Busy Summer

Our summer has flown by so very quick that we didn't even get a real family vacation this year.  We took advantage of July 4th weekend and spent it in Branson, MO with some of my family.  We have a membership to Treasure Lake Resort.  Every year they set off a fantastic show of fireworks.

Little guy's favorite part of the whole trip was the playground.

Can you tell he has older siblings??  Haha!  Where does this stuff come from?

He was so content just playing all alone, having a good ol' time.

While little guy was having a blast all on his own... the big kids were having a great time of playing a game of tennis against Dad two against one.  We also spent most of the day swimming.

This was our only family trip for the summer.  Really a bummer but we have thoroughly been enjoying our not so lazy days of summer by the pool every single day and night.  Even though Tulsa has had 25 days this month in which the high temperature reached 100+ with the other 5 days being in the high 90's; our pool has been amazingly cool!  Rich made a PVC fountain to put on the return inlet which actually cools the pool quite nicely so the 107 temp, heat index 115 days aren't bothering us so much... as long as we are home by the pool, lol!

Sadly, we even missed out on the summer reading programs which we have always participated in for the past 10 years.  I am glad my kids are in sports and love to play... I love to watch them!  But when they reach middle school and high school age there is so much they have to do over the summer.  Between cheerleading, basketball, and football summer camps and practices, we had only two weeks available the whole summer for a family vacation.  The kids were able to visit their grandparents in MO individually here and there so they had their own little mini vacations plus we had a mission trip and church camp going on.

Busy, busy summer with school starting around the corner already... 11 more days!  So in between mandatory drug testing, cheer camp, school supply shopping, school clothes shopping these next ten days-- I can honestly say I am looking forward to school starting so I can catch a little breather, lol!

I love my kids and so grateful for them.  Even though they cost me lots and lots and lots and lots of $$$ and time and energy, I wouldn't trade it for a thing!  Yeah we run, run, run all over the place but we take advantage of every teachable opportunity that comes along so their learning about God and life is not only in the home, but also on the road.  I'm grateful that God provides those teachable opportunities so that I can train and grow my kids in the way that prayerfully pleases Him no matter where we might be!