...Summer 2015...
...Summer, arguably my favorite season of all of the four...since we do have all of our fun stuff in summer time investments...swimming pool, boating...you get the idea...and this summer was no slouch...
...in the midst of life, I sometimes wonder if I can keep the pace up that this life requires right now...and every once in a while...the stress kicks in and the nerves take over...and more often that I care to admit...the behavior is subpar...but for the most part, with the help of my partner in crime, Daddy, we keep running day and night and collapse nightly in exhaustion....but with the great feeling of sweet exhaustion that means you gave the day all you could...the feeling that you know that someone or something is all the better for the work...we laughed the other day because we can't remember the last time we used the word, bored, like even in conversation....it's just not a part of this life...
...which is why I cherish blogging so very much...it gives me a minute or two to re-examine the sweet snapshots...to relieve the rushed fun and the happy smiles...to stop and thank God for all he has blessed me with...in the middle of all that three little monkeys bring to life along with two full time careers...
...and this summer was full of fun, life changing growth and learning.... and lots of family time...
...we finished our first year of dance....with an unbelievably sequined outfit and a recital that was terrifying at first but so much fun once Ms. Maura caoxed us onto the stage...
...and the Cardinals games are always a family favorite...especially this night game with great seats and great weather...those stars rarely line up like that...
...and at 18 months, it was better to let Paxton get to bed at a normal time and take the two big kids out for a big night...
...and what a fun night it was for us...
...and speaking of baseball...
...these two have been really into Pirates Baseball...we've switched to machine pitch from coach pitch and we hit the batting cages, practice regularly and enjoy hitting the most although fielding is getting so much better...right now we are focusing on the hustle and Chase is really doing well...
...and Daddy helps out coaching and hasn't missed a game...and rarely a practice for that matter...
...nor have his siblings...we spend a lot of time cheering on the Pirates...
...and baseball camp introduced us to real big leaguers with our buddies...
...and while the boys are occupied...we got away for girls pedicures...or as Ava would tell you, 'Let's go to the painting place Mom!' In this picture...to celebrate Grammie's Birthday...
...We celebrated Grammie's Birthday and nothing is more exciting to a Grammie than another year of life...or maybe celebrating with all the toddlers in your life...
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| ...Mothers Day 2015... |
...another fun part of summer is visitors...we've been so lucky to have family come and stay with us this summer...like this visit from Great Grandma Erma and Poppy...no one reads a story or stops for a rock better than Grandma Erma...
...or a story with Poppy for that matter...
...visitors don't always get to see our best behavior...but they do always get to have the big kids jump in bed with them when they wake...sometimes at 7am...sometimes at 5am...because since they know someone is in that guest bedroom...they can't wait to wake up and hop in their beds...
...so there is the warning...now you know...
...but we were able to sneak away with a few of the visitors for some kid free moments...
...but literally every visitor gets a bed bug...Grandma Erma, Uncle Chad, Bambi...although I think Bambi might have got the earliest of the risers, nothing like being here on your Birthday to get woken before sunrise...
...unless you are the visitor that lives down the road and can get away to sleep...
...this was the night they came home after a month in Maine...and everyone was excited to be re-united...although I'm not sure Grammie and Papa were excited to return to STL summer weather....
...another favorite is going boating...and we've been able to get lots of friends out this summer to see our favorite summer place...Grafton, Il...or as we call it in this house...G-Town Baby...
...and Grammie and Papa have had lots of fun time with us even with their month long time in Maine...Papa was one of Paxton's first words and as of August...he's spitting out Grandma...although it's sounding like ggggma!
...pizza dinners on the boat and time at the Grafton pool has been pretty regular...
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| ...cousin time on the river... |
...after a long day of swimming, boat sleeping is the best...the cool air...the gentle rock...plus sleeping next to your sibling...
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| ...Ferry riding back to MO after a boating weekend... |
...and swimming at home has filled a lot of time...as you might imagine...the swimming skills have advanced beyond belief...Chase is a fish, diving for sticks off the bottom, Ava's swimming without the life jacket everywhere except the deep end and Paxton will jump in anywhere...which is more than a little scary so he keeps me on my toes...the days of sipping cocktails next to the water are a distant memory...or at least saved for naptime...
...Chase graduated from the Goddard School kindergarten in May and celebrated along with these classmates...most of which have been friends since age one...
...and then it was off to new adventures at Lifetime Fitness Camp...he enjoyed the heck out of his summer and loved swimming and the field trips...
...like Busch Stadium...where Daddy was already at the game....
...the list of fun goes on and on...it's no wonder my house is in disarray...looking back...we spent all our free time playing...like at Ballwin Days...
...or having swimming girl playdates...that we allowed Chase to join...
...this guy has spent the summer beginning to really communicate...he tells Marley, she is a 'good girl', calls his siblings by name and calls Momma and Dada out whenever we enter the room...
...he loves to point out airplanes, read books and find binkys that have been lost in toy bins, behind shelves or freshly washed....
...but back to big kids...like Chase's Bible Study Jump camp...where all our friends reunited....
...and the littler kid playdates...
...and this bike riding day will live in infamy....all was well but Daddy was probably right...we aren't quite ready for Katy Trail biking...
...and boys ziplining through Grafton to celebrate Daddy's Birthday...
...Fourth of July fireworks were at Chesterfield Mall this year since the river was flooded...this is the main road traveling through G-town...
...although these guys didn't seem to mind...
...although these guys didn't seem to mind...
...and this is the spot the crew would settle in after a long day of playing, or to start the day off slowly...even without getting my own summer break...something just feels different about summertime...
...and until next summer, we will fasten up and get ready for an exciting year of school...
...because like life, blogging isn't perfect, but recapturing these moments the best that I can is enough...
....enough to remind me of the sun kissed faces that made me smile as I fell into bed...enough to warm my heart with the newness of friendships that strengthened over the summer playdates...enough to remind me that family is our number one and we love our family visitors...enough to recount some memories so the kids can re - read this when they are older...
...and enough to know that this life is more than I ever dreamed of...
...more than enough...
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