Rewind {September}

I wanted to do a quick recap of randomness from September.

First up random photos.
Last year for my birthday I wanted to get our family pictures updated. That was nearly 1 year ago {this Sunday} and still I have no photos. I didn't even take the time to take proper 4 year photos for MW and 6 year photos for Lo. It's my own fault for just not making the time...I just kept putting it off. This year I am planning on getting them done next weekend. I do them myself in case anyone was wondering.

Moving on...my kids over heard this and were subsequently looking at the last photos I had of them in our large collage frame and they decided they wanted to re-create those. How could I say no...this was totally spur of the moment and I didn't expect Lo's to turn out so cute.

First up MW:
Here he is at 6 months with this tie. Ginger took his ONE year photos in this same time and I plan on doing it again when he is 5, 5th grade promo, 8th grade promo, and a senior.  Even though we are still a few months out from 5 we gave it a practice shot.

Not exactly what I was looking for, but how can you not love that face?!

There is another photo of Leighton in the frame of her looking just like this. I for the LIFE of me can not find it on my computer, so this is a poor fb quality one. :( 

MW re-created for me. HA!

Then there is Sass. This is one of her 4 year old photos. She will be 7 in February!!! TEARS.

She doesn't really seem that different looking to me. Just a little sassier. :) This is straight out of the camera and I think she looks super cute.

Bouncing on my bed. What the kids love to do most. We should think about getting them a trampoline for Christmas...o wait! WE HAVE ONE! That they seldom use because evidently our bed is way more fun. I saw a photo like this on some photography blog/site and wanted to re-create it, but here is where actual photo skills come into play, that I don't have. Oh well, it was fun. She loved doing her flips on the bed. With her guard dog. HA!

School picture day.

Growing up so fast. And becoming a little lady.

Her school does Pawsitvie Awards for 2 kids from each class each month for being good role models etc. Lo got one right out of the gate this year. She had no idea and I surprised her at school. She was so confused why I was there.

Always the nervous nellie in front of a crowd.

faces of others kids intentionally distorted.

Well that is all that has been going on lately. Just living life and trying to enjoy it. The years are passing quicker and quicker.

Rewind {August}

Hey Michele welcome back to blogging.
I really {believe} I mean it this time. I am about 78% confident I am going to start blogging on the regular again.
Honestly, I have contemplated doing vlogs {video blogs--in case you don't know} just so I can talk to a camera and get it done quickly. Because I am a way faster talker than typer. However, not having it written out freaks me out a bit AND let's face it I can run photoshop like a wizard, but I don't have a clue when it comes to video editing. That is Chad's department. So we shall see.

So here is a peek into what has been going on this past August.

Up first praise team.
You guys you have no idea the joy being on praise team brings me. none. I would do it every weekend if they would let me. It blesses me beyond measure and I pray that through our worship we bless those and prepare their hearts for God's word. And that is a privilege to be apart of.

 Then there is this.
Please note this is no ordinary swimming photo. This is MW in the SHALLOW end. Not on the steps, but the shallow end. Say it with me the SHALLOW END! Praise hands. He has spent the ENTIRE summer on the steps--having a blast mind you but nonetheless on the steps. I begged, I bribed, I tossed him in even, nope nada. Not getting off those steps. Then one day we finally coerced him off the steps {on one of the last days of summer} and the rest is history. That boy goes running for the water whenever we get a chance to go, which is getting fewer and farther between due to school and crazy weather patterns. Anyway, summer goal completed!

A trip to the zoo. I think this was right before school started. It was a nice family day. We struggle with family time due to polar opposite work schedules, so when we can all be together we so enjoy it!

 I have to include this.
Lo has a heart like her daddy. She loves to write notes and give gifts. Mommy bought diet oreos {aka the regular stuff kind and not the double stuff} there was only one double stuffed left and Lo saved it for Chad and wrote this note and placed it lovingly on his pillow. She is so sweet it hurts. She does stuff for me like this all the time. Such a giver.

Here we are not impressed with dinner. Oh, and you should always wear swim goggles to the table.

 This was another family day right before school kicked off. Bowling! They love going and we had a ball. {get it...?! :) }

 Last swim of the summer {before school started}.
This is the Fat Sheep gang. I am not entirely sure why they call themselves this, but they did and it stuck. Next year MW and Jayne will start school too. Tear.

This is how mommy and MW spent day 1 of school! At the park...and being silly.

 Chad now works at our church and is gone all weekend. So we chillax on Sundays, in our undies, on the table, watching Tarzan and playing transformers. Yeah, it is awesome.

 One evening we took a walk and the horses up near where we live were  out and walking towards us. The kids beg to pet them, so we did. Thatcher not a fan. This horse was so nice.

And that concludes this installment of Rewind. We did a few more things, but I thought separate posts would work better for those things.

Chele

Summer Round-up {Pt 2}

It is my goal to:

Now while that quote is all about fitness, it applies to my who life. I have turned into the excuse queen lately--some are totally legit, but none the less they are excuses. I have sorted just been spinning my wheels this summer and now that summer is nearing the end I find myself struggling for routine and consistency. I have let lots of things go---which in some ways has been good for me {ie letting Chad have complete control and reign over being Mr. Mom and staying out of it} in other ways it is slowly killing me to give up control and lack a personal routine. So the above is my new motto.

I want to get back to blogging and scrapbooking again. I am looking forward to having a bit more free time come this fall?!?! But then I thought that about my summer schedule. HA!

So here is what we have been up to lately. Not a lot really, just a lot of fun daddy time.
Daddy has been so fun and awesome in taking the kids to toddler time. Mommy usually stops by after work and picks up MW since he hasn't been a fan of swimming until about a week ago.

We did find time to sneak in a family zoo trip. It was a lovely lovely day. Honestly we have had a very mild summer in comparison to the last 2-3 with 100+ days for the entire month of July.

They each brought their favorite zoo lovies.

Being a bear.

I may have mention this 1 or 27x but seriously! God' greatest creature.

I am just going to throw in the 4th of July pics here. I forgot our real camera. While I am glad to have an iPhone now the photos aren't the same.
4th of july pedis.

My cousins and their families invited us over for a BBQ and swim fun for the kids. Lo is the only girl, but she can hold her own with the boys.

Water balloon fight. Auntie Meg is the best.

Fireworks.

This boy and his loves!!!

They love this jeep thing. Both just cruised and cruised.

After we drove home watching the most wonderful firework displays all around us we sat outside and watched our neighbors go crazy. MW was a tad less than thrilled. HA!

Then a bit of sparkler fun for us, with our annual firework dance.

This is a lovely picture I know--just capturing my weekend on worship team. I love to sing and lead worship, but my vocals are really struggling as of late. I have been suffering with laryngitis off and on for months. Coaching gymnastics and singing just don't blend. I am scheduled to get my throat scoped in a few weeks to see if my worst fear of nodes comes true. {Always makes me think of Pitch Perfect when I say that, but it IS true!}

MW and I doing vocal warm-ups. Lip bubbles.

My cousin and sister are doing this!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's been 2.5 weeks and I am already seeing some good results.

Pool time.

My sister is a film student graduate and she was doing her final project and of course yours truly was in it again. I have mad acting skillz what can I say. HA! This is her friend and she dressed up like a boy {who was really a girl pretending to be a boy...} It was shocking.

This kid.

The boy princess...turned

into a pirate. Their imaginations crack me up.

Grandma Rachel took us to the 3 Little Pigs Picnic in the park. I love these little theater shows as do the kids. So fun!!

Dinner time antics. Or Super Dinner as Lo calls it.

Teaching her doll some 'nastics.

And finally my first fruit of my labor. Our garden is finally taking off. I already have big{ger} plans for next year. We may just til up the whole backyard!!

If you made it to the end thanks! This completes this installment of iPhone round-up.