Lazy, Crazy, Hazy...Summer Daze

Lazy days 

mixed in with

Crazy days

mixed in with 

Hazy days

(although i have to say that we have been incredibly blessed with a not-so-miserably-hot summer)!

Henry David Thoreau once said

"One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter."

...and I think we've done a pretty good job (so far) on fueling up for the winter! 

A trip to the ocean where we enjoyed sandy feet and salty kisses,

Climbing trees,

Mastering handstands,

Running a 5K Warrior Dash,

Devouring enough watermelon to feed all the 'starving kids in southeast asia'
(quote from Dirty Dancing, right?...which by the way, is a movie that my 5 year old is begging to watch),

Watching sunsets - beautiful, beautiful sunsets,

Relay for Life,

Singing cicadas - that are so loud, become deafening at times,

Picking flowers (and weeds) to put in vases,

Sunbathing (people watching) - their mother's children...

Catching critters - tadpoles, crickets, fish - and having tanks and cages all around the yard,

Riding bikes, practicing without training wheels,

Swimming,

Swimming,

and more swimming,

Catching lightening bugs,

Picnics,

Ice cream and popsicles in the backyard,

Cookouts,

Sprinklers,

Piano lessons

Watching storms roll in,

Listening to thunder,

Becoming mesmerized by lightening,
Making new friends,

Lake of the Ozarks,

The fair,

Riding rides, 

Cheese on a stick,

Sweet corn,

Water Parks,

water parks,

and more water parks,

Splash Parks,

Plucking and picking fruit,

Bare feet,

Late night walks,

Putting up pony tails

(my baby looks like a little girl)

**Just Loving Life**

What's been our favorite part about summer?

Kevin - Hanging out with the kids, taking the kids to the racetrack, going to Florida, going to the Ozarks.
Tracy - Driving through the country with the windows down, watching the fields twinkle with fireflies, and smelling the country air.  And, of course, spending time with my kids!
Makayla - Praciting riding my bike without training wheels.

Mason - Swimming in the pool.

Mia - Pool.

We're preparing for a camping trip this weekend, and then I think I can officially say that our summer will gently be winding down.

Whoa, Nellie!

It's like trying to hold water in your hands...

it just trickles through your fingers no matter how hard you try to keep a hold of it.

These days...

they're trickling.

I have a 5 year old -

she's gorgeous,

she loves to read and write books,

she enjoys swimming and relaxing in the sun,

she likes helping people and teaching people new things,

she loves to get pretty - puts a dress on, applies make up, and switches into dangling earrings,

she's a giver and a lover.

I have a 3 year old -

he's nurturing, 

he loves to comfort his baby sister,

he enjoys mowing the grass,

he's a swimmer and spends most of his time in the pool,

he likes to play with his monster trucks and take care of the fish in our fish tank,

he asks 2 million questions a day,

he can't wait to be a daddy.

I have a 1 year old -

her blonde curls make me smile and her beautiful eyes melt me to my knees,

she expresses emotion like it's her job,

she'll cheerily send you on your way as she happily and excitedly tells you "bye",

she loves hugs and kisses,

she loves talking on the phone to grandma and grandpa,

she doesn't want to sleep in her crib anymore and begs to sleep in her sissy's big girl bed,

she laughs, giggles, and snickers her every waking moment.

Makayla, Mason, and Mia Grace - 

They're 5, 3, and 1...

and they're going to be 5, 3, and 1 only once.
I'm trying my hardest to make the most of these days...

but these days - they're trickling - trickling like water from my hand.

...and while the days are trickling, 

I kiss them, I smell them, I hold them, I squeeze them, I rock them...

I breathe in every bit of their love.

(and i wonder, if i'm already feeling this overwhelming sense of how quickly time goes by, how am i going to feel as my kids grow older and bigger? - as they go through school, get their driver's license, experience their first loves and broken hearts, graduate high school, send them off to college, watch them say 'i do' on their wedding day, have babies of their own...)

The Fourth

How did we celebrate the 4th of July this year?
With...

our traditional tie-dying of shirts,

water fight with a fire truck,

lots of cousin time for the kids,

watermelon and sugar cookies,

sparklers and smoke bombs,

fireworks, 

and beautiful weather.

Our Fourth through pictures:

Mia really getting into dying her shirt!

Water fight with the fire truck.
Still, this year, this kids just prefer the mist from the water...

 Fun with family and friends.

We're so thankful to have had the boys from the south join us this year!
The kids really enjoyed spending time with their cousins, Tyler and Brennan, and they added a sweet touch to our memories this year!

We tried and tried to get a picture of all the cousins together - 

Where's Kole?

 Where's Mia?

 Here's one with all of them.  Just think...next time, there will be one more to join the group - Reagyn!

The night was full of food, family, friends, fun, and fireworks!

The next day we woke up to a traditional breakfast of mush at Grandma and Grandpa Curry's while the kids set off more smoke bombs.

We all ate lunch together at the bowling alley - Curry Party of 15 -

and then Kevin and I ended the day at Grady's Family Fun Park with the kids.

We've had a great weekend celebrating the Fourth and spending time with family we don't get to see near often enough.

"I thank god for my life
And for the stars and stripes
May freedom forever fly, let it ring.
Salute the ones who died
The ones that give their lives
So we don't have to sacrifice
All the things we love"

-Zac Brown Band