The longest Hug

Today when I went to get Samantha from camp something great happened

like really great

like warm feeling starting at you toes going all the way up to your nose great

We watched the little program...

it was so hard not getting my hands on her.

Then

when they were release she ran to me

and hugged me

burried her head in my chest hugged me

did not let go

for over a minute

Just a quick glance

with tears in her eyes

I had never seen that look before

I new it was a mixture of happy tears

and emotional ones

Ones that she had such a great time

but also was overwhelmed by what she had missed

and what she had gained

It was special

to have my girl

and know all about the emotions we have

As her daddy and two brothers looked on

totally not getting how girls think

I thanked God for my sweet girl

someone that I can idenitfy with

and have years to come

to share girly moments

that boys just don't get

I will always remember that hug

It was a hug of pure love

and appreciate for what we have

it may have felt good to her

but what it did for me

made my heart warm...

I am so blessed

with what God has given me...

And tonight

Bo went to spend the night out

but had to come home

because he was homesick

He told me when he got here

He saw a picture of me

and he just could not do it

He had to see the real me

I got a pretty good hug from him too...

it was enough to feed me for weeks!



Its getting hot in here

Here is  Baylen in the back yard...very interested in the man in the bucket in the tree next door. It was so loud and he was so excited...he watched for about thirty minutes...I had to go inside to get a good angle

 The cutest thing in the world is watching Bo drive Baylen around in the green machine. This is them after dinner. It has been fun to watch them bond this week....they do not usually play together...Sam is usually with Bo and Baylen is not involved, or Sam is with Baylen and Bo is off on his own. These two never play together. It is amazing how the dinamics would be so different with differnt circumstances.

 It was so hot today, eight thirty was the best time of day to play outside! No shirt and chasing Piper everywhere....if you could hear them you would here...whooo hooo....as they threw water guns out the back

and held their hands up as they zoomed down hills

 Monopoly from the day sam left...that girl loves that game!

 Baylen helping daddy on his bike

 One of my old friends came to town with her daughters...one is  Bo's age...

can you guess which one she is...

does the Spidy pose give it away...

I feel like today I got a lot done. I am cleaning out the clutter. I know I feel like I am always saying that..but I really mean it the time. I have too much good in my life to get bogged down by the not important. I am cleaning house litterally so I can focus on what matters. I am finding that their really is only time to focus on tasks at hand. When I try to to do much, none of it really is good....
Also spent sometime at the pool...going through some really hot days....so the pool is a blessing to have big time! Enjoyed Bo's hugs today and desire to do good...and watching Baylen play, the only was Baylen can...exactly how bay things he should...each step planned out ever so carefully...that boy is my most OCD and strong willed yet...and he is only two! yikes
Looking forward to going to that mailbox and get five letters from Sam, I am sure the post man is playing a trick on me and has them all ready for me for a final day of camp surprise...right? Four days down...one to go...that sounds NICE!

Stinky yet sweet

Stinky yet sweet

This sums up my day

The car ride home from the garden tonight 

was quite smelly

Two boys

and a diaper that I could not dispose of

until I got home

Baylen

was covered in good garden fun

covered

and I put Bo's boots in the car

after I dumped about a cup of water out of each of them,,,,

At the moment things were pretty stinky

yet now looking back

sweet

that is how my life is

Smelly times

are indeed still sweet

and then the sweet times

can turn smelly at any moment

you just don't know what is around the corner

I love being a mom

and I know this get so annoying to people when I say it

but it is hard

a good hard

would not want to be doing anything else in the world

but I do feel

it is mentally and physically exhausting!

Sometimes I thing going to work all day

dressed up

with a cup of coffee that I really will finish

sounds ooooh so nice

but

would only want to tdo it one day

to get my fix 

and then bring it....

my old life right back

I did have many sweet moments today

took Bo to the movies

and it was just us

he sat in my lap

and it was great

the positive of Sam being gone

is Bo is getting some extra one on one tlc

Baylen

not too many sweet moments today

other then he is just sweet

but can turn it on and off

and really stink it up

big time

working through those tantrums

had many today

but it is still sweet

It is sweet that I get to do this all over again

I feel overjoyed that just one of the four has gone to kindergarten

Yeah!

So excited that there is a long road ahead 

feel like I am tweaking things

so soon 

I will have it mostly together

I am learning slowly but surley

things take about 30 minutes longer when Bo is involved

we are working on this

I have also learned that it really is just about survival during the day

 not much time for anything else

not really at all

i need to stop trying to fill every moment

I find that I do not allow myself enough time

to get it all done

so need to be content

with just not trying to do all of it

and doing

just want I can do

at that time

Loved having my mom go with us to the farm

so much fun

picked bluberries too

like I said

sweet...and smelly all day long

goal for tomorrow

rid excess

in all areas of my life....

feeling so much better about Sam tonight

Feel like she has done this a whole day

so all is good

did not see a smile during the skits

actually looked a little nervous

But

I am sure she is having so much fun

amazing I can read her body language in a picture!

Three more days...I can do this!

 Looks like a night program with a capital WACKY

 SWEET SWEET SWEET

 LOVE the sillyness

 Goodbye to Baylen....Sam was really going to miss him!

 Off to pottery...this is right when we were leaving her.....she skipped right off!

 Outdoor living skills

Missing a limb

feel like I just lost my arm

or leg

or some form of myself

My first born

my girl

my baby

my lovie loving little girl

was just dropped off

in the middle of the wilderness by her moma!

Can you belive it

Ok,

so I did not just drop her

and it was not the wilderness really

It was quite cozy and quant

And perfect

but I still feel like a HUGE hunk of by being stayed with her

I really thought I would be fine

until I walked back into my house

I hear her

I think she is just in the other room

I see her clothes

her barbies

her finished bowl of grits from this morning

Our monopoly game that we played yesterday

The cupcakes we made

her bike

her shoes

her pictures

I know it is just five days

but I miss her like so bad

like SO bad

I can tell you right now

take not

there is no way in you no where she is doing this for two weeks next year

no way!

I can handle this, just because I am playing mind games

She is just at school today

then off to spend the night

That will get me through tomorrow

then it will be Wednesday

and I can say I am on the down hill

and will see her

in two days

a piece of  cake right?

Lets hope so

I know she is having so much fun

But I picture her sleeping alone in a cabin...

when it all gets quiet

and it makes me shed a tear

or a few hundred

She is a night owl

and loves being tucked in

I will miss not doing that

I love her so

and know that it is a good thing I feel this way

it shows how close we are

can't wait to get my hands on that sweet thing in five days

don't want to rush time

but this is one of those weeks that I will not blog about time slowing down

I can assurre you of that

Here is to a lot of boy action being busy with my two boys

and probably a lot of cleaning to keep my mind busy!

Here are some picuters from this morning

I will have this posted in my house so I will know what she is doing...

Her first activity is pottery

then swim

then outdoor life skills

She will get to pick each day new afternoon activities

Right after we set up her bed took this picture in front of Jenny Wren her cabin...

then off to pick her first activities

making up her bunk...getting it all cozy

Five care packages wrapped up and ready...labeled for each day

I hope she likes them and they bring a smile to her face.....

Pictures are a little out of order...but they show what a

busy

fun

eventful

week we had

Heading into the weekend

time to slow down a little

and enjoy

Bo and baylen dancing at the swim meet

 Baylen spots a frog at the pool

 He is a little unsure if it is real

 Got a close up!

Sam is in the pool in this  picture

 Fooling around with my focus on the camera...pretty neat

Went to earthfare last night to pick up dinner

and there was a man making super cool balloon things

Here is Ariel really neat!

Then off to the farm

baylen only cared about mooing at the cows

Bo was pretty excited about picking tomatoes and beans

 baylen perfered the squash

Sam acted as if she did this all the time,

gettin right in there an picking those beans and cucumbers

Now if we only had a plant that made ranch...

Baylen learnin the ropes

Here is a loot

 before we added the beans, cucumbers and zucinii

Very fun week at bible school

I kinda felt lik this was baylens first day of school!

Bo wanted to get in the picture with his little brother

He is carrying a pen to do "art work"

Baylen insisted on wearing socks and wearing his

backpack around

all day!

I caught a photo from upstairs

I got such a kick out of watching him from inside when he was on the playground

He seemed to be such a big boy

and I loved watching him when he did not know i was watching!

 Bo getting ready to do free style

 So proud of him

he worked sooo hard

Sam loves to get in this stance

Her "jump dive"

 Breast stoke...first place in her heat!

Sam and Bo with Repp and Carolina...our friends kids from sunday school

 thought this would be a cool shot1

Baylen was so perfect, for three whole hours....

 Ending the night with some backstroke!

Fresh Veggies

Got fresh beans from the garden

they were so good

I have to say

I made a very yummy dinner

Daddy: "Best mash potatoes I have ever made"

Sam went back for thirds

Baylen said mmmm the whole time

and Bo

my sweet Bo

said this is the best dinner ever mommy

Fresh green beans with titch of olive oil

mash taters

biscuits

watermelon

lemon garlic chicken (recipie aka pintrest)

Love summer dinners with my ever so growing family

We are all spent today

first day of Bible School

Baylen took his backpack in...

his first day of school...he had never done this before

He melted my heart....

Sam was so tired today and crashed early

Bo slept in his bed all night and got to pick from the big boy bag!

Hebrews 10:35-36

Do not throw away your confidence,

it will be rewarded.

Persevere so you will do the will of God,

you will recieve what He has promised.

-Give me a confident heart, take me beyond believing in You

to truly believing You.

A Confidnet Heart



summer weekend

Summer Weekend

I noticed that it is staying light until nine

and I wake at 6:30 thinking it is 8:30

because it is so light

I love these extra long days

Gives me even more time to soak up the goodness of the day

Pretty close to perfect weekend....

Started with the picture below...pizza night!

Which happend right after a week of swim team

which the kids did so well at!

Baylen had so much fun playing and watching

The kids love pizza night...even though Bo wondered off into the parking lot

claming that he thought we had left him

now in less then two months

I have lost both of my kids

awful feeling

but

could have been worse

he was safe and got a good lesson in what to do and not to do after swim practice!

Finished friday night off with a game of upwards...which I won

which is always awesome to beat daddy

since he is awful to lose to!

And then kids off to watch a disney movie...

they really have gotten attached to eachother

 Baylen thought it would be funny to lay in bed with Sam on Saturday am

letting her use a passy

 Picked bluberries and they were soooo delcious! Making homemade bluberry muffins.....

 and they were gooooooood.....

 Bo and Baylen have been so fun to watch! Bo taught him how to sword fight. He copied EVERY move. If Bo put his sword behind his back so did Baylen...Baylen kept saying "On guard" SOOOO funny....

 This fight did not last long...because Sam came and stole Baylen away to play squeenkies, and then the rest of the afternoon consisted of them figthing over Baylen...they get very jelous... never would have guessed it.....Baylen loved every minute of the attention!

 Happy Fathers day....Sunday brought even more fun! Brunch at MeMe and Grandaddys was super good and fun...love family time around the table....wish the moments could last even longer...then enjoyed a walk with mom and dad....perfect day!

 Ended with Watermellon at the pool

 and homemade icecream and blueberries!!!!