Swimming

Caden and Macy are little fish this summer. They have grown so much and were able to take instruction well during their swim lessons the last couple of weeks. They both passed into the next level and mastered the diving board, which makes them really excited!

A Day in our Life....

Yep, this picture pretty much describes a day in the life of us!

This was a 7:00 am delivery yesterday, so we were early birds with cinnamon rolls in the car! We pretty much do what Josh needs us to do. Every day is different and it has been such a blessing! I hear the kids say, "Does Dad need us?". I love hearing the US part out of their little mouths, because I realize they feel like apart of it....it is not just about Dad and Mom, but them too!!

Lots of goofing around, making silly faces, and riding bikes going on too!!

No splinters, falls off of stacks of boards, or any other major catastophes have taken place in the midst of our chaos!

VBS

Our church's VBS was this past week. The kids had an awesome time (but tiring late nights!). I worked in the kitchen and provided the kids with snacks, so I took their pictures one night when they came through my station. Noelle joined us two of the nights because Josh wanted to work later. I really enjoyed watching my kids learn and sing about Jesus.

Isaiah 60:5 "...your heart will throb and swell with joy.".

Still Chirping!

Well, we made it through one night and have 40 chicks still a chirping!! The dog did get ahold of one....hmmmmm....I think a little girl must have put it on the ground for a second, but it survived anyway.

Noelle says, "My buddy, my buddy, my little buddy!"

Baby Chics

40 baby chics are now adopted into our family! They are so cute and the kids are even cuter how they tend to them....Noelle is a hoot! This is our first experience with chickens, we got some egg layers and some to butcher. I'll let you know how it goes!!

And Another Contraption today....

A sandbox next to the kid house!!

Contraption for Today

This is what the girls did "at work" today. They say, "No mommys, daddys, or teenagers allowed" in their kid clubhouse.

This is how we've spent the week....

Actually, this is how we've spent the past two weeks....we have been Lumberyard workers! Josh's brother (our one employee) took another job, so we were forced to either hire or put the co-owner to work! In Josh's wise eyes, it is a cost savings AND valuable family time to put the co-owner to work and the 4 ducklings to work too!

Our days consist of climbing boards, counting money, using tape measures, having lunch as a family, sweeping, sorting nails, lots of snacks, computer games and reading books, deliveries with Dad at naptime, bike riding....as for me....I can now find you any size or length of board AND load it into your truck!! I am practicing using the forklift and memorizing prices AND really enjoying time at my husband's side!! He is just so cute and full of knowledge, people love him!

This has been a big change for the stay-at-home mom of 8 years, but it is good. I think we've crossed the bridge of making adjustments at home (no more gourmet meals!) and the kids are getting used to what is expected of them. Josh is thrilled to hangout with his kids during the day. We'll just keep trusting God and live each day to its fullest!

You'd think they would've had enough of each other, but one day when we got home in the hot afternoon this is how I found them!

Ice Cream Saves the Day!

It was a long, hot day of Baseball tournament today. Caden's team won the first game and moved on to a much harder team that .... let's just say ... they decided to call the game after three innings and we had only batted nine batters after three innings. After a cold Gatorade, Subway sandwich, and a pep talk in the air conditioned van...Caden was able to straighten out his attitude and had fun during his third game, despite the mid-afternoon heat or the score. I'll tell you what....8 year old baseball can be stressful to parents when a little boys heartache is on the line!