Annual Summer KS Trip

A highlight for the boys is always the annual trip we make to KS in the summers. Not so much because of the 2 days in the car--yes, it takes us two days with all of the stops we make to stretch our legs--but because of the week we get at Nana and Papa's house!!

Our eager travelers on our way out of town. 

This year, I had Eli and Micah pack some toys in the tub between the seats. These toys were in addition to the activities I had already packed. The tub worked very well for keeping things contained and accessible.

I wasn't sure how Joshua was going to do in the car for so long. He's usually full of energy and not one for sitting still. He did great and only got my activities out a few times. He did like this matching game. When he was finished matching, he had loads of fun making up his own game with the pom-poms.

Our first leg stretch is almost always at "Big Sam." It's only an hour from our house, but it's fun for the boys and a great landmark for the way home.

For lunch and a longer stretch break, we stopped at the Dallas Arboretum. We had never stopped there before, but had a fun time exploring. (The boys liked this sculpture and wanted a picture by it.)

Micah (our future storm chaser) loved this weather section.

When we finally made it to Kansas, Luke had lots of fun meeting his cousin and aunt.

We had some time to play outside.

All of the kids loved this merry-go-round. This is the same one my dad would spin me and my brother on. Now, he gets to do it for our kids! (My dad still hasn't grown up and loves to ride as much as the kids! Ha!)

The weather was beautiful while we were there and we all enjoyed a nice train ride.

Me, my dad (Papa) and Luke

Nevaeh was so good with Luke! She loved holding him and pushing his stroller.

The children's museum in town is great! My boys always look forward to going. We never knew that it was okay to get in the pond they have out back. Joshua was fascinated by the tadpoles and was desperately trying to catch one--or all of them!

All the kids loved the tadpoles.

One of the best areas of the museum is the painting station. All the boys make a stop in there every time we visit.

Paul, Joshua and Nevaeh play at the light  table.

We had never taken the boys to the history museum, but it was definitely fun to play and pretend there. 

Joshua

Micah

 Eli

Eli

Luke hadn't mastered the art of sitting independently before we went to KS. Nana made it her mission to practice with him until he got it! Well, he got it!

We had fun doing some "safe" fireworks.

And even got to swim at Uncle Taylor and Aunt Roxy's new house.

Eli and Micah always enjoy playing with Nevaeh when we are in town. 

In this picture, the kids are playing a game Eli came up with--Money War. It's a war game, but the cards have pictures of coins and bills on them.

We obviously had lots of fun while we were visiting, but we were most thrilled to be in town when Nevaeh was baptized! We have been praying for her for a long time and we are so proud to be her Godparents!

After a fun-filled week with family, it was time for us to head home. We found a few new parks to explore,

(Luke)

slept well,

and explored a railroad museum!

(Eli was grumpy, claiming he doesn't like trains.)

As always, it was a great trip and we are looking forward to the next time!

Father's Day

Our boys absolutely adore their Dad! Every thing he does, they want to do also. This summer, Eli and Micah got hooked on running and asked to run with Paul frequently. After a few trips out, Joshua started wanted to go also.

Paul also finds fun projects to do with the kids and they love exploring new things with him.

  So, when Paul's birthday and Father's Day all fall within a week of each other, they can't get enough of celebrating him! The kids decided we should make their favorite treat--S'mores. In this case, it was a S'more pie!

 We love you, Paul! We are so blessed to have you as husband and father in this family!

Our Family Trip to Galveston

Eli and Micah remember our trip to the beach a couple of years ago and had been asking to go again. We didn't have time this summer to make it down to Corpus Christi, so we took a weekend trip to Galveston. We had a great weekend away from our regular routine.

The boys knew before we left that they wanted to dig in the sand, so that was their first stop.

Micah-Joshua-Eli

 The algae was really bad when we went, but the boys enjoyed their time anyway. 

Joshua and Paul

 Luke liked the water, too.

 Our crazy family of 6. 

(Joshua loves this picture because he is pouring sand on Paul. Silly boy!)

Luke has limited patience for being held. He really likes his freedom, so he spent a little time in the shade. I was hoping he'd nap there, but no such luck. 

Before our lunch break, Eli and Micah went out and "fought" the waves with Paul. They had so much fun and are already planning their next trip to the beach.

 After some naps in the car and a quick stop for ice cream, our hotel room was ready. We all had a  chance to shower and have some down time. After dinner, we headed out to feed some stingrays. Eli (in green) was brave about it and got the hang of it right away. He was really excited to have the stingrays come close.

 Joshua wanted to feed the stingrays, too, but after being splashed in the face by a rather large one, he felt more comfortable in Daddy's arms and watching.

 After a couple of attempts, Micah got the hang of it, too!

 The next morning, we headed to Johnson Space Center for a morning of exploring.

 The rocket building and launching was a big hit.

 Joshua liked seeing all of the "people" and requested his picture in front of this space suit.

We really did have a fun time away and are looking forward to exploring other parts of Texas in future summers--and of course we will get back to the beach again soon!

Luke-6 & 7 Months

Oh, man, I can't believe how fast this year is flying by! Luke is growing quickly and getting sweeter every day.

6 months-Luke is such a happy baby. He's often content playing on the floor and watching his busy brothers run around him.

Luke discovered that he loves to swing and be outside!

And he started rolling over!

7 months- Luke isn't able to sit on his own yet, but he works on it. He wants to and loves his time in the Bumbo.

 Here, he's grabbing for the camera. I love those blue eyes!

 Our cats love Luke right now--probably because he's not mobile yet.

 Ginger still sleeps with him every nap. Luke is a definite thumb-sucker while he's sleeping and he always uses his left hand to cover his eyes or hold his right hand in his mouth.

 Surprisingly, even with his foot through the bars, Luke slept well. I just love sleeping babies.