went grocery shopping. I always hate doing that on Saturdays but right now Saturdays are just like a week day to us usually so it was just as easy to go ahead and get it over with. We came home and just enjoyed being around the house the rest of the day. We had hot dogs for dinner and just chilled.
Sunday Austin started his days off. It was nice to have him off this Sunday after feeling so flustered last week. He ended up being able to go into church though and I was glad. Another dad stayed and helped me. The week went so much better. We had 9 but its amazing what just having 1 other adult in there makes it go so much smoother. Plus my own child didn't have a complete meltdown too! The kids are loving these creation lessons and so am I. We learned about the animals in the sea and sky. After church we left and had a little family outting. We ended up going over to Metairie b/c we had to pick up Colby's glasses. We first stopped at Zoe's Kitchen to eat. It was a nice change of pace. After we stopped at Petsmart then the glasses store. We finally got home around 12:45. We were all ready by that point for a nap! We let the kids stay up and watch Frozen though and we just all rested. That afternoon Austin got their pool out and let them splash around in that. Its just SO HOT y'all! That evening we had meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and corn. 
Monday was the 4th! I was happy Austin was off to enjoy the day with us. We were able to relax and stay home that morning...something we rarely all 4 do! We had planned our 4th get together for that evening since Elizabeth actually had to work that day. It was nice just sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast. We made red, white, and blue french toast! It was so yummy! We spent time relaxing and also getting a few projects done. The boys ran errands the Lindsay and I just stayed here. We ate a light lunch then took a short nap. We got ready to leave around 2 to head to my parents. The kids swam with Austin and my dad. Once again I chose to skip out since I was dressed and had my shower that morning. So my mom and I got to visit. It was nice but it SURE was HOT outside. Once the kids were finished swimming we went inside to start preparing for dinner. Things got hectic and I thought my mom was going to go crazy. The grill wasn't working, it was hot in the house, and the kids were running around like lunatics. Finally Randall and Elizabeth got there and R got the grill fixed and everything came together. We were finally ready to eat about 5. It was nice to just sit and visit after we ate. I had no idea we would visit as long as we did though. It was 8 before we left. We briefly contemplated just driving to the levee to see the fireworks but the kids were both SO tired and I knew we had to wake up early the next morning.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Friends

Tuesday- This was a very busy day. I had to wake up early for my Bible study. Austin was off so he stayed here with the kids. Again I enjoyed being back with my ladies. Its a nice way to break up the week. I am enjoying the study and the time with other women. After study though I had to break away and leave pretty quickly since we had company coming. I got home about 10:30 or so and his parents still weren't here. We hung out with the kids for about 30 min before they finally arrived. The kids were super excited and had been hanging out by the front door. They got here and they got settled in looked around the house. They hadn't been here since moving day---so things look quite different. We soon headed out to get a bite of lunch. We decided to go to Brother's so we could get po-boys for lunch. It was a nice lunch and nice to catch up and visit with them. Afterwards we took the kids to the aquarium. Its rare we go do anything like that in the afternoon but since it was a special occasion we figured it would be fun. Plus the kids are pretty much passed the "napping" stage. I was honestly shocked though at how busy the aquarium was at that time. We got in there in just enough time to see them feeding the Gulf of Mexico exhibit which was neat. The kids enjoyed that. They loved the stingrays and jellyfish. After that we made our way upstairs and another favorite was the white alligator. We spent a lot of time in the kids part. They both love the boats and areas to climb and run. Linda and I found a bench and rested while the men and kids played. We soon moved on to the otters and frogs. We then made our way to the seahorses and nemo and dory exhibit. They were SO excited to "Find Nemo and Dory". Those exhibits have been there forever and they have never much cared! Anyway we then saw the penguins then the Amazon exhibit. Ofcourse the kids had to climb up to the treehouse with pawpaw. After that we made our way to the tunnel exhibit then it was time to go. We took the scenic walk back along the riverfront. It was hot but a nice day nonetheless. We got home and relaxed for awhile. Everyone was pooped by that point. Soon a storm started rolling in so we all went to sit outside and enjoy the cooler temps and breezes. After that it was time to start on dinner. We cooked chicken wings, corn, mac n cheese, salad, and sweet potato fries for dinner. It felt like we were in the kitchen forever but it was worth it! It was such a yummy meal. Afterwards we took a walk to walk off all the yumminess! It was fun having pawpaw and mawmaw around to see a glimpse of our daily summer life. We got the kids bathed and then watched some of the olympics before sending them to bed. It wasn't that long after the kids went to bed that the adults started heading that way too. It was a very tiring but wonderful day! 

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Visit with grandparents!

Tuesday- This was a very busy day. I had to wake up early for my Bible study. Austin was off so he stayed here with the kids. Again I enjoyed being back with my ladies. Its a nice way to break up the week. I am enjoying the study and the time with other women. After study though I had to break away and leave pretty quickly since we had company coming. I got home about 10:30 or so and his parents still weren't here. We hung out with the kids for about 30 min before they finally arrived. The kids were super excited and had been hanging out by the front door. They got here and they got settled in looked around the house. They hadn't been here since moving day---so things look quite different. We soon headed out to get a bite of lunch. We decided to go to Brother's so we could get po-boys for lunch. It was a nice lunch and nice to catch up and visit with them. Afterwards we took the kids to the aquarium. Its rare we go do anything like that in the afternoon but since it was a special occasion we figured it would be fun. Plus the kids are pretty much passed the "napping" stage. I was honestly shocked though at how busy the aquarium was at that time. We got in there in just enough time to see them feeding the Gulf of Mexico exhibit which was neat. The kids enjoyed that. They loved the stingrays and jellyfish. After that we made our way upstairs and another favorite was the white alligator. We spent a lot of time in the kids part. They both love the boats and areas to climb and run. Linda and I found a bench and rested while the men and kids played. We soon moved on to the otters and frogs. We then made our way to the seahorses and nemo and dory exhibit. They were SO excited to "Find Nemo and Dory". Those exhibits have been there forever and they have never much cared! Anyway we then saw the penguins then the Amazon exhibit. Ofcourse the kids had to climb up to the treehouse with pawpaw. After that we made our way to the tunnel exhibit then it was time to go. We took the scenic walk back along the riverfront. It was hot but a nice day nonetheless. We got home and relaxed for awhile. Everyone was pooped by that point. Soon a storm started rolling in so we all went to sit outside and enjoy the cooler temps and breezes. After that it was time to start on dinner. We cooked chicken wings, corn, mac n cheese, salad, and sweet potato fries for dinner. It felt like we were in the kitchen forever but it was worth it! It was such a yummy meal. Afterwards we took a walk to walk off all the yumminess! It was fun having pawpaw and mawmaw around to see a glimpse of our daily summer life. We got the kids bathed and then watched some of the olympics before sending them to bed. It wasn't that long after the kids went to bed that the adults started heading that way too. It was a very tiring but wonderful day! 
Wednesday we were up early. It seems its always that way when you have company. Austin and his parents started the morning with coffee out on the back patio. The kids slept in which was wonderful and I basically straightened up around the house. We soon started breakfast as soon as the kids got up. We had pancakes and bacon and fresh fruit. It was fun once again visiting with everyone. As soon as we ate everyone was off in different directions to get ready for the day. We headed to my parents house about 9:15. We got there and the men and kids went swimming. I decided to skip out since we had church that afternoon and didn't want to have to re-shower and all that! The kids had a blast though and I just enjoyed visiting with our moms. We stayed awhile and visited with my parents before returning home about 11:30. We got back and the kids were starving. His parents were packing up to leave and we were fixing lunch. It was kind of hectic. They left about noon and we were able to settle in and have lunch then rest. I think we were all exhausted! It was a fun visit but also always nice to return to normal too. 
That night we all went to church. They had baked potatoes for dinner. Austin was able to join us which is a rarity. He helped me in my class b/c I knew we would be short handed. We ended up with 9 kids though so we were quite busy! It was a fun evening though and I felt like the kids all did really well.