Monday, June 10, 2019

Summer Kickoff with special visitors!

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!



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