Icee's for Family Night! Everyone got blue so we all had blue tongues!
I pierced Ashlyn's ears last year. She did fine but after a few months, she left earings out and they healed back over. She persuaded Brinley to get her ears pierced with her. So Wednesday when I got home from work I pierced both of their ears. They were both brave.
Jenny and I go to the Zoo a lot of times on datenights and walk around. Well, we've found that the gators become active in the evenings. Friday, we were sitting in the truck and Jenny says, "We should be able to see the gator tonight." Not 2 minutes later we see the gator making its way toward the dock where a father and son are fishing. It gets pretty close and then stops. So we decide to get a closer look. The father told us that people feed the gators, so they've learned to come close and 'beg' for food. Pretty interesting.
This little boy is fascinated with his Momma. He just loves her. It's fun watching him. I was excited to capture this moment where he just sat and watched as Jenny blow-dried her hair.
We've started watching "Kids Baking Championship". It has been fun for the kids and they've been pretending to be baking a lot, and saying things they've heard the kids on the show say.
Ashlyn has been asking Jenny to bake a lot of different things. Jenny has grown a little weary of all the baking and cleaning up, etc. So I told Ashlyn that she should challenge herself to bake something with no help from Jenny or I and do all the cleanup herself. Well, she did it with this Apple Crisp. And it turned out pretty good!
Jenny had this idea to do a taste test for multiple flavors of gatorade and see which ones everyone liked. They were very mixed results, but we had a lot of fun doing it.
This little guy has started wearing floaties in the pool and is loving it! You can tell when he's having fun because he starts talking. He has been talking A LOT lately! It's so fun!
Ashlyn, Brinley, and Claire had Zumba Camp this week 8-12 each day. So one of the mornings Jenny had some stuff to do. I put Emmett down and Desi and I had our own little date. We played the cupcake game. Desi put all of them together on her own. She's learning to endure the struggle of things to figure out how to do things on her own.
This guy makes big messes wherever he goes. It's been fun though. I think we'll keep him.
We feel so lucky to have Granny, Kelly, and Kris come visit us in Texas! We all had a great time and were sad to see them go. We really enjoyed their company!
We started our visit hanging out at the beach house in Galveston! We just love the view from the porch. The water was warm and the waves were great to jump in.
The beach is magical no matter how old you are.
Our girls love Granny! It is fun to see their connection. These girls are so lucky to be able to skype every other week and so to have her come visit us is a real treat! Granny was a brave soul and even slept in the bunk beds with the girls. During the night I hear one of the girls start to cry and I walk in and see that Granny is comforting her and lets her lay with her in her bed. It just melted my heart- So sweet!!!
My favorite part was just sitting around together laughing and talking! It was so much fun to be with these guys. Family is so special!
So sweet! Aunt Kris is so much fun to play with!
She likes to spoil these kids!
Not quite tall enough
We went to walk the pier!
I just love this picture...
Gift shop!
Aunt Kris let them pick out a stuffed animal and Ashlyn got a pearl necklace.
They love them!
Pier overlook
Enjoying some ice cream on the pier.
We went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. While we were waiting we went on the raft ride. It was a bit scary
We love the rainforest cafe atmosphere.
Kelly introduced our family to The Great British Baking Show. We have been hooked since. It was so fun to see Kelly and Ashlyn bond over this show. Since we have gotten home, we branched out and watched Kid Baking Competition! We absolutely love it and the girls are into cooking. After we watch an episode, they will pretend that they are on the show. "5 minutes Bakers!"
Thanks Kelly!
This boy got to eat an elf cookie for the first time...
Do you think he liked it?!?
These girls got done with school 2 days early so we could go to Galveston . These are the awards they got!
Last day of school! Let summer begin!!!!
While we were biking in the morning, Derek told us about his great grandma and how she had one of these trees in her yard. Childhood memories.
Fun and Storytime with Granny and Kelly
Puzzle time
Kris taught us how to play Sleeping Queens and everyone loved it!
Fun with Kelly
Claire tells Kelly, "I wish you could live with me forever."
So adorable!
As Derek and I were going to bed Sunday night, Derek says, "Let's do a half murph tommorrow!" I look at him - say what? Well we got up early Memorial Day and did a 1/2 Murph: 1 mile run, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 body squats, and another 1 mile run. It was so much fun! Kris is a trooper to go with the flow and join the fun!
Swimming in the sun!
They surprised the girls and brought water balloons. We ended up having a water balloon fight int he swimming pool. It was a lot of fun! Kris and Kelly are troopers to do this fight! I am so impressed with how they just make it so fun! I loved how Derek will pick on Kris and not me...ha ha.
Icees in the pool! Delicious!
We had our own picnic in the living room while watching the Great British Baking Show. This show can really make you hungry.
Fun with Kelly
Brinley is really loving to read. She enjoys reading to her younger sisters.
Fruit Smoothie Faces
The girls had an idea to build a fort and gathered all the blankets in the house. They started jumping off the couches and jumped into the blankets. Lots of giggles and fun!
Summer: morning runs and bike rides. This particular day we decided to take a different route and it was so fun to explore new territory in our neighborhood. Derek and I were so impressed with the girls because it was so hot, it was a long ride, and no one complained or whined. We have strong girls!
We were watching an episode of the Great British Baking Show and they were making macroons. They looked so good and we never had had one before. So we did a special trip to Sam's Club and bought some and then we did a macroon tasting experiment! We found out that we aren't the biggest fan of macroons.
We absolutely love our family morning runs and bike rides!
We went blueberry picking and they put up these swings this year. The kids were in heaven!
Recently we have found some friends in our swimming pool. The kids love holding and playing with them.
Ashlyn is wanting some money so she is doing extra chores.
For Derek and I's date night, we love walking around the zoo park and we found a friend that lives in the pond.... the alligator. We have heard that alligators live there, but when you see them with your own eyes- reality hits. The next few nights I had nightmares that the alligator was eating our kids....aaahhhhh
Can you see the guy?
With our fresh picked blueberries Ashlyn and I made this delicious pie. Derek says that it is just as good or even better than Grandpa Williams. We were so happy!
Emmett's personality is just coming out. He is so silly!
We went to the planetarium at a local college and it was a fun show. We learned about the sun, planets, and stars.
Girl Sleepover! The girls have been begging and this was a fun night! I love the memories that they are creating!
We were walking and there were lots of worms out because of a rainfall. Derek is making fun of me because I was throwing a worm in the grass...Save the worms!
Derek and I want to teach the girls about goals and watching themselves improve. We did a physical test (squats, pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, and a sprint run). It was fun!
Wrote by Ashlyn
One morning Derek was going to the gym and Ashlyn asked if she could go with him. She is one tough cookie. This girl can work so hard! She is so strong! Derek and Ashlyn had so much fun together!
Love this biker!
Was in the kitchen and heard Ashlyn reading to the girls. So fun!
Ashlyn's drawing of a bird
Ashlyn and I have been working out together in the mornings after our morning run/bike rides. We are doing a program called lift 4. She is so strong!
These girls are doing homework as I am trying to get dinner ready
The library had a special exhibit with dinosaur bones. That is a t-rex that is 6 years old.
Then our library has free lunches everyday for kids. So we are having lunch at the library!
Pizza making!
Matchy-matchy
Look how long his hair is getting! It is fun with the humidity because it gets really curly!
Ash made a broccoli pizza
Last week the girls did swim lessons! It was so much fun to see them learn so much and master their skills. Ashlyn, Brinley, and Claire were in a class together and Desi was put with an older class because she just learned to swim a few days before she started her class. Desi dominated the boys (ages 6 years old) and she did great!
Brinley building with blocks
Got icees from Sams in this crazy hot weather!
I was reading to the girls the book Ordinary Mary and Her Extraordinary Deed and I got this idea to do a service train with this book. We made blueberry cupcakes with the fresh picked blueberries and signed a book to give to a family. The family will need to read this book and do a service for another family and pass on the book. The book will eventually have a list of families and the deeds that they done. It is fun to do things spontaneously!
Process of making the cupcakes with many helpers
We were driving home and I let Ashlyn direct me home. I was curious if she knows how to get home.
Summer has been really fun to have everyone home and have lots of family time!
