End of Summer & Start of School!

Well, Granny & Poppa's brand new pool was ready just in time before school started! The kids were overjoyed! Kennedie got a brand new snorkel to try out...and it took her one try to get the hang of it!

Colton is becoming FEARLESS!
My 2 sweet boys!

Giving Poppa a mohawk! lol!

He tried floating on his back for the 1st time. His swim teacher at swimming lessons could not get him to try this. But on his own...he was all about it!

This girl is NOW finally fearless!!!

My big, sweet girl started 1st grade last week! She was super excited, but a little nervous.

Beautiful

She looks so BIG walking down that great big hallway! Where did my baby girl go?!?!

Her sweet, sweet teacher Mrs. Duvak. She's great!

She was trying to explain to brother...why she had to stay at school...and that we'd come to pick her up in the afternoon. He was not happy about having to leave here there =(

Her BFF Jessalyn is in her class!

And today was my Colton's first day of Mother's Day Out. He was less than thrilled to take his picture this morning. He wouldn't even let me take one of him with his teachers. And so it begins...

Seriously y'all. I could EAT him!!!

Grasshopper Catcher

A few weeks ago, we were getting things together to go to the water park. James had the kids in the backyard and they found a grasshopper! I was so surprised at how brave Colton was with it. Life with a boy...I'm still learning!

Look at my sweet baby! Oh, those eyes...

The chase is on!
Daddy is so patient with our babies...

He's so proud!

L-O-V-E this one!!!!

This is one of my faves...you can see James looking on, Kennedie has her little chapter book clutched in her arm, and Colton is just so brave. I never want to forget moments like this.

And I had to include this one! Our girl is reading like crazy now! She's really picked it up and is quite good at it. We walked into the living room the other day, and found her READING like this.....

Goofy girl!

A Tyler Weekend!

We took one last summer trip to Tyler last weekend. Bridget couldn't make it, since her kids started school the next Monday in TN.

We had so much fun! The cousins went non-stop and weren't phased a bit by the scorching temps.

Here's John, James, Brian & Chuck on John's amazing patio. Behind James is an oversized hot tub. To the right are some stairs that lead up to the girl's treehouse...that has it's own AC unit!

Peyton & Colton spent lots of time watching movies.
The girls love doing crafts! I found these little beads last summer and they just loved them, so I brought them with us. They design the beads, then I iron the back and they melt together, making their own little creations. Pretty cool!

I love this one of my Kennedie. She absolutely adores her cousins and was just over the moon to be with them all weeked.

Here's Colton eating his very first s'more ever...

...and it's a HIT! He loved it!

We had a little game of softball...this is one of my new favorite pictures. I really don't know how it happened, but the effect is so cool! (And it's classic John...showing off, cigarette in his mouth...)

The kids played SO HARD! I was calling Colton my little homeless child...just look at this face!

The little boys eating popsicles with Boompa,

Uncle John has these cool saddle barstools that he made. The boys thought they were so fun!

John had tons of hummingbirds...

I've always laughed at how animated Colton gets when he pretends to be a dinosaur. I guess it's a boy thing, because Peyton really gets into it, too!

We broke out the slip and slide and the kids just loved it!

Ok, I may get into trouble for this, but really...could you resist???

Sydnie with her water balloon stash, silly girl!

(see the water balloon in mid-air?)

Oh, I could just eat this sweet boy!

"Crazy Uncle John" filling up his waders...

So much fun!

Kennedie was such a big helper in the kitchen. MaryBeth made an amazing watermelon bowl...and she was right there with her helping.

I love their faces in this one!

It was so pretty and oh so yummy!

James went "survivor" and used a big magnifying glass to start a fire. What a stud! (see the smoke?)

And the crew headed out to John's pond to go fishing...

He has 4 donkeys on his property and they came right up, thinking we were there to feed them!

Sweet!

What a fun weekend, full of great memories!