To Be Four

Favorite Summertime Game

Hopscotch on the drive

Wearing mismatched socks with Crocs in 90 degree weather

Silly

Sweet

The baby boy

God is Wild About Us!

 This was Charlie's second year attending VBS at our church.  The theme this year was Pandamania, God is Wild About Us.  Our church family does an amazing job with the decorations, creative snacks and crafts and most importantly, getting the message of God's love across to the kiddos.

 This was Charlie's best buddy at camp this year.  They were beyond silly together and really gave their counselor a run for his money!  Gary, their counselor was so cute and told the boys that they should really try and stay buddies even after VBS was over.  I think a playdate  is in order :)  Charlie's favorite part was the snacks.  They were really awesome and the kids were usually allowed to assemble their own snacks, so that made it even more fun.

Each day we would drop off and pick up Charlie in the new gym at church where they would hear any announcements and sing songs from the God is Wild About Us cd.  The music is LOUD and the kids go nuts!  They do hand motions for the songs and dance.   It is really electric and you can really feel the Spirit! 

Tommy can't wait until next year when he gets to go to VBS at our church with Charlie.  I hope that in the next few years I will be at a place where I can volunteer and give back a bit. I think it is a wonderful program that they offer to children from our church and from the area, it is open to anyone.  I hope that when the kids are grown and think about the summer of their youth, that they remember with fond memories learning about God's love at VBS. 

Michigan Fun

We packed the van up again and headed North this time.  Aunt Patti and Uncle Sherman's house in Michigan was our final destination.  They live in a beautiful log house that they had built 18 some years ago.  It is a large, comfortable, warm home.  It just oozes their personalities and is generously sprinkled with ancient artifacts that Sherman has found metal detecting all over the world and beautiful crafts and quilts that Patti has bought or made herself.  The house is located back off the road, nestled in the woods with a lush garden on one side of the long circle drive.  It is surrounded by green on 3 sides and a beautiful easy flowing river on the other. 

 

We had a great time at a children's museum that Aunt Patti wanted to take us to.  It had a ton of fun exhibits for the kids, and adults, to explore.

Trent and Tom working on the canal exhibit

Go Aunt Patti!

Aunt Patti and Penny, who was missing her nap and not happy about it!

Bass Man

Uncle Sherman, Nana, Penny and Charlie building trucks

Charlie and his love of gears

We had such a nice visit, chatting, eating, playing in the rain, chatting, going to a children's museum, chatting, walking around their small town, getting hair cuts at the local barber shop, going for tractor rides, playing board games, eating ice cream at the ice cream parlor, spending time as a family, eating some more, taking boat rides on the river, laughing, having dinner with friends, watching movies and just having a really nice visit.  The only downer of the weekend was not being able to visit our dear friends in a near by town.  Now we have another reason to go back :)

Penny love

Uncle Sherm gives Charlie a ride

We can't wait to go back! Love you Aunt Patti and Uncle Sherman!! Thanks for a great weekend!

The Homestead

One of our favorite places on Earth.

Goodbye June

I can barely  believe that June is almost but a memory!  I feel like summer has just started and yet we are already at the midway point.  June has been a whirlwind of fun, work, challanges and much growth.  We started the month off with Trent graduating from college with a degree in business management.  I have been so excited for him and proud of this huge accomplishment.  However, he hasn't been able to enjoy some the well deserved "down" time from not having to write papers, study for tests or attend his weekly classes, because he has been traveling for work most of the month.  Literally home for a night or two, only to pack up and leave again.  It has been exhausting, for both of us.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel and in a few short days we leave for our annual lake vacation, as a family, together!  We are all very excited and counting down the days.

But despite our crazy schedule, we also had a lot of fun to the beginning of our summer.

Tommy at "his" VBS camp. 

Crafts on the back porch

They love projects.

We have laughed a lot.

And spent some learning and trying new things.

Planted a garden.

And made homemade ice cream in a bag.

Charlie said it was the best ice cream he has ever had!

We made lots of fun, cold, treats.

And some pretty precious moments.

We have spent lots of time at the play ground

and have had some great laughs.

.

We have learned about money

and played a lot of games.

Made some smoothies

and learned about giving.

Had a fairy visit, or two

 

and read a bunch of books.

And that is just a bit of our fun, crazy, month called June.