Little Behind

feel like I took a bit of a bloggers strike

Not really

Just did not do it for a week

So here are the pictures that I have been meaning to post.

We left for our last beach trip for the summer...until fall

Here are some a few nights before we left....enjoying our awesome yard

Love Bo in his normal atire

a nice shirt

shorts

and boots

Often seen with a sword shoved in his drawers....

 baylen just rides around him acting as if all the behavior is very normal

 If the pictures could only talk...you could see that he is Indiana Jones...jumping off the zipline...rolling and still grabbing his sword....as he leaps up to battle

I love how Baylen loves to play with his playschool little people....and he loves to line them up.....

 Grilling out...Sam was incharge of showing daddy how to make the fire...putting her camp skills to good work...

 bo loves to eat peppers right out of the garden

 And now at the beach.....Pipers first time in the water...is is scared of it...very funny to watch

 Heading back from our sunrise walk...Piper not leaving Sam's side....

 Trying to catch a crab for dinner...can't believe how old Samantha looks in this picture

 Dancing in the park....at the pier

 Baylen was in charge of making dinner....Pizza!!!!

Tired

I have not blogged the past three nights

because honestly

I have been too tired

I want to

and it is all I can to check some emails
I feel a bit overwhelmed by tasks that honestly I put on myself
I have fun doing them
but I find that I want to
see
know
and
do
everything
When a magazine comes in
I think of all the ones I do not see and wonder what I am missing
I wonder what great facts I miss when I don't catch an episode of The Doctors or Dr Oz
When I read a daily devotion I wonder what devotions out there that I miss
and I could have gotten so much out of them
Oh and Pintrest
that has ruined me for life
why do the pins have to be never ending
Like I say
I am swimming in amazing ideas and fun projects
there is just not enough time in the day to make all the recipies
do all the projects
workouts
devotions
yada yada yada
So
What happend is I just did none of it for three days
I am always wanting to add to
rearrange
redo
I know that is healthy
but sometimes I get overwhelmed for doing too much of it
Working on myself
to be fine with what I am doing at the moment
and know that God will reveal to me
what I need to see
and not see
that is all part of the trust thing right?
Have had a great week with the kids
going to story time
movies
dances at the library
working puzzles
swimming
and watching them play together
they have been so cute playing together
they are either on or off though
really getting along
or REALLY not!

A few random thoughts...that I have been wanting to share
I have realized that my car guzzles way to much gas
but I can't downsize
because anything smaller
with no fit my family
I love it
but
that is not good
I love to watch Bo do pretend play
and Baylen too
They both amaze me
Lets just hope that Baylen learns all the good things Bo says
and not the not so good
I love watching Baylen drive the green machine around
so cute
I had a cool converstaion with Sam today as we were going by Clarke Central
I told her all about changing classes, picking your schedule and all about highschool
in a weird sick way I miss all the newness of a new year
a sylabus and going through class procedures
I am such a nerd
but I loved organizing my notebooks and all that stuff
I am SO glad I get to relive it through my kids
but the cool thing is
they have to do the work
Kinda like being a grandparent I guess
get to love on the babies
but send them home
I also pinch myself the fact that Baylen goes to bed first
and rises last
and starts the morning with Hey mommy
Good morning mommy
and a hug
how sweet is that?
Then a three hour nap
that I have to wake him from
Really
This is so not happening again
I have to savor it
really I am
I have to close with a blog that I have been following
It is Lilys blog
it is about a mom that is fighting the battle of her life
Her 10 year old daughter is battleing cancer and has been for three years
It keeps coming back
she goes on and off radiation and chemo
pain
lots of pain
I think of them everyday
As I am concerned with the little things
like a clean house
spending too much money etc
I can not imagine watching my baby girl fight for three years
when she is suppose to have nothing but fun
Reality check
big time
If you are interested I will let you know the blog
it is a humbling one to follow
We are surrounded by heartache
A reminder daily of how good we have it
I have to say my biggest pet peeve is people that say they are having a bad day
when really
they are having an AWESOME day
really
Bring on the dirty dishes and routy kids
I will take it anyday
Knowing that God does not cause any of this saddnes
He is just with us through it
Making us realize everyday
that this world is not perfect
I love taking each day
and the challenges it has given me
and just cruise
enjoying what is dished out
with a smile on my face
This reminds me of my devotion from today
Coming Unglued
Sometimes it is good when we come unglued
you know have that panic attack or overwhelmed feeling
anger
frustraion
whatever it may be
it signals to us that something is off balance
we are not perfect
we will come unglued
it is silly to think we won't
but when we do
take it as a tap from God
that we need to change or adjust something to get back on track...

"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,'
2 Timothy 2:19, 

if you never leave you can't come back

Some of the best advice I ever heard was from Bo's pre k teacher

"If you don't leave, you can never come back"

I have to tell myself that when we leave somewhere that we have really enjoyed

I just love the family time

and just being together

having nowhere to go unless it is to eat

get icecream

play putput or go to a water park

How come weeks like this go so darn fast

As I watched the clouds rush by in the sky today

it reminds me of how life it

it just goes and goes and goes

and never stops

I just want to pause

just briefly

Here is one of my favorite pictures I think I have ever seen...

each of their faces speaks a million words...

if is perfect!

Final day of ice cream truck!

 Took the kids to play put put at a pirate course

really cool

they all loved it and played very well

Baylen never lost interest and had more patience then the other two

 Kinda felt like we were at disney

 Here is Bo with one of his favorite people in the world

Kevin's cousin Cameron

He threw him maybe 100 times in the pool this week

and wrestled him like you would not believe

too bad he live 13 plus hours away

Here is he and Bo when he stoped by our room to get a goodbye hand pound

sniff sniff

 Today, I will set my mind to being un-arrogant, un-envious and un-greedy. Yes, today I want to live with a clean heart.

 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me

Psalm 51:10

"It is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" Mark 7:15

Hangin at the beach....still

We are official beach bums

The kids have had a great time

it is great to have two extreme beach experiences

St. Simons...calm and a retreat

Myrtle...crazy...busy and exhausting

yet peaceful

the kids love having a condo that looks at the ocean and pool

they went to a water park today

par three golf yesterday

icecrems trucks, rides eating out

very intense

sometimes it is just fun to do some night swimming

and playing games and dancing in the condo

that would expalin tired Baylen below

Sweet boy gets in our bed in the am to watch a little cartoons

and eat a bowl of grits

 Looking for shark teeth....

 Running up for more snacks...Baylens favorite thing about the beach

You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you

Philippians 4:13

 You're fearfully and wonderfully made; all of His works are wonderful and you are one of them Psalm 139:14

It would be nice if being a Christian meant we never doubted anymore. We should focus more on not questioning him, but trusting Him. Looking at ourselves how He looks at us, not how we see ourselves with uncertainity and doubt. If we change the way we think...it will change the way we feel, which will ultimatly change the way we live!

I am praying for a clear mind each day

not to be overcome by insecurities

knowing that Satan will try to tell me I am not good enough

or allow me to put others down to make myself feel better

but instead pray for a clear mind each day

having a content heart

showing others that all is good

and I am thankful for all the work God has done in my life



Pictures

 "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

 He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it."

1 Peter 3:10-11

We had a wonderful day

I found in my devotion today that often we do not repent

we are far from perfect

yet instead of saying I am sorry for not being perfect and I will try harder tomorrow

we just throw our hands up and keep on that same road

I will try to repent more

admit when I am wrong

try to do my best everyday watching the miracles all around me

and not letting the little things get to me

but knowing

I will

I will let the little things get me

and I will forget to repent

I will gripe

and put people down and get inpatient and grumpy and rude

but I will repent

which means I will turn my back on that

and try not to do it again

I was reminded of this today

when I looked at stories of others that have hard battles that they are fighting

and then I look at the battles that I fight

they seem so minor

we all have our storms

we all have our happy days

we just need to know that no matter the season

we have to focus each day on the true miracles

and know that they happen everyday

but we must repent

truly try to strive to be better

to truly make God happy

Went to dinner tonight with about 52

Baylen left our table to find Pop Pop

he did

and crawled up into his lap to steel some bread

He always puts his hands in his mouth when he feels shy or up to something

Here is our view from our room...and no that is not my beer

The kids love to swim at this time of night

Reminds me of swimming at that time when I was there age in St. Simons

Baylen really got into the beach today...

he loved to get on his belly and feel the waves

Sam sets up her dog and Bo sets up his coke bear to watch us from the room as we are at the pool and beach

Here is a picture of all the younger kids in the clan.

From left to right...

Rebecca, Aaron, Bo, Samantha, Phoebe

all belonging to Brian and Kevin which stems from Joel

Then Joseph and Jackson

belonging to Frank, who belongs to Lynn

then our sweet Baylne

The Maddox and Stone

belonging  to Deanne

who beongs to Dave

There is an older crew...but they are all in theire teens and way to cool for this picture

 

If you only knew how hard this pictures were to get

My sweet babies....

And my hubby of almost thirteen years.....

Outside Fun

"Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you."

Psalm 143:8

Lots of beach time today

Loved this sweet picture of Baylen and PopPop

Know Grammy was looking down smiling

Loved to watch Pop Pop with all of this brothers...

Baylen would walk in the middle of the pack

and try to find him

very cute

 Up from the beach

three hour nap

now time for some crackers and juice

with passy close by

on the steps

 Sam is a true beach bum

 She cleans up real nice...

at a pizza picnic in the courtyard

 Baylen and Bo

before they got chocolate on their shirts

and pizza sauce

and red juice

 Bo was saying

cheers Baylen!

 Oh mom...really

they will appreciate it one day

 Second Cousin Cameron captured Baylen

and see's he is very ticklish

 Bo and Aaron captured their second counsin ron

and said they were taking him to the dungeon

 He shows Bo who is boss

  Samantha is surfing...

 Samantha down!

 Bo tries....and gets up too!

Wow

they have such good balance...

which is what it is all about....