Sunday, May 20, 2012

Summer Plans...

With two weeks left of school, ten days to be exact... we are really getting in the summer mood.  It's been a good school year, tough at times, but overall, the girls are educationally where I had hoped they would be and already excited about their new school books for next year.  

For the past two years, we have made a summer list of sorts to help curb off the boredom and make our summers more memorable.  Some blogs call them living intentionally, while others simply check off summer bucket lists.  I love all the ideas out there, but I've been working on this list (for longer than I thought it would take me!), gleaning from other brilliant moms and desiring to make this summer one that they'll always remember.  If we don't get them all done, that's ok.  I want to be home a lot, which is why several of these ideas revolve around the kitchen table and backyard.  
Summer Fun
     1.  Summer reading program @ library (  )


2. Camping in the back yard (  )
3.  Outdoor movie night (  )
4.  Blueberry picking (  )


5.  $1 movies (  )
6.  Breakfast picnic @ the park (  )
7.  Potty training week for Sophie (  )
8.  Swim lessons (  )


9.  Pool time.. weekly (  )


10.  Farmers Market (  )


11.  Puddle jumping & walks in the rain (  )
12.  Car washing (  )
13.  Visit new parks (  )


14.  Ice cream @ Sunni Skies (  )
15.  Visit Grandparents (  )
16.  Melting crayons craft (  )
17.  Hair cuts for my girls (  )
18.  Make peanut butter bird feeders (  )
19.  Grocery Store scavenger hunt (  )
20.  Tea Party on the back deck or backyard (  )
21.  Family Water Fun Day (  )


22.  Visit museums in Raleigh (  )


23.  Write ABC’s with licorice strings (  )
24.  Go Cloud watching (review names of clouds) (  )
25.  Teach moon-phases with Oreo’s (or Joe Joe’s) (  )
26.  Fly Kites (  )
27.  Shoot off rockets with Daddy (  )


28.  Afternoon tea parties (  )
29.  Try geocaching as a family (  )
30.  Mini marshmallow construction (  )
31.  Go Dollar Tree shopping for a friend in need (  )
32.  Go bowling with friends (  )
33.  Day trip to the beach (  )



34.  Pick favorite baked good at Stick Boy (  )













Monday, May 7, 2012

Recap of April & my little Queen of Sheba


April was once again another busy month for our little family.  We experienced the extremes of temperatures  dipping to freezing and then almost to the 90's.  The girls and I drove back to our old stomping grounds to pick strawberries on two different occasions.  We enjoyed strawberry smoothies, strawberry scones, frozen strawberries (for later), and strawberry jam (hopefully tomorrow), not to mention, just plain eating them for their pure deliciousness.

This was also the month that we welcomed home my parents from Okinawa.  We enjoyed their first few days in our home, just playing and catching up on the past nine months.  They arrived just in time for Chloe & Naomi's ballet recital in which both girls did so well without a single sign of nervousness.  We are very blessed to be a part of a wonderful ballet program that keeps God in the center of it.  My sweet niece, Ava, turned two this month and we were so glad to be able to attend her party, jumpy house and all!

Throughout last month, God continued to teach us more and more about Him, especially through our girls.  We are praying especially for our sweet Naomi as she asks more and more questions about Jesus.  May His timing be perfect and let it be sincere.

Strawberry picking in the cold

Sophie making sure they're edible


"I hold it!"

Nana & Papa home, just playing...

Looking for bunnies with Papa

Sophie & Nana at the ballet recital

Chloe, my serious ballerina

Naomi just having fun!

Sophie supporting her sisters

Papa & Nana at the park

Sophie really wanting to touch that caterpillar

Daddy & Sophie swinging

Ava's second birthday!

My cuties in the tub

Sophie tucked in between animals & babies galore

Strawberry picking - round two

My southern belle

Our little garden... we'll see...

Chloe making a paper mache bowl

Here is my little queen of Sheba, or fashion diva, not sure which one to call her.  She is most definitely my busy girl.  This is her attempt to put on mommy's mascara.  This happened in only a few minutes while I dashed to the bathroom and her sisters were supposedly "watching" her.  She cried more over the vaseline I used to wipe it all off.  I thought this would be her only escapade of the day, but no....  Withing minutes of Marty coming home and me telling him of her adventures, I find her in her room (with a sister) looking like Frosty the Snowman.  She loves chapstick, but I really wish she would stop getting it confused with her Desitin cream.  Honestly, darlin'!