Weekending

So after a week of camp I was happy to see Saturday come! We were able to sleep in a bit which was amazing! We did have to get Colby up and dressed though b/c he had a scheduled day of fun with a friend. I was happy he was getting to go out and do something. This summer has gone by fast and I don't feel like we've had the time to get them together with their friends as much as we normally do! Anyway Melody picked him up around 9:30. She brought him and Nijel to see The Wizard of Oz at Pyrtania Theater. Afterwards they went to lunch. That morning I just spent with Lindsay. We ended up making a stop by the school so I could get more of my books so I could work on lesson plans. I then brought her to my parent's house so we could swim for a bit. I decided to sit out and let her swim and I wrote lesson plans. Austin stayed behind to work on some house projects and in the yard. Well we came home at lunch and we quickly picked up stuff to eat then we just hung around the house. Colby also got home during that time. It was a nice low key afternoon. 
Sunday we had church. We had made up our minds about trying a new group. Now that I will be teaching and won't be able to attend the Tuesday morning Bible study I felt we needed to jump back into a "lifegroup". Anyway the Schifflin's have a group so I figured we would start there. We knew most of the people in the group anyway. Well it turned out we really liked it. It does create for a much longer Sunday though since we now will be there for both services. After church we went to eat Mexican then just came back home and relaxed the rest of the day. 

Calvary Kids Camp Week

So this past week our kids were able to go to Calvary Kids Camp all week. I have honestly never been a HUGE send your kids to camp person. This is Colby's 3rd day camp experience though. He was able to go to camp at Aurora just 2 days a week for the month of July when he was 3/4 and then last year he did the Calvary Kids Camp at the church. This year Lindsay was finally old enough to participate too! I was looking forward to a week ALONE! Now with going back to work I know my times alone will be few and far between. Needless to say I tried to enjoy it! 

So Monday...the kids were off and super excited about spending the day with friends. That day they stayed at the church all day. I know they did worship, arts and crafts, lots of playing outside, and various other things. That morning I was able to meet with the 2nd grade teacher to discuss what belongs in her classroom and what goes in mine. We worked and talked for about an hour. Afterwards I met my friend Tracey at PJs. We talked a little more about school for about an hour. After that I had to go grocery shopping. Once I got home from that it was basically lunch time. It was so so nice though to get the house to myself for a few hours. It was bittersweet knowing that with teaching I won't really get that much anymore. I enjoyed the rest time then picked them up that afternoon. They were pretty tired each day we got home so we would just chill out then have dinner. We were able to take walks still though and then try and get them to bed early! 

Tuesday...so this was probably the BEST day of the entire week. I had plans to get together with Wendy. She's been out of town basically all summer...so I've only seen her like 1 other time. Anyway I was super excited about a girl's day. Also it was Colby's birthday. I didn't feel too bad about sending him to camp on his b-day. he also spent his 4th b-day at camp. I knew he would probably want to be around his friends. We did try and make the day special by taking him to pick up donuts to share with all his camp peeps that day! So back to my day---after dropping the kids off I went to pick up Wendy. She and I then headed over to Another Broken Egg Cafe. As you may recall we did that back in the early spring. We both love mimosas! So we got there probably about 9 and enjoyed a leisure breakfast. We sat and talked until 11:30. At that point we left and headed to the theater to see the Mr. Roger's movie. The movie was so good. It was just such a fun and relaxing girls day! I dropped her off at home about 2:30 then got home only to turn right back around to go get my kids. 

Wednesday was a nice day too...so I got the kids to camp then went to get coffee and went to visit Melissa at Aurora. Now that I know I won't be working there I am so going to miss my visits with those peeps. I ended up staying close to an hour and just catching up on all the things! It was nice. Afterwards I had to go back up to Calvary to meet with the principal about some curriculum. That was nice too to just chat with her. Then I headed off to the Educator. I got a lot of my teacher needs then after that the bottom fell out so I quickly went to Petsmart then came home to relax and enjoy the day from home. That night we had church. I picked the kids up and took them to my parent's house to unwind. After a full day of camp I knew they would be exhausted. We also ended up going to Cane's for dinner b/c none of us really felt like eating what they were having at the church. The night went well at church and we had a TON of kids. We were all exhausted though by the end! 

Thursday I got the kids to camp then ran a bunch of errands. I had to go to Office Depot to get a bunch of teacher stuff then to Barnes and Noble. Afterwards I met Rebecca for breakfast at Chickfila. It was nice once again to visit with a teacher friend. Afterwards I came home and just enjoyed the down time here. 

Friday followed pretty much the same pattern: dropped kids off then met up with Virginia to have coffee and discuss ideas for my classroom. Afterwards we did some shopping at the Dollar Store then came home. I rested and just tried to enjoy my last down day! That evening we did go out to dinner as a family which was fun! We went to Olive Branch. It was nice just getting out like that. 

The kids had a great week at camp and were sad for it to end. Even though I am not big on sending kids away the break was so so nice. Especially with knowing I'll be working and the times of being alone will be few and far between. 

Colby's B-day Party Weekend

So the Friday night before Colby's party we just had a low key night around the house. 

Saturday we woke up fairly early so we could get going on the day. The kids and I got ready and left the house around 9:30. We had to make a quick stop at the store before heading over. We got there and just helped my mom set up and decorated the cookie cake. The friends all arrived around 11:30. The kids all went straight to the pool and had the best time! We had a small crowd this year: It was our kiddos, Grace, Zachary, Noah, and Alyssa. I had such a good time visiting with the moms though. We sat outside for awhile then went inside where it was cool while the kids ate. I pretty much had to drag the kids out the pool by 2:00 so we could do cake and open presents. It was such a sweet time! I am thankful for our tribe of friends. That tribe has changed over the last few years...but I am thankful for the sweet friends that my boy has! Once we got home he couldn't wait to dive into his presents and play. I think we were all kinda tired and just ready to relax that night. 

Sunday was church...we went to the 2nd service b/c Austin was counting. After church we went to Firehouse Subs. There we ran into a few friends which was fun! We spent the afternoon relaxing around the house and getting ready for a week of camp! 

Summer Week 7

So this week it felt good to have a semi-normal week after the last week's craziness. between being out of town, a holiday, and Lindsay's surgery it was just a weird week. 

So that Monday Colby had an eye doc appointment. We made it to that early. Fortunately all was well and there really hadn't been any changes. After that we dropped Colby off with my parents. He had plans to go birthday shopping and go to lunch with them. I then had to go to the Police Station to get finger printed for work. Lindsay was not thrilled with this idea, but the whole process took under about 30 min. Once we left there I asked her where she wanted to go. I tried asking her if she wanted to go play at a park before having lunch out, but she said no. We ended up going to the mall. She really wanted to go to the big mall across the river, but after crossing the bridge once that day I wasn't really in the mood to go over again. Instead we went to the one closer to us. We walked around some, but didn't even go into any stores. We ate lunch at Cane's then she wanted a cookie. We did all that then came home so we could changed into our swimsuits. It was hot as H-E-L-L that day so I figured it would be nice. We met back at my parents house with Colby and went swimming for about an hour before returning home. It felt good to cool off, but then I was ready to get home and relax. 

Tuesday I had bible study. It was nice to be back with friends and have that focus on God. It was a good morning. I was also able to visit with the school staff a little and get some scoop on the upcoming year. After I picked the kids up and we had to grocery shop. We got that done then came home to rest/relax. 

Wednesday we had a free day. I really didn't want to do too much since I knew we would be up there for church that night. We ended up visiting a park. We haven't really been able to do many park visits this summer. I guess one its either been too hot or wet and we've also been busy. Anyway it was nice to just chill out with them. It was super hot though so we only lasted about 30 min. We ended up going to SAM's then going home. I like to have low key Wednesdays since we go to church at night. Church was good..during the summer its always nice to see friends and such mid-week. 

Thursday I had a hair appointment. I brought the kids over to my parents so I could go to that. It was nice having some alone mom time. After my appointment I had scheduled to have lunch with a friend. It was fun meeting up with Tracey and having lunch. Once I got home I ended up calling Wendy and talking to her for over an hour! It was so great to catch up though after she's been gone basically all summer! That evening we took Colby out to eat and shop for his b-day. Lindsay stayed with my parents for her turn over there. Colby chose TX Roadhouse to eat at. It was fun just enjoying our big. After dinner we went to Target. He selected a few toys and I got some stuff for school. We came home and just enjoyed a quiet and easy night with 1 kid! 

Friday I promised the kids a fun day! We picked up Lindsay and headed off towards the Aquarium. I feel bad b/c its been a weird summer and I feel like we haven't had all the BIG outings we normally would. I am trying to tell myself though its a different season though and thats ok. Anyway the aquarium was pretty busy and crowded but we stayed about an hour. We know the place so well I pretty much just let the kids pick their favorite things and we do that and leave. It was a nice outing though. I am trying to soak up these sweet simple days. I also know how quickly they are growing. I feel like they should still be like 5 and 2!! So after the aquarium we came back to the Westbank and had lunch at Firehouse Subs. We ran a couple errands then came home and relaxed and that was nice. 

Weekend to Re-Coup

Saturday after her surgery I knew we needed to have a semi-calm day. I decided to let the kids buy school supplies that day. I was anxious to get it done knowing that as the summer goes on I will be more and more busy with my own school things! Anyway we enjoyed shopping and got everything, but 2 things! Once we finished shopping Austin got home and we were able to go all go to lunch. We ran a quick errand after then came home to relax. 
Sunday was of course church day. We went to first service and then had lunch at Copeland's. It was a nice fancy brunch...a real treat! After we just enjoyed our afternoon at home! We also worked on re-organizing the office and all my "teacher" supplies I have. 

4th of July Week

So this year the 4th fell on a Wednesday. It was weird with it falling mid-week like that. It was nice though that morning to take it easy around the house as a family. We did get ready and packed up to head to my parents around 11. We got there and the kids and Austin went swimming. I enjoyed just reading my book and chilling for a bit. Randall and Elizabeth arrived around 12:30. We ate and just enjoyed visiting with one another. It seems during the summer we don't all get together quite as much. We were over there until probably close to 4:00. Colby also was staying to spend the night since Lindsay would have surgery the next day. We had a very quiet night. Had she not have had surgery scheduled I really would have wanted to take them to see fireworks. Oh well we got to bed at a decent hour. 
Thursday we were up early for her surgery. I was a little nervous, but not quite as much as last time since we knew what to expect. I could tell Lindsay was a little apprehensive, but she handled things really well. We got there and got checked in and our children's pastor met us there to see her and pray with her before surgery. Things went well once again. We were out of there and home by about 12:30. We were able to pick up Colby and get lunch and come home to relax. Her kindergarten teacher Mrs. Schifflin had left some candy and a card by our door so that tickled her when we got in. That afternoon we mostly spent just resting. She did great though. Even by that evening she was scooting around on her bike! 
Friday I knew would have to be a fairly low key day since Lindsay just had surgery. I knew though we would also need to get out the house or it would be a super long day! We ended up running a couple quick little errands then went to pick up August the class pet "Guinea Pig" from Colby's teacher's house. That afternoon we just hung out and tried to relax. 

Alabama Beach Vacay

Last Sunday we attended church for the early service then we came home and quickly changed, ate lunch, and packed up to head out of town! We were going to The Grand. This would be our 3rd trip there. The 2nd we took the kids on. They have been extremely excited about going to "The Beach". The last 2 summers we have chosen not to take big summer vacations, but instead opted for this. I hope next summer we can get back on taking a large venture though! Anyway so we headed out to my parents house and we all left together. Traffic was awful so it seemed like it took us FOREVER to get out of Mississippi. We drove on though and didn't stop until the Alabama rest stop. It was nice at that point to just get out the car and stretch a bit. We drove on and arrived at the hotel around 4:30. Well naturally we arrived in the midst of a monsoon. We had to wait a few minutes before unloading. Fortunately it slacked off enough we were able to park and get our things up to the room. We got settled in then decided to go ahead and eat dinner. We had originally planned to let the kids play at the pool and eat a casual pool side dinner but between the rain and also they had changed things up a bit at the hotel we weren't able to do that. Anyway we ate at the little restaurant. The food was pretty good and it was nice to visit with my parents. After dinner the kids wanted to put on their swimsuits so we brought them back to the room so they could do that. At that point the pool was still closed, but they wanted to spend time on the beach. Again it was drizzling rain the entire time, but they still had fun. We spent about an hour just letting them play in the sand and water. We walked around also a little after that and played some of the yard games...in the rain still. That night we got everyone cleaned up and they stayed awake and watched a movie. I knew they weren't going to go to sleep early.  I think we all turned the lights off by 10 and were shortly out though! 
Monday we got up fairly early b/c we knew we wanted to hit the pool before the rains came. We just had a little breakfast of cereal and such in the room. We got down to the pool right when it opened. We got our seats and at first thought it was going to be really nice for awhile. It was overcast and breezy. Well shortly after we got settled though the rains came...and they did not stop. We stuck it out though for the sake of the kids! We literally sat in the rain for about 2 hours!! I was freezing and soaked, but the kids continued to have a nice time. As the rain slacked off we decided to take them out to the beach. We enjoyed about 30 min out there. We then went back to the pool so they could do the slide. By about 11:30 I was DONE! I was freezing, cold, and hungry. We debated back and forth about what to do for lunch. We knew eating by the pool was out. We finally made the decision to ride into Fairhope to find some place to eat. We ended up at a Firehouse Subs. It was nice to get away for a bit and dry off. Ofcourse by the time we finished eating the sun was out and the rain had cleared!! We quickly got back to the hotel and changed into swimsuits. We hit the pool for about 2 hours! It was super hot though with the sun out. I did enjoy laying out though. We got drinks and it was just relaxing. I finally got super hot though and got in the pool. I left to go back to the room though about 2:30. Austin kept the kids out there a little while longer. I wanted to go ahead and shower. We were able to relax in the room for a couple hours before heading out to dinner. We went to get seafood that night. It was nice being with my parents and just all getting to visit together. It was raining again by that evening so once we got back to the hotel my parents headed up to their room. We spent a little time walking around with the kids. We turned in a little earlier that night b/c I think everyone was pretty tired from a busy day! 
Tuesday we got up early to head home. We left the hotel and went to Chickfila for breakfast. We then came straight on home. We made it home by lunch. We got in and unpacked and I even ventured to the grocery store. We had thought about going to see fireworks that night with friends, but pretty much everyone backed out. We also were a little relieved b/c we were tired from the whole trip. It was nice to just spend the evening at home. 

Summer Week 5

Wow its crazy to think how we are marching through summer! So this past week on Monday we just went over to my parent's house to swim. It felt good to relax and get in the pool. We hung around there for a couple hours and even had lunch with them. I really do love that routine. I always think we are going to have so many "swim days" during the summer then it usually ends up we can only go 1 or 2 times a week. It was nice though. Afterwards we came home and just did our usual relaxing and spending time outside. 
Tuesday was an early start to the day. I began the day with an interview...yes and interview! I had applied for the 1st grade job at Calvary. Shocking how my life has changed in a year?!? Anyway I was a little nervous, but not terribly. The interview was set up in a panel discussion form. It was also sort of casual b/c we were in a circle. The group consisted of Marsha (the principal), Ms. Dugas, Mrs. Birden, and Mrs. G. I was odd in a way bc of how well I know all these ladies. I felt pretty good about the interview though. It lasted about an hour total. There were a few questions I wasn't exactly sure how to respond, but I just tried to be honest and be myself! Once we finished the interview I was ready to come home. I got the kids and we just spent the afternoon relaxing. My brain was pretty fried by that point! I am loving our afternoons though! I know I will greatly miss these days when school starts back! 
Wednesday I promised the kids a big outing. I feel bad this summer b/c it seems we haven't been able to do our "big bucket" list things like usual. We ended up going to play putt-putt. Even though it was simple we had a lot of fun. It was hot though. We just played one game then came on home. I didn't want to be away too long since we had church that night. Church was good and the kids had a lot of fun. They had messy night which was interesting. The kids were happy as always to be around other kids. Oh and before church we ended up meeting my parents at Cane's b/c they were having Shepherd's Pie for dinner and none of us were too crazy about that option. 
Thursday we had an early start again b/c I had an interview. I once again dropped my kids off with my parents. This interview was just with Marsha. I was a lot less nervous and honestly most of the time we just chatted. It felt less formal. Anyway by the end she basically told me I had the job! I left there and got the kids and we met Mrs. Dufrene for lunch. It was good to hang out with a friend and also tell her all about the interview process. We had a nice time. Once we got home it was pretty late in the day. We had a low key afternoon/evening from there. 
Friday we had another busy day planned. Lindsay's little friend Genevieve was coming over to spend the day with us. She arrived about 10. I let the girls play for about 30 min before heading out. We left to visit the library. Colby was wanting to check out some new books. We didn't see anything though so we went on to the park. We spent about 45 minutes at the park. It was hot and the only did that didn't seem miserable was Genevieve haha! My kids complained a bit, but I think it was still nice for them to be outdoors awhile. After the park we went on over to chickfila to meet Natalie and have lunch. We had a really nice lunch and it was great visiting with a friend again. After lunch I brought the kids back here and they hung out and played all afternoon. Genevieve left at about 3:30. From there we just had a quiet night. 
Saturday I was up pretty early. I had breakfast plans with my friend Carly. Again I was happy to hang out with a friend and also escape the kids for a little while. I truly love summer and having my kids home, but also the 24/7 some days does get old. So I really enjoyed a little "me time". After we ate I went on to Target. Again another lovely thing to shop by myself. Once I got home we were pretty much in packing for the beach mode and stayed in the rest of the day. 

Mississippi Weekend

So last weekend we were able to spend some time away in Hattiesburg. We ofcourse try to visit there every summer. Our last trip there was early March I believe. The kids were super excited to be leaving on a trip. We took our time on Friday morning doing last minute things around the house and packing. We were finally ready to leave around 11. We drove to Slidell and had lunch at McAlister's. It was fun just spending time together the 4 of us. We got into Hattiesburg around 2:30. We relaxed at the apartment for a couple hours. The kids played with their "apartment toys" and we just watched tv. Around 4 we left to go out to the country to see Austin's sister and her family. It was good getting out there b/c it had really been awhile since our last visit to their house. The kids got to play outside a little and see and hold chickens. They didn't get to do as much as they normally would though b/c it was just SO hot and the mosquitoes were awful. We ate a delicious dinner though of fried catfish and fries. After dinner we all played a game. That was so much fun! I think we all enjoyed the laughter and fun of that. Everyone except Lindsay ;)....the game was a little over her head. We got back to the apartment late which meant the kids got to bed late. It always takes FOREVER for them to settle down when they share a room! 
We all slept in that morning which was fabulous. We ate breakfast at the apartment. We just shared cereal and such. We decided to first go walk around USM that morning before it got too hot. Its always fun just walking around there and remembering all the fun we had during our college days. The kids don't quite appreciate it though. After that we went to the bowling alley. We played a game which lasted about an hour. I was the winner! It was fun though just laughing and being silly as a family. After that we went and got burgers for lunch. We then went back to the apartment to hang out and swim. Austin ended up taking the kids to the pool and I stayed in the apartment. I honestly just enjoyed the quiet. I was able to work on my Bible study some and just chill. They got in and we all rested and watched tv for awhile. That night we got ready and went to dinner at Cotton Blues. We love this place. It was our second time there. After dinner we decided to go walk around and do some shopping. After that the night was still young so we let the kids go back to the pool. I joined them this time. Austin and I didn't get in though. Its nice they are now old enough we can sit and watch while they play and swim. After swimming we retired back to the apartment. 
Sunday morning we woke up and packed up and had breakfast at McDonald's before hitting the road. We got home around lunchtime. I went to the grocery then we had lunch and just stayed around the house the rest of the day. 
It wasn't a super exciting weekend, but it was honestly nice to just get away and enjoy time together! The summer is flying by!