Summer Shenaningans....part two!

Our fun continues...

Headed to Cherry Hill with the whole family one day in July. Actually thinking back it was Pioneer Day.

Love that little Gran always comes with. She just sits poolside. Helping out with little ones. Holding sleeping babies. Chit chatting as we take little breaks. She is the kinda gal you just truly enjoy her company. Everytime I hear she is coming, I feel a little happier!!

These two crack me up. Would you believe they are only 9 months apart. Crazy huh. Our little K is a tall drink of water. And we all know my kiddos are a little on the short side. But its true. She was born in April of 2010, and Drake was January of 2011. So technically they are almost the same age. She is just alot taller. They get along so so so well though. All the older kids take off. Even Elle. She prefers the big boys. Pals around with Linc, and Cars, and Lance and Luke and Brev. And then these two always pal up. Where one is, you will always find the other. So stinking cute. Oh and they love to hold hands. Always holding each others hands. Cracks us up!

These guys spent all their time on the big rapid tube slide. Crazy the change a few years can bring. Used to spend all my time at the baby/pirate wading pool. Now I hang out there still with Drake while my big boys have moved on to bigger and better. I won't even pretend it doesn't make me sad. You would think I would enjoy my new found freedom. But no, I pine away for those tiny little toddlers that demanded so much out of me. Miss those lil babies so much.

I always enjoy a nice lunch break. Sun and swimming makes me HUNGRY. I swear I could eat all day at the pool. And between my mom and me and my sisters we put one hell of a lunch together. No other way to say it. So so so good. We all bring our own sandwiches. Then I brought a homemade tortellini salad. My mom did chips and veggies and dip. Ash fruit. Jen homemade peanut butter rice krispies. And tons of snacks! Tasted so good!

I got to say...that lazy river. Hands down my favorite. Near the end of the day, almost golden hour, we floated that thing over and over. Drakey bug was soo dang tired and he just laid there on top of me for a good hour. Barely moving, all snuggled in. Around and around we went. Eventually everyone else left us to go hit the slides one more time. But me and my baby stayed put. And eventually he closed those sweet little eyes and was sound asleep. Bliss I tell you. Pure bliss.

It was just a really good day. I love those kind of days. Where the only thing that matters to me is them. Being present for them. There is no to do list. No laundry, no groceries, no cleaning. Just them. My hubby and our three boys. I feel like sweet days like that are what bouy you up for the not so sweet days. You store them away in your mind, in your memory and you pull em back out when you need a little pick me up. From Linc's triumphant smile as he mastered the big slide on his own. The way Drake tucks his little body into mine as we go down the slides, you know how you can just feel the way their whole litle self is so trusting of you. Knowing they are safe in your arms. The way Thiago takes turns taking all kids down the big slides, not just our own boys, but all my nieces and nephews as well. He's the guy to go with. The sweet smell of chorine and sunscreen as I kiss the tops of their little heads. Their rosy cheeks that always accentuate the freckles that run across Linc's nose. It was all just so good. Tucking their tired but happy little selves in to bed that night, knowing we just created a beautiful day for them.

Moving on to a happy little Sunday, escorted to church by my handsome lil men.

Bought sparklers, like a ton of them, at the beginning of the summer. Kept forgetting I had them. Finally pulled em out that night for the boys to do. Ash had a ton too, so the Phongsavaths came over and joined us.

Little pyro's...they get it from their dad. He's a big pyro.

Speaking of dads...me and my dad. He got a new job and has been out of town for the past 6 weeks. They gave him a break half way through, he could fly home for the weekend and then had to be back in Arizona for the final 3 weeks. He was missing us like crazy, and we missed him too! Had a little family BBQ at the park that Saturday night. Felt so good to get a big hug from him. Once again I fell upon a little rough patch the end of July. More on that later...keeping this post happy and upbeat. But I was so glad to have him home and get his hug. Missed him. And he is finally home for good...tonight!

Little monkey butts did another session of swim lessons. They are getting so good. So proud of em. They are turning into quite the little swimmers. Best 45 minutes of my day. Love to watch em.

Probably should have signed Drake up this year too. But I didn't. Cause within 2 weeks time, I paid out $100 for baseball. $125 to sign both my big boys up for soccer. Another $50.00 for a three day soccer camp for Linc. And then $80.00 for the two of them to do swim lessons. So I had a moment of cheapness and decided Drake could wait til next year to start. Cheap little me.

Once a summer we try to go to the Drive-In with the boys. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seemed like the perfect movie for that.

Not the greatest movie. I thought. But for a bunch of ninja turles loving little boys it was perfect. They had the best time piled up in Souli's truck. Air matress, pillows, blankets, candy, popcorn, each other!

I joked that night to Thiago....many years ago. Back in the highschool days, we "watched" movies at the Drive-In a whole lot differently. Not much watching involved. Haha. I know we aren't the only ones that can say that.....good ol' drive-ins!

Sweet Gran celebrated another birthday! We all headed up one weekday afternoon for a little lunch date.

These two....oohh, they are cute!! Aren't they. Hope I age the way the two of them have. Beauties!

It was a really pleasant little afternoon. Picked up Mcdonalds for the kids, Apple Spice cafe for us moms/grandmas and headed to Willow Park in Logan. Seriously the best little park I have ever been too. So green and so many big wonderful trees. So clean and happy. It was perfect!

And last but not least....Carson's fall soccer season has started. He is just doing rec with our city, and Linc is still playing for LaRoca. So they are going to be on completely different schedules. He is so dang excited. A large part of that is due to the bright new green cleats he picked out for himself. He thinks the are pretty outstanding!!

Thats it for now....still more to come!