June 2011

Summer brought lots of fun this year!  I've never met a kid that likes VBS the way Jack does! He was loving every minute of it....and was a sweaty mess everyday at noon!  Our theme this year was Egypt---the Story of Joseph!

Jack was a little scared to visit Jospeh (Will) in prison.  There were some pretty big guards in there!  Here he is holding on to my dear friend, Elizabeth!  He wasn't too sure about this prison!  But as you can see below, he had no trouble relaxing when it was music time!!

Here is Jack in his little class~ L-R Clockwise is Oliver, Sam, Ian, Reid, and Jack. 

Miss Beth and Miss Kristi added some Egyptian Humor to our VBS!!  :)

One of our little classes--We have multi-age classes, and it works out really well!

Here he is.....dancing and singing his little heart out!!!  "Our God is the one true God...there will never be another!"

Even Joy and Hugh had a little class for the two of them!  Joy actually fell asleep on Margaret!!  A first!  Jonathan was quite jealous!  He had been trying to get her to do this forever!  But she is such a wiggly worm!!!

After VBS, we took the kidos to Kentucky to spend a week with Grandma and Granddaddy while Mommy went to the beach (and Daddy worked at his paving job with Mr. Jay!)  The kids had a blast in Kentucky and I don't think they missed us at all!  :)

Jack's favorite thing to do in the world---Ride in the tractor with Granddaddy!!

Granddaddy is Jack's hero!!!!!!!

Meanwhile, Mommy was having a great time at the beach on 30-A with her sweet, sweet friends (except for Keri....who didn't get to come this year)!  :(    Here we are at a favorite restaurant~ Caliza~ in Alys Beach!  So thankful for this time to be away and feel like a girl with my girlfriends!!!  But I am always sooo ready to see my babies and sweet husband again!!

Here are the CRAZY-TALL steps we have to climb to get back up to our beach house from the beach! Going down isn't too bad, but going up after being hot, hungry, and tired is quite the feat!  Then we have to walk a ways to our house! (In Magnolia) I think there are 59 stairs total!!  (With a few ledges with benches to rest on the way up!)  :)

More eating!  :)

Back at home we had long, fun days together.  Sadly, Jonathan was gone for most of them because he was working hard with Mr. Jay on his summer break from school.  Those are some pretty hot paving days for Daddy, but we are so thankful that God has provided such a good job to meet our needs.  We just make the most of the time we do have together!!!!!  Here is Jack, who was so proud he had learned to open the refrigerator (finally) and he is sporting his lovely crown he made in Sunday School.  He would hardly ever take it off!

Joy is still not too sure about solid food.  She would rather not do much eating.  She loves her bottle!

King Jack and Princess Sara Kate played together all summer long!!

Somehow Jonathan found time to put in a garden and tend to it after work. He is certainly the gardener in the family.....I really should be more help.....but it has never been my thing.  Right, Mom?  :)

Another thing I was determined to conquer this summer was to finish potty-training Jack!  When Jack turned two, we began potty-training and he caught on quickly....but then Joy came!!!  He was staying dry all day--he could hold it forever---but he was still having trouble wanting to let his poo-poo go into the potty.  He would also hold THAT forever!  So, we got a jar full of gummy worms....and they coaxed him into letting it ALL go!  :)  Took only three bags of gummy worms!!

We bought a refrigerator from our friends, Sean and Elizabeth, and a little over a year later, we decided it was time to move it out of their garage and into our house!! Jonathan and Andrew did this while I wasn't home as a surprise!  We have loved it!!!!  (See all of Jonny's Gatorade on top for his paving job treat!?) It makes our mudroom a little tighter, but we built it so that we could have a second refrigerator to let our extra gallons of milk and garden produce have plenty of room!

Joy and Hugh are now 8 months old!!!

We spend lots of summer days with the Smiths!!!  It is so fun to live so close to our best friends!!!!  We are so thankful for them!

Here we are again, celebrating Keri and Elizabeth's birthdays very late!!!!  How do we get away with this!!!??

Troy threw Amy a fabulously-fun 40th birthday party....and we were all decked out for the occasion!!  We had a great evening!!  The girls met at church, hopped in a limo, went to Amy's house to kidnap her, and then we drove downtown to meet all the boys for dinner!!  Such a fun night!!

Elizabeth and Me!

Ready to go get Amy and whisk her away!!

Keri and Me!

Troy, the wonderful husband master-mind, and his lovely bride, Amy!

Downtown at the restaurant!

This summer also brought a very fun wedding!  Charlie and Audrey were married, and we got to be there to watch!  It was a very sweet and lovely event!

Jack loved the dancing at the reception most of all!!  He didn't want to stop for the picture.....because the music kept playing!

Joy was not as thrilled to dance with me!  She remained skeptical of the whole evening.

This is not allowed.....but it was so cute!  Jack loves to be with his Joy Joy!!

Jack has begun doing lots of chores around the house.  This is the chore he loves the most, because it involves a stool. :)