Weekend Fun: Spring Has Sprung

Oh, praise Jesus for the sunshine this weekend.  We NEEDED that in our lives! Spring has finally Sprung, RIGHT?!
 Nope.

  Sadly, it was short-lived.  It’s currently forecasted to be 33 degrees with a chance of snow.  Blah.

Longest. Winter. EVERRRRRR.

I can’t wait to get out in the garden and plant, but alas, we shall wait.

  Did you see on facebook, we had another freezer die?!

ACK! Is this an almost 12-year-old marriage thing?  I can’t complain, because they were all given to use for FREE. 

Best part of a new freezer?

  THE BOX, of course!  It makes the perfect house!

Kitchen and Office

Family room and outside side view

  Paxton is the strong man on the TV Show because he “ate his Beggies and has strong muscles!”  {veggies in Paxton-speak}

  The weekend was totally wonderful; I napped on my lawn chair in the sun, we blew bubbles, hit around some golf balls, watched Daddy filet the fish he caught at the lake, and went to the MCC Relief Sale. I write about it every year, so if you have no idea what MCC Relief is, check this blog post out from a few years ago.

  It’s tradition and apparently both Dale and I have been going since we can remember, because while we were walking around the MCC Sale we discovered something AMAZING!

  I was telling the kids about the “good ol’ days” when I was a kid. We’d bring our motorhome and stay overnight, from morning till night, I would run around with my friends and have a grand ol’ time. We loved to play under the stage by the pond, and there were always CUTE boys under there for us to follow around.

Dale turns to me with big eyes and says, “We came all weekend too because my dad worked a booth. And we always hung out under the stage by the pond.”

WHAT!? No stinkin’ way.

  Then I ask him about the year it rained so hard, those same cute boys we saw every year, wore white trash bags as ponchos. He is like “Yup, we went to my dad’s booth and got them to wear so we could stay outside.”

HOW CRAZY IS THAT!? Guess I had good taste in men even as a 6th grader?

MCC Sale photos:

Amish Whoopie Pies  {swoon}
Oh! And they sell homemade cookies and a big glass of milk.  Mmm! Maybe next year.

Fresh New Years Cookies, think glazed donut with raisins inside.

Walking around the Sale is HARD WORK!

  Did you know we planted some Trees in Papa’s honor? 

  2 Cherry, 2 Apple, 2 Pear and 2 Peach!  When Dale came to me with the idea, I declared it the PERFECT way to honor his father.  He was always the one to bring the fruit to every function anyhow!  🙂

  Well, that’s it for now.  I have got to run to the store to get a few things for Dale’s Birthday dinner tonight.  He wants Steak and a butter-sauteed hash of Asparagus, baby bella mushrooms and zucchini for supper.  And then of course, LEMON Dessert. 

Actually not this one as tradition states:

We are saving that one for Easter.

 He wants THIS one, a new favorite.

Happy Birthday to my Sweetie pie!!!!  

You fill our home with your deep chested laugh, strong arms that throw kids high in the air in fun play,

You are my voice of reason, my safe place, my best friend and the love of my life…..

Today, we celebrate YOU!  

  Have a great day, everyone! Happy Monday…

~T

Papa Don Loves Sister Schubert

  Papa loves Sister Schubert’s ROLLS, that is!   Before I knew our lives were going to get busy, and would revolve around the family member living out his last days in our home, I agreed to Host a Sister …

Weekend Fun: Heritage Day

  Happy Monday! Did you all have a great weekend? We live close to a teeny little Amish town, whose population is about 195.  Once a year they throw a great big bash called Heritage Day.  We have been going …

Weekend Fun: Parties, Graduates & Hair Loss Edition

  May is just the craziest time of year, isn’t it?!

  Seems like a very popular month for Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, Family photo shoots, and lets not forget all the end of the year school stuff and Graduations!  Not only did we go to multiple graduation parties this weekend, but we hit a darling Woodland themed Baby Shower as well.

These girls went ALL out!  I, of course, came straight from church/lunch without my camera, but here are a few shots with someone elses……

Check out the cream cheese almond hedge hog, and those red things are mushrooms. Well, they are mozzarella cheese sticks with half a tomato on top. The dots are ranch dip! SOOO Cute and soo yummy!

They had a Onesie Decorating Table! Everyone had so much fun making flowers and trees, tractors and hearts out of iron on fabric that someone was going to iron for us later.  There were some fabric markers available, too.  I don’t have photos of my kids creations, but they did a great job!  Ty did a grass, tree and sunshine scene, Destiny did a woodland theme with a mushrooms, 2 owls and a hedge hog. Hers had a big heart on the back, right where Emerson’s little buns will go.  Cute!  Avery did a big yellow cloth sun that said you are my sunshine around its perimeter, with Love Avery on the sleeve.  Paxton just ran around! 😉

  Check out my “4 little Fergusons love Em” onesie. Baby’s name is Emerson, Emmy for short, but Em is going to have to count on this onesie. I couldn’t fit more letters on! haha 

                                                                          Front view and Back view 

The Mommy and Daddy to be! 

Also this weekend…..

                               Avery, graduated from Christ Care Preschool. Big girl!  

  Last preschool stage event, Avery had a lot of anxiety and cried the whole time.  She was sooo brave this time!  Smiling and doing ALL the actions! 🙂

Sweet friends

  Ty graduates from Kindergarten tonight.  WHAT!?  How is that even possible?
Such a sweet baby….

It makes me want to cry to think of him at school all day next year.

All this stress is making me lose my hair…… 

  Ok, not really. I made me lose my hair, like 8 inches of it!  I have had looong hair for a lot of my life, like back in High School Days and my early marriage years.

  This is when Destiny was 3 and I was in my early 20’s, long curly hair, almost to my waist.

But the more kids I had, the shorter it got…..

I cut off a foot and a half of hair when Ty was born, and kept it a bob for Avery, who came 17 months later:

I grew it out again until Paxton.  Hello, 10 pound Baby in AUGUST!  Goodbye, hair!

  I always like long hair best, and promptly grew it out again.  I found a shoulder length style I LOOOOVED, and have been trying to get my hair to do this look again for 2 years:

Not happening. 

  It’s like my curls changed shape?!  Crazy.  So, I just wore a ponytail or braid, EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Blow drying and flat ironing it takes 35 minutes. Yeah, not in the Mommyhood Morning schedule!

  So rather than kick the dead horse any longer, I decided to call it what it is and whack it off. With some major thanks to my BFF for her moral support, and my amazing hair dresser, who always works her magic on this massive mane of mine!

Ack! Here it is, new hair! 

I am still getting used to it, but I love it. I feel like I’ve lost 10 pounds!  I have never had it this short in the back, and it feels GREAT!

  I keep reaching up to fix a ponytail that is no longer there.  Any bets on how long this will last until I grow it back out?  I am giving it 8 months based on my previously mentioned hair cut history.  We have a strict 4 and no more child policy at this house, so it sure won’t need to be kept short due to pregnancy anymore! haha

  Hope you had a great weekend!  I have some fun and delicious posts planned for you all this week.   🙂

~T

 

 

Weekend Fun: Mother’s Day Edition

  I hope you all had a WONDERFUL weekend and Mother’s Day!  I spent my first Mothers Day ever, at home with my family.  Dale usually works at his mom’s restaurant on Mother’s Day, helping her with her Mother’s Day Buffet, as his gift to her.  I head home after church with our kids and the cousins, and have them nap and or play until about 2. Then, we go up to eat the leftovers with the family. It is a great tradition, and something we have just always done.  But this year, Dale asked off.  He decided this Mother’s Day, he wanted to be home together.  It was amazing and I felt very pampered and special!

   So, the day started with sleeping in.  I didn’t even know I knew HOW to sleep in anymore!  I photographed a wedding reception Saturday night and got home late, so it was almost 9:00 before I woke up. NINE!  Do you know how late that is around here?  Church started at 9:15, so there was noooo way we were going to make it.  

  They brought me breakfast in bed, as they have in years past. I am making it way easier on them, because this is my breakfast now: a nutrition drink! Mmmm.   

 Then I opened presents; a card from Destiny, a key chain from Ty {not pictured} and a sun catcher from Avery.  Oh, and Tulips from Dale! They are in a giant Ball Jar and just gorgeous! {use your imagination, it’s too dark to go take a picture now}

  We just hung out and had a leisurely morning together.  Dale spent an hour and a half in the kitchen making lunch.  LOOK at it, oh my goodness, he did amazing….

Steak, Rosemary New Potatoes, with sautéed Asparagus & Morel Mushrooms.  For dessert he and the boys made a PIE!  Mmmmmmmm!

{Psst, I will be blogging the pie this summer! It is delicious!}

  Nap time was spent editing photos and making Destiny some ribbon flip-flops, and then we headed to the Zoo.  So fun!

New Dino Dig exhibit, super cool!

Oh NO, a T-Rex is eating my children!

  Do you see the spider web in the next collage?  I have a picture on this exact Spider Web {middle left} with my cousins when I was a kid!  I told the kids to “Be a spider,” and they did the SAME hand actions I was doing in my old picture too. Crazy cool!

Too bad I can’t find it, or I’d share it with you.  🙂

Destiny and Pax were NOT feelin’ the tarantula exhibit.

My little Prairie Dogs….

Check out this amazing tree! The blooms grow right out of the trunk and branches.  Our Creator is SO creative!!!!!

  After the zoo, we headed to THE fountain.  I say THE, because this is where Dale and I came after our first “group date” to the movies as friends.  We sat on a bench in front of this very fountain and he put his arm around me.  I leaned forward, out of his reach, and said, “Do you put your arm around ALL your friends?”  Haha, sassy girl! 

Needless to say, I feel in love that summer, and the rest is HIStory.

  Papa John’s had a BOGO pizza deal, so we grabbed a couple Larges and headed to the park for a picnic.  I had already packed waters and carrot sticks because I was hoping this would be our supper plans.

Check out that Mom on her husband’s Smart Phone in the center picture above.  WHAT is she thinking?  Shouldn’t she watch her childrens EVERY MOVE at the park!?  {haha!}

   Dale and I were cracking up when he took that photo. I really was messaging a family member, but then quickly put it away to run and play with the kids.  See? It’s all about finding a balance.  RIGHT!? 🙂  I even had on the same hat as in the Dear Mom On the iPhone post, too!  Oh the irony.

Last, but not least, the older kids had FIVE free Ice Cream certificates from Braum’s that expired in June, so who were we to let such a good deal go to waste?  Ice cream treats for everyone!

  The kids were beginning to think this Mom’s Day stuff was pretty good for kids too!

 

Being a Mom is messy, its hard, and sometimes I want to pull my hair out.  But most days, I walk around my home with a song in my heart, because THIS is what I have dreamed of my whole life…….  The good days are great, the bad days are exhausting, and the rest just fades away in the sticky fingered glory of it all…….

Hope you had a Happy Momma’s Day!

~T

Weekend Fun: Tractors, Trailers, & Traditions

  Did you all have a great weekend!?

Ours was busy, but fun.  It was warmer than it has been, thankfully the ice is melted and we are enjoying 50’s and 60’s again.  That means there are LOTS of chores to do outside in preparation for gardens, our up and coming cow purchase, and even some branch clean up from that yucky ice storm.

  God answered a really big prayer of ours, and provided Dale’s father, Don, a beautiful camper trailer to live in while he goes through chemo.  If you follow us on Facebook, you know he has stage 4 cancer and we are asking God for a miracle.  We did a family photo shoot that I will share with you on Thursday, so you can “meet” him then. 

 This camper is nice and big with a slide out, open kitchen and living area, washer & dryer, nice storage areas, including 3 closets, tub-shower and more.  Way nicer than anything we had found before, and exactly in the price range that was set.  A TOTAL God-thing to say the least!!!!!! 

  We are going to clean it good, and get him moved out here soon, so I can help care for him, if necessary.  Or, at very least, check on him now and then.
He lives in another town, but had recently purchased the acreage right next door to us, in hopes of building there someday.  Soon we will move his camper over there.{First we have to hook up water and all that.} It will be so fun to have Papa right next door!

  This Weekend was also the MCC Sale.  It’s a Mennonite event that raises funds for disaster relief all over the world.  They auction off beautiful wood crafted items, tractors, bikes, campers, marble sets, and gorgeous handmade quilts from the local Mennonite ladies! 

We love to watch the ladies make Pysanka, Ukrainian Easter eggs. 

  Of course the MCC Sale offers amazing German food, like Vereneke {pronounced Verenika} and ham gravy, zwiebach, cherry or pluma moos, borscht, and bonne berogi.  My friend Stephanie, posted this photo of her supper on Facebook, she said I could share it with you today. 

  This is the traditional German meal, dubbed “The Feeding of the Multitudes” at this particular event. There is a reason it’s called this, cause you all, the line seriously goes the entire walkway in front of the building, and down as far as the eye can see.  We have never braved it with the kids!

   We typically go as a family after school for snacks of some Vereneke to share, along with meat, crackers and Cheese Curds! {aka Squeaky Cheese}

Due to the SPECIAL nature of this oh-so exciting yearly event, I let everyone pick one sweet treat. Oh, were they excited about that part!!!!!!!

  Destiny was clever and waited until the VERY end of our time there, to pick some Kettle Corn and eat it on the way home. {no pic} She said she chose that because it lasted longer than other sweet treats.  Like I said, CLEVER! 🙂

  The other kids thought she was nuts, they didn’t want to wait at ALL! 

  There are some Amish girls there that make the most melt in your mouth AMAZING fresh-baked Cookies and Whoopie Pies you have ever tasted! 

Paxton agreed!  Last year I wouldn’t let him have a Whoopie Pie, but I did find some sweet photos of him eyeballing it! He was SO little last year.  My baby is growing up! 

Lets just say, that he thoroughly enjoyed his first Whoopie Pie!

   I grew up in the Mennonite church, and have gone to the MCC Sale every year as long as I can remember!  I hope my kids have fun memories of us doing the same.  I wrote more about this Sale and what great things they do with the money they raise last year and even the year before that!!!!

 I am SO predictable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully you aren’t tired of me blogging about this yet.  🙂

 

  After that we walked around and did some of the kids activities before heading home for bedtime.

   The next day, I got to go BACK!  Dale was sweet to stay home with the kiddos, so I could go with my BFF, Kasey, for GIRL time!  That never happens anymore!

  Isn’t it funny how you can go the same place twice, once with kids and once with out, and it’s like a whole NEW event!?  We had so much fun sitting at the auctions, visiting and eating, and we hardly knew what to do with ourselves, not taking kids potty or doing head counts. No photos of our girl time though, I was off the clock! lol 🙂

  This weekend was also Dale’s 32nd birthday!

He didn’t have any big requests, so we made him his FAAAAVORITE Lemon Pudding Dessert, which we have EVERY single year on April 14th.  

  Hey, its creamy, its good, it reminds me of Spring, and it’s better than his other choice:

PLAIN chocolate cake drowned in milk.  

NO frosting at all! WHAT????

Cake without FROSTING!?!?!?!

Forgetaboutit.

  I’ve never officially blogged this lemon dessert, or typed it out on Tasty Kitchen, because I think EVERYONE already has it.

Yes? No? Maybe? Let me know, I’d be glad to share it soon.

  Tonight, I am making him Man Casserole for supper since last night was Sunday Night Snack Supper.  This casserole is one of his favorites! Looks crazy, tastes amazing.

  We don’t do much for grown up birthday’s at our house, we have so much to be thankful for and really don’t have any thing we “need”. 

Simplicity makes me happy, and it really is the little things that mean the most……like being together!

  Happy Monday!

~T

Tree Houses & Treasures

Due to a scheduling mix up (read that: Tonya was too tired to remember to check her blog calendar Sunday night) you are getting Monday’s post, today.  Just go with me here….. and thanks for understanding! 🙂 

We had such a fun and busy weekend!  It’s been a while since I’ve had a “blog-worthy” Weekend to share, but I think this one fits the bill.  🙂  This blog is to be a book of Memories one day for our children, so I want to be sure to continue to do these sorts of posts between recipes and other thoughts.

  First of all, the children’s adopted Grandparents, offered to build them a tree house.  WOO-HOO!  We had a spot already picked out and had actually planned to do one once some extra money came in for lumber.  {Well, you know how that goes! Especially with 4 little people to care for, there’s never extra money!}

  We are sooo thankful for this awesome gift that will bring hours upon hours of fun.  It’s not done yet, but here are the pictures so far.  A big thanks to Glen, Papa Don and Dale for their hard work!

“Mommy, PLEEEEEASE can we do a silly picture?”

Walls are going up….

A Snack bucket with rope is a must! 🙂

Pax wakes up from nap time and joins the fun…..

This tree house is WAY bigger than it looked when we first staked it out! I see future slumber parties out here! 🙂

Daddy and Papa finish the ladder just in time for everyone to come down for a much-needed bath!

EWWWWWW

   So far, everything has been done with scrap lumber other than the floor, PTL!  This week the guys will work on the roof and then we’ll paint everything.  I told the kiddos we’ll paint the inside with their handprints, names and anything they want to draw.  Fun stuff! I will be sure to post pictures when it is all done.

Also this weekend, we headed over to where Dale’s Dad {aka Papa} recently bought the land adjoining ours, and went on a Treasure Hunt.  There were all kinds of neat things hidden amongst the old outbuildings.  The kids got some new play horses and a steel truck.  And this Momma got her hearts desire…..

  Ball Jars, Mason Jars and Kerr Jars;  a whole wooden crate of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!! {SQUEEEE!}  🙂   I just may have done a happy dance, but who knows for sure.

  Jars like these are hard to find now that they are so “cool”.  Have you looked on Pinterest lately?  Everyone is using them for their weddings, household décor, chandeliers etc. 

Destiny helped me clean them up. I can’t wait to use them to decorate tables at a party or something!

  Look what else we found:

An old amber glass Clorox jug and the kind of iron that you heat up on a stove.  I used them to decorate my laundry room!  Fun, right!?

“The Lady Dover” clothing iron.  What a fancy name! lol 🙂

   We also went to the school carnival, but I only took 4 pictures.  This is very unusual for me! 🙂  I gotta tell you, sometimes, I just want to be Mom, not Mamarazzi, you know?

I DID get out my camera for these shots, I know they are dark, the evening was drawing to a close, but Paxton’s face was too precious not to show you these!

Clearly, he is underwhelmed by this horse ride!

Or maybe it was just a helmet issue?

Avery clearly, is having the time of her life. 

Ty thought it was pretty cool, too.

  Destiny ran off with her friends the SECOND we walked in the door. (Well, once she got her tickets and permission that is.)

{SIGH}  Guess this is our new reality, huh?!  How is my baby girl turning 9 this summer?

~T

Weekend Fun

    We had a fun weekend! I hope you did too!  We love when there is not much on the schedule so we can just hang out and be a family.  We did have something on Friday night, Destiny got to cheer during half time of the boys Varsity Game.  {By the way, the CCS boys haven’t lost a home game in over 2 years!} GO COUGARS!!!!!

These were taken during the pep rally Friday afternoon.  The little kids and I stayed home from the game since bedtime is at 7:30 and the game didn’t even START until after 8. 

  My kids looked so cute yesterday.  (We are allowed to say that about our own kids, right?!)  There little outfits were kinda coordinated and they were all spit- shined so perty. 

  It was a super crazy morning, because it was our turn to provide breakfast, (Eggs Benedict Casserole with Hollandaise Sauce, a sweet treat & Cinnamon Apple Cider) so things got a bit rushed during the doing hair part.  Needless to say, there was NO extra time for kids photos!!!!   When we got home at 12:30 from church, I just HAD to try to take their photo before we changed clothes.

BIG MISTAKE

  They were hungry and ready to change clothes already!

Here are the results:

{SIGH}  It was worth a try.

   I wanted to share this fail with you, because the other day I had several of you ask how I get my kids to take such good photos. 

Well, like I said, I got 1 good one out of 25 that day!  This one:

Let’s be honest, we aren’t always that lucky.

{Giggles}

~T

  P.S.  Did you notice anything new about the sidebar today?  Destiny asked if she could take a few photos before we went in for lunch, so I said “Sure! I need a new pic for the blog anyhow.” She did such a nice job. My little budding photographer! 🙂

A Weekend Without Daddy

  My hubby was gone all weekend to a Men’s Encounter.  It went faster than I imagined and the kids did great!  Only fighting over who got to have a Slumber Party in the big bed with Momma first.  I even got them all ready for church on time all by myself, thankyouverymuch.  (If you know me, you know I am notoriously 10 minutes late, and that’s WITH Dale’s help.) 

  Funny, I usually hate when he leaves, but this time I knew we’d all benefit from letting him go get re-charged and rejuvenated.

Encounter weekend is an opportunity to connect with other guys just like you and to spend some time in self-examination to see where you are in your walk with God. Over the weekend, we look at 14 areas of our lives to discover specifically how God wants to use us. We will experience worship, testimonies, teaching and ministry times.

It is for freedom that Christ has set you free! Gal. 5:1

  The kids and I enjoyed a fun weekend at home and had a special Saturday date with Nana. 

Paxton got to taste his first ice cream thanks to Nana.

She wants to know how you can say “No” to a face like this?

You can Nana, trust me, I do it ALL DAY LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  🙂

Hmmm. What is it?

Whatever it is sure is COLD!

Oh PLEASE can I have more, Nana?

The final bite.  (Momma cut him off.)

He spent the rest of the time begging, like a puppy to Nana.  She stayed strong and told him NO.

 

Good to the last drop!

  We went to the library for new books. I didn’t have my camera along in the library, but you have good imaginations, so picture me this……..

Nana sets down Paxton near our basket of books to help Avery get a book from a shelf near by.  When she returns, Paxton is standing, no, make that teetering on the edge of said basket, clinging to the book shelf and grinning up at us with the most PROUD look on his little sweet face!

I have NO idea what made him decide to climb up onto the book basket, or how he managed to balance on that thin edge (think basket like the ones you can carry around the grocery store when getting just a few items) without tipping the whole thing over.  Stinker!  He just grinned that sweet little wrinkle nose grin, oblivious to my shock and horror and what could have happened next.

Oh, I have a photo for you on this same topic:  Look where I found him tonight after I left for a SECOND during bedtime Bible story. 

Yes, that’s the bunk bed ladder. Yes, he was going for steps 4 and 5 when I chucked the camera to stop him.

Oh. My. Goodness.  This child is giving me grey hairs!

  Maybe Paxton’s long running “Tank” nickname should be changed to “Lil’ Monkey”? 

   By Sunday we were really missing Daddy, so that afternoon was spent making Welcome Home signs in anticipation of his homecoming. 

  With tears and a smile, he greeted us.  Oh how we missed him!  What a powerful weekend, what life changing moments as big, tough men, stepped on stage and could scarcely talk through their tears.  Dale had so much to share!  Man I love seeing grown men cry at the feet of Jesus, it’s a precious moment to share in.  As I sat there listening, tears in my eyes, I once again realized we are in a battle…..

A CONSTANT battle to keep our eyes on Jesus.  With satan working overtime throwing things at us left, right, left, right, chucking things under our feet to make us stumble.  Shrieking with glee when he succeeds.

We MUST keep our eyes on Jesus. 

We MUST not break our focus for a mere moment. 

We MUST not let anything divide our families.

Our packed calendars rob us of family down time, devotion time, prayer time….

Clear ‘em!!!!

Clear those calendars. Make family dinner a non-negotiable.

Nothing is more important than family.

No job more important then pointing your kids towards Jesus.

We MUST not let Social Media rob us of conversations during home time…. leave the cell phone on the charger in the laundry room when you walk in the door, the texts can wait.  Don’t answer the phone during dinner, if its important, they’ll leave you a message and you can call them later after the kids are down.  We MUST not let TV and Computer steal precious playtime moments…leave them off until nap/bedtime.  Wherever you are, be ALL there.  I am not preaching to you, I am preaching to ME! I needed to hear this!!!!!!!

Cause guess what satan says?

Every time you are not talking to your kids…..

I AM.

When you are too busy?

I AM NOT.

When we don’t chose God every moment of every day, we automatically default to satan.  Think about that for a moment.

  I can tell you one thing, life is about to change around here…..

Bring it.

~T

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”   John 14:6

 

 

Weekend Fun

 I bought a swim suit this weekend, it’s a 3 piece:

A top, a bottom and a blindfold for you.

BAHAHAHA! Just teasing, I got that in an email and loved it, so I had to share.  🙂 

We had such a fun weekend!  (I trust you did as well.)  We were invited to use a friends pool…….

A “real” one, says my kids. 

As opposed to our little blow up “fake” one?   🙂

  Boy, I tell you, it took some doing to keep all of those 4 little Fergusons a float successfully! 

  We haven’t had a lot of practice in deep water, some of the kids not at all.  (Thankfully, Nana joined us.  We love it when she can come along with us for these fun adventures!)

  Destiny and her best friend/cousin, Brooklyn, did fine swimming unassisted. 

Avery played it safe in the very very shallow end, at first only leaving the area when she had on arm floaties AND her tube.  It didn’t always work how she planned, but she soon figured it out with just the arm floaties, doing bobs and back floats with the best of them.

 

Paxton went head first once, right out of my arms and into the water.  I was sitting with my legs in, so he didn’t go far, but he sure got a face full and scared me to pieces!  

After that, I sequestered him to a raft with me. 

Mean ol’ life jacket turned him into a little turtle peeking out of its shell, so we took it off…..

He loved it, just chillaxin with me, and almost falling asleep towards the end!!!!

  Tylan had quite the mishap: 

One minute he was floating in the deep water with his floaty, the next? 

Empty floaty, no Tylan. 

You better believe that was the longest 30 seconds of my life.  He was fine, praise the Lord, just had abandoned his floaty to sit on these water-submerged stools behind the fountain;  JUST out of my line of sight.  He was playing so quietly and nicely he didn’t hear me call his name at first.   Jeepers, give me a heart attack why don’t ya!?

 

  By the time our afternoon of fun was over, both Destiny and Tylan had learned to swim (floaty-free) to the half way mark where Daddy stood and back.  Remember, they really haven’t had exposure to regular swimming pools, so this was extra exciting!!!! 

We were so proud of their brave swimming!

We told all the kids that if they showed bravery and tried their best to learn to swim, they’d earn a popsicle after dinner!

  Brooklyn says “YAY!”, cause she was already a great swimmer!!!!

   We packed our mini camping grill for a Hotdog and Kansas Cornbread salad picnic by the pool.

Next up, reward time!!!!! Popsicles for everyone!

 We had so much fun that we decided on a repeat performance for Saturday as well.  Don’t you just love how water wipes kids out?

  Thanks to the sweet family that allowed us to use their pool……

  You blessed us with a fun and memory filled weekend!  🙂

~T

More weekend photos:

Yes, Paxton is wearing a girl cover up.  Avery didn’t mind, and he was cold.  🙂 

  My sweet Grandma asked me to come photograph her flowers this weekend, they were just lovely!

I love that our Creator is so creative in his Creations!!!!!!