Another Monday gone

Mom, me and the kids came to Lancaster today to see the newest baby of the family and I must say he is a cutie! I wish I had pics to put on here but most of you can see mom's blog to get some pics. My camera died so I'm depending on her for my pics. =) I thought we would be fighting with daddy to get our turn to hold the baby but it is Hannah we are fighting with! I've never seen her so interested in a baby! Usually Ryan is begging to hold the babies (church and at mamaw's house) but he isn't too interested in his new cousin. He is enjoying his older cousin, Michael, and I think Michael is enjoying him for now. Ryan went into Michael's closet, in the dark, (I don't know why) and came downstairs convinced their were ghosts in there! So Uncle Terry was kind enough to take him up again, to a diff closet, and convince him they were in there too. Now he is afraid to go in any room of their house if the lights are off. After we came back from the park this evening he even covered his eyes until we got the light one! He's so cute. His imagination is just now coming out. Now it is late so I'm off to bed. Looking forward to another great day with my family tomorrow!

the new normal

Today is the beginning of our summer and our new normal. This is the first week since Hannah has been out of school that we haven't been at the beach or had Bible school every evening. Having Nat, Cheryl and Sebastion (their dog) around is gonna take some getting used to but I'm so glad we can help them out. That's the new normal part. Hannah and Ryan love having them around. And I think Nat and Cheryl enjoy being able to be around them more. They have missed a lot being so far away. I told them that by the time they left our house they won't want kids for a long time! Sammy is just not starting to loosen up around Sebastion. SHe has been hiding under the table or behind the chair since he got here. At first I liked the new quiet Sammy but I have been missing my playful, barking girl! Patches and him became fast friends, tho.

Among other news, I have a new nephew, who I love already. The kids and I will be going up there next week to see them.

Now that our summer has started, there will be lots of free movies to attend, swimming at mamaw's, eating watermelon, chores, worksheets and late evening spent cathing lightning bugs or something else.

Well, I sent the kids out to the trampoline so I better go!

Friday, Fun Day

My class diving for pearls

Penny contest ended up being a tie for the week. Tie the first night then boys, girls, boys, girls.

Ryan holding the Bible for the pledge

Decor for the front.

I made the pirate ship.

Today has been a pretty good day. Brad had moved the camper out a few days ago so he could put gravel down where it sits. Since he was off today, that's what he spent the morning doing! We all went with him for the first load at like 9am and we all helped him unload it. Brad's mom was next door when we got back with the second load so we all ditched him after that! 4 loads later and he was done! By the time that was all done, it was lunchtime and naptime. When Ryan finally went to sleep, I slept a little on the couch. Then we just hung out until Bible school. They were providing pizza so I didn't fix anything for supper. I really enjoyed VBS this year. I don't know what made it different but it was. I liked teaching the kids some camp songs. It made me remenice (sp?) on my past. Some of my best memories are from camp. Anyway, I took a bunch of water balloons tonight and we had an organized water balloon toss. THe kids went crazy with the leftovers. For some reason the older kids were dying to get me wet!! I was hiding behind BRad for awhile and then he ran away and I just stood there and told them to pop them over my head instead of throwing them at me. Only one kid did. So I was wet and then one of the other kids tryed to get Brad but it bounced off his shoulder and poped on the ground. So Brad and I snuck in the building and filled up two more water balloons and snuck up on the 2 older kids who got us and got them back while they were playing cornhole. It was fun. I went and started cleaning up my room and when I cam back out BRad was soaked!! Come to find out they dumped abunch of ice water on him from the cooler so now we are waiting until we go camping next month and get them back! So now the kids and I are smooth sailing for the summer. Next big plans are to go to Cols when Jess has that baby. Well, I need to get the kids in the tub so they can go to bed.

.....

Nat and Cheryl are finally here! Sebastion is being great....until Brad came home! He didn't like Brad at all at first. He is warming up to him some. We decided to have them sleep in Hannah's room since we can't run the a/c in the camper. So Hannah is sleeping in Ryan's room on the floor. Sammy has been very nervous since Sebastion got here. She is walking around "smiling" at everyone. Mom, I know you know what that means. She is doing it constantly. Patch wanted to play instantly.
VBS continues to go well. We haven't had many kids but it has been fun. I am going back in my past to teach them some good songs that we sang in camp. Tonight was King of Kings and Lord of Lords, hallelujah! It was fun. They wanted to do it again. Tomorrow will be Oh you can't get to Heaven...." I miss the camp days and I hope when the kids get older we can find a good one for them to go to. Those are some of the best memories I have and I want my kids to be able to experience it too.
In other news, I think my camera bit the dust. I was using it one evening at VBS and then all the sudden it just wouldn't come on. And it hasn't come on yet. Steph, at church, had that same camera and it did the same thing. I'm dying not being able to take pics.
We went to the library and signed the kids up for the summer reading program. For every 10 books we check out and read they get a ticket and then I guess they get a prize at the end or get entered to win a prize. I'm not sure about that part. So we borrowed our first 10 books and we've read three today.
Tomorrow is the free kids movie at the theaters so I'm going to take them to it. I'm excited to get the summer started! After VBS and we come back from seeing my nephew and things settle down we are going to start chores and schoolwork. Even Ryan.
Well, I guess I'm done for now.

funny

Sometimes I wonder what God is thinking when he does stuff to me! If you'll remember, in a post not long ago I complained about how my life was ruined because we couldn't change our ins until Dec. Well, this evening I was in the room folding laundry (story of my life) and Brad came in and said, "I shouldn't even show you this but I will since I'm a good husband." He had a weird look on his face and he gave me the monthly newsletter he gets from the main office at work. Right smack in the middle of the page it had a section about open enrollment coming up in August where you can make changes to your ins if you want!! I was just getting used to the fact that I might be having a baby this summer when I got the last paper saying our plan went from Dec to Dec and then I was just getting used to the fact that I won't be having another baby until next fall sometime when he shows me this paper!! So....a baby might be coming sooner rather than later for me! But I'm not getting my hopes until the test comes back positive!!

In other news, the first night of VBS went well, all things considered. We had a very low attendance and for that I am disappointed but a lot of stress was lifted off my shoulders when everything went smoothly with my class!

Every day Hannah asks me if she has school and everyday I say the same thing and she does her happy dance! So tonight the kids are both sleeping in Hannah's room. They are still awake and it's almost 11 so they better sleep late tomorrow! I know Hannah will if Ryan doesn't wake her up!

Nat and Cheryl will be here sometime tomorrow. I'm happy and nervous all at the same time. I can't wait to have them around but I'm nervous about having another dog around (german shepherd but not quite as big and scary as Crsh, I don't think) and we can't turn the A/C on in the camper so they might end up in here somewhere!

Well, I have a headache, yet again so I'm gonna go to bed!

fun times

my days have been filled with the beach, beach and more beach, the pool and eating way too much!! I was thoroughly impressed with the church service on Sunday. So the week started out on a great note! Besides spending all day at the beach or pool, in the evenings we've been doing different things. Yesterday evening we went down to the beach right around dark and just walked up and down. Of course, Ryan didn't stay dry for long but I just couldn't get mad at him!! The kids have been having so much fun. Tonight we went and played putt-putt. Tonight we want to go to Broadway at the Beach and see the fireworks. I have truly lost track of the days and I love it!! I'm constantly asking Brad "what day is it?" VBS is still clinging to the back of my mind, tho! I'm going to be a mess next week! Enjoy a few pics of our vacation so far!

Thursday

Today has been a long day! I had to go but a check in the bank first thing this morning. I finished packing mine, Hannah and Ryan's clothes. Who knows how much more stuff I'll shove in our bags before Sat morning tho!! I gave Sammy a bath and cleaned the laundry room. They have fresh blankets to sleep on while we're gone and a new toy in hiding for Sammy. =) She destroys toys within minuets of getting them so I like to save them for special occassions. I love those dogs more every day! Ryan and I played outside for awhile. I bought a cheap hockey set (2 sticks and a puck) and had to show him how to use it. It was fun. I haven't played hockey since gym in high school. I almost got knocked out being the goalie once. Long story...I tidied up around the house but you wouldn't know it if you came in now. I took the kids to mamaw's to swim in the afternoon. I can't believe how good Hannah is doing. I bought those toys that you throw in the water and they sink to the bottom and you have to go get them. She was actually going under the water, not holding her nose, opening her eyes and getting the toys! That is a big improvement from last year. She would hardly leave the edge of a pool. Brad brought pizza home for supper. I just now got the kids to bed. I've been lax this week since it's Hannah's last week. And tomorrow is crunch time!!

I've got nothin

While at mamaw's, Little Man, the dog behind Brad, found this 5' black snake in the bushes. This isn't the first one the dogs have found out there but it is the biggest!! See where it is fatter in the middle? It had just finished eating a bunch of dogfood.

I figured since it was dead.....

Papaw and his two favorite boys

Hannah and cousin Shilah

Cameron

Today has been a long day. I think everything went smoothly in the morning. I was getting lots of things done while Ryan was content to watch movies or play in his room or follow me around and ask what I was doing. I was surprised when I came out to the livingroom and saw it was 11! For us, the longest, hardest part of the day is from 8 to 11. I don't know why but it seems like it is never going to be lunchtime most days! I'm glad it went fast today. But what it brought me was a grouchy boy who decided he wasn't going to be happy with anything! So I didn't get much done in the afternoon. I tried to do as much as I could outside so he could play, like untangle all the wrachet (sp?) straps that Brad jumbled up and threw in my back seat and clean out my big blue tub (which contained more jumbled wrachet straps) and start filling it with pool toys for the beach. We have another strawberry ready to be picked but I'm leaving it be for another day. Anyway, so after we got Hannah from school I started supper and we played outside just a little longer. It was starting to get sooo hot. Both the kids were extra tired today. We had a busy day yesterday (Memorial Day). We went to breakfast, walmart to get a few things for the cookout at Brad's mom's, came home so I could make the brownies, went to mamaw's, ate lunch, watched the kids swim in the pool, get lots of good video and pics, eat supper, go fishing and get back home right at 9 and still have to shower the kids. So they both got 2 less hours sleep than normal. But I didn'thave trouble waking Hannah like I thought I would. Ryan is really getting into fishing. He caught two fish by himself and I caught two also. I can't catch anything but bluegill! Oh well. Back to today....Brad is in town this week so I'm glad he's home this evening for a change. Now I am working on the Bible Club lesson for tomorrow. I'm filling in for the regular teacher. I've never taught this before so its taking me awhile to get used to the book and I have no idea about the kid's books!! So I better go so I can work on that.