Summertime!

Well, I have loved summer. When my kids were young, I used to dread the summer months, afraid of being stuck at home with no outlets like preschool or Ladies Bible Study for 3 months with 3 young kids. But once school started and my work during the school year picked up speed, I realize the blessing of the break! It is great to be free to spend lots of time with friends and family, and have time for all the things you put off during the school year. We had two week long vacations, one to the Waddills lakehouse at Lake LBJ near Marble Falls, TX, and the other to my parents' house in Franklin, TN, complete with cousins and a new pool! So we have done plenty of swimming this summer, plenty of driving:), and lots and lots of playing with cousins. We are blessed to have cousins on both sides of the family that are close in age to my kids and who all get along great. So I feel like all in all, this has been a great summer. As August pulls around this weekend, I am starting to feel the pangs of anxiousness at getting ready for the crazy school year but I am relishing every last moment of summer. Actually, not relishing the heat and mosquitoes here, but everything else!

Braden reads!

So, I know this is bragging, but isn't that what we are allowed to do on our own Blogpost? I decided to do this on my blog instead of FB to not be quite as obnoxious! So, Braden is 5 and 1/2 and will be going into Kinder in a month. I am absolutely amazed at his reading ability. He and I have worked together some but not intensely, and I certainly don't take credit for his skills. He just picked it up quickly. So I have recorded him reading a book that we just checked out of the library - "Batman Saves the Day". His choice of course. Now this is not a guided reading book or a book that teaches reading - just an ordinary picture book. I was just amazed at the words he was reading and not even stumbling on them. So if you want to see his skills, because "Everyone needs a skill" (Napolean Dynamite), check it out!

The last few months. . .

Okay, so I have been working like crazy and haven't had time to blog. But here are the highlights.

Briley starting 1st grade!! (with two stitches in her lip from falling into a desk at open house) SHe's doing great and loves Mrs. Valdetero.



Briley's 7th birthday with a few friends. A total girls day out! So fun!






Braden's 5th birthday full of pirate adventure! Arggg!
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And a Day Out With Thomas- fun for the whole family!

How's this for a first impression?

Well, today was the long awaited open house at Briley's school. She is going to a new school this year and we were very excited to meet her teacher, see her classroom, and see her new classmates. Doug came home early from work and we all went together. Just a few short minutes after being in the classroom, Briley rushed over to tell me something neat she had just seen, and in a flash she tripped and fell face first into the corner of a desk. I immediately saw and heard and knew it was going to be painful. I did not, however, expect to see blood pouring from her lips! She started screaming, the teacher ran over, I yelled at Doug to get something for the blood. He ran me over some tissues, then ran out to get some wet paper towels while the teacher ran to the nurse to get some ice. It was lovely. We quickly exited the room after we got under control (other students looking on in horror and parents in pity) and went to the nurse. Yes, we were already at the nurse before school even started! She looked at it and said we needed to head to the ER. Lovely. So, Briley got to have two stitches put in her bottom lip today, all because she went to open house. Well, there's one way to make sure the teacher remembers you. I guess that's a first for open house. Next year, they will have warnings on their flyers. . . "Caution. Risk of injury high at open house. Please walk slowly and watch out for desks."
I guess we'll figure out all the other stuff next week, seeing as we didn't get much done today!

Last Hoorah at the Lake

We went to the lake this past weekend with the Sosebees and had a great time. We did lots of tubing and boat-riding! Here are some photos.

Briley is growing up!

Well, this weekend, we had success on the bike! Although Doug has tried a few times in the last year, getting Briley to bike without training wheels just never took. She wasn't that interested. So yesterday, we gave it another shot and she did it like she had been doing it for months! Of course Braden wanted to try too, but he is going to need a little more practice. She never really liked riding her bike, and we tried to convince her she would like it better once she could really ride it. The training wheels made her go too slow and they actually made her feel off-balanced. Of course, she did it in HER time, as with most things, and afterwards, her remarks were,"I love it! It is so easy and I didn't like the way those training wheels made all those clicking noises. That's why I didn't like to do it". Ah, my sweet, dramatic little girl!

Our Summer Happenings

This summer is going so fast. After Briley's kindergarten graduation, we had a week home before heading to the lakehouse for a week with just our family. It was very relaxing. We took boat rides each evening and did a lot of swimming and reading. Then after that we came home for a week or so and left again for 12 days to Searcy, Arkansas for a college teacher's 50th anniversary celebration. Dr. Bill and Neva White were instrumental in our college years both in our music study and our spiritual growth and it was so neat to share with them in their anniversary. After that, the kids and I went to Nashville, TN to my parents for a few days. Renee and her kids met us there and we all headed to North Carolina to see my other sister, Robin and her family in their beautiful new home. We had a great trip all in all and at the conclusion, Briley got her ears pierced by her Uncle Jeff. Great job Jeff!
Blake went and got a hat from Doug's suitcase after he had gone to bed and put it on. He fell asleep and this is how we found him!Doug and I tried to help Robin out the last day we were there by cleaning up. Doug did the kitchen clean-up. In case you want to know, this is what happens when you fill the dishwasher with dawn instead of cascade. I have no idea what he was thinking- it was a mess of bubbles requiring a shop vac and several rinse cycles!!!



Briley got her ears pierced by Dr. (Uncle) Jeff! He did a great job and she was so brave, she just smiled from "ear to ear"! She loves her new "bling"

Briley Waddill, 1st Grader!!

Well, Briley has officially graduated from Kindergarten! It was an exciting and even a little bit of an emotional day. The teachers had prepared such a cute program and they all did so well singing and remembering their lines. We are so proud of Briley. She did such a great job this year and I can't wait to see what first grade has in store for her. What a big girl she is!


"All I want for Independence Day is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, yes my two front teeth!"

Memorial Day at the Lake

Well, we had a great trip to the Waddill Waterloo! The kids are always so excited to go and play with their cousins and swim in Lake LBJ. Briley spent the whole weekend in the water and Braden did a little of everything but I think he enjoyed boat-riding most of all. The highlight of the weekend was when Braden caught a fish! With a hotdog as bait! He did NOT want to touch it when it came out of the water so Uncle Duane held it for him and then we threw it back in. But not bad for a beginner!
Briley had her first experience on the kneeboard. Doug held on to the back of it to steady her and she did great. She wasn't scared at all.Braden tried tubing with his cousin, Ashlynn. He went very slow but did great!

All the cousins in Pawpaw's boat!

On a side note, I just have to say boys will be boys! I am still learning what it means to have very energetic boys that run and climb everywhere, but today, after I was finished getting ready for work, Braden said Mom, I have something to show you! He then proceeded to carry a sleeping mat/bag thing to the top of the landing, climb on, and slide down the stairs! It cracked me up so I took a video with my camera to share. It is bad quality but you get the idea. This had him entertained for quite a while and when Briley got home from school, she joined in the fun!

A Wonderful Mother's Day!

Last week my mom came to visit and I just had to include her in this post because, well, she's MY mom and without her I wouldn't be here today! Love you Mom and so glad you came to visit!

Doug and the kids gave me cards, flowers, a gift card to Wallyworld, a handmade sugar scrub for my hands and feet, and an awesome cake picked out by Braden! I have to admit, I liked it too! Braden was so excited to give it to me that he couldn't hold the secret in! He finally said to Doug, "Can we give mom her cake yet??!!" By that point, Doug gave up trying to wait so we got to enjoy that starting yesterday! It was yummy! I love my sweet family! Oh, and Doug made me an awesome dinner tonight too so kudos to you babe! You outdid yourself. Too bad every day can't be Mother's Day! I was spoiled!

Blake and his new bed!

Well, it was a slightly emotional day for me a few weeks ago when we took apart the crib. We knew it was time to move Blake to a big bed since he was climbing out of his crib, and also because it was time to separate Briley and Braden, but I had no idea that I would feel so melancholy about the whole thing! I actually had tears in my eyes as I untied the bumper pad for the last time. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT sad that we are done having babies, just that my babies are so big now! I was remembering the countless nights of seeing each one of my three kids sleeping in that bed, watching them as they breathed and seeing how peaceful they were. I remember marveling at how much more of the bed they would take up as they got bigger or laughing and calling Doug in to see what cute position they had fallen asleep in or what animal they had fallen asleep on. It was and is an end of an era. It was a very physically and emotionally challenging era for me (my family and friends can attest for that as you have been there countless times for me to spill it all out on the phone to you!) but it was also a precious time. I am so very blessed to have three wonderful, healthy, happy children. They have given us such joy over the last 6 and a half years. I guess now we will have a different type of memories to look forward to, but no more babies to put in the crib. . .sigh . . . I wouldn't trade those sleepless nights for anything! Well, okay, maybe that's an overstatement, but you moms know what I mean:)

On a lighter note, the first week was interesting in the bunk beds. Of course Blake did not stay in the bed, and used the bedrail to climb on to get closer up to Braden and the top bunk so we had to take the rail off. He hasn't fallen out of the bed and is doing much better staying in. Twice I have found him on the top bunk during the day and have made sure he knows not to do that again but we will see. Sometimes the temptation is too much I guess. Braden has loved the top bunk and even makes his bed in the morning! Actually, he has now opted to sleep on TOP of the covers and put a small blanket over him. He says it is too hard to make. I can't blame him! I guess that's fine for now!

It is fun to have a "boy" room now. We moved Briley and Braden in together when we had Blake. We had always planned on the boys sharing a room but wanted to wait until Blake was old enough to handle it. So once he started climbing out of his crib, we decided it was time. The first week I was kicking myself thinking, "why did I do this?" as I put Blake BACK into his bed countless times and tried to get him to go back to sleep after waking at 6am, but now it is going much better. We bought the boys a train table for their room (great deal on Craig's list) as a sort of "welcome to your new boy room" present and they are loving it. Blake watches everything Braden does and copies it. He even wants to be "Spi-man" - Spiderman in "blake". So cute! Who knew boys could be so fun?!