Paddlin' Around

Now that we're finally seeing the sun again, it's been the perfect time to break out the kayaks and enjoy evenings on the lake.  Thanks to dear friends, Gary and Sandi, we store them at their lakeside home less than a mile down the road and can take them out at our leisure.  Ending with chats on their back porch and a view like this is always an added bonus...

This particular evening, Cole began telling riddles and knock-knock jokes he had recently learned from a few library books.  After telling a few of his, 'Uncle' Gary then said, "Well Cole, now I've got a 'dirty' joke for you.  What did one burp say to the other burp?"

(Any guesses?  Give up?? Oh the suspense!)

"Let's go out the other end and call ourselves little stinkers".  

I digress....

So, if Cole comes up to you and says, "Wanna hear a dirty joke?", you can rest assured it's rated PG.

We invited our neighbors, the Clymers, to join us one night as well...

Michael and Eric heading out

Boys chillin' on the bank

His new 'cheese' smile

Time for the mamas to head out!

 Michael and I have found a new date night favorite.  It's seriously so, so peaceful on the water.  And have you ever seen cuter kayaking sidekicks?  I think not...   love. them. to. pieces.

Let's Try This Again...

Wow...

Has it really been one YEAR since my last blog post?  It's hard to believe that the boys are a year older, Michael and I celebrated another year of marriage, we gained a precious niece, said goodbye to our canine companion, Tank, and experienced so many other unforgettable memories.
I have kicked myself for not keeping up with this blog.  Days passed to weeks, which passed to months and every time I sat down to post or update, I ended up feeling overwhelmed - not knowing where to begin.  I'd sigh and close the laptop screen only to repeat again a few weeks later.

Not. This. Time.

I've realized I must start somewhere, and that place is the here and now.  I have big plans of updating birthdays, holidays, our entire Kindergarten year, etc. in my spare time (who am I kidding?!), but for now this type A mama will take it day-by-day.

So...let's try this again.

Our 4th of July festivities were quite rainy this year, but we still had fun celebrating the good ol' USA.  On the 3rd, we attended the annual Freedom Festival and watched fireworks with sweet friends.  Both boys were mesmerized and loved them...although Cade did cuddle a little more than usual :)

Papa was a big hit with his phone :)

The morning of the fourth, we joined the Finney crew and paraded once again for the residents at Morningside Assisted Living in our hometown.  The parade was held inside this year due to the rain, but I actually enjoyed it better that way.  The men and women seemed more comfortable in their cozy chairs and we could truly sit and visit for long periods of time.  Chatting with veterans and reminiscing about days gone by was such a refreshment for my soul.  It was a joy to see the smiles on their faces, but they truly made OUR hearts glad.  We are excited to visit again soon!

Ready for the parade to begin!

Sweet buddies

Mr. Talmadge 'Woody' Woodall - knew my grandparents!

Brothers in their matching shirts :)

After lunch at Brix and a family nap (wha???), we headed to Papa and Gigi's for a cookout with the fam.  Delicious food, Wii games, movie watching, and pool playing was the perfect way to end such a festive day.  Happy Birthday America!

Cousins

Grandaddy killin' it on the Wii.  Totally kicked my rear in bowling with a 185!

My precious niece, Charlotte Jane...my how she is growing!

Storytime Kickoff

FBC had it's storytime kickoff party on Friday with an Old MacDonald Theme.  Ms. Betty, Ms. Sherri, and Ms. Pat have become like family and have watched Cole grow from a toddler to a now kindergartner.  Although we don't know how many Fridays we'll be able to attend (with our new school schedule), we couldn't miss this fun event.  Thanks ladies for helping to make reading so much fun!

There were prizes for kiddos that came dressed like a farm animal.  Here was our '30 min. before we leave' attempt at a pig.  Would you believe Cole was the only kiddo that participated?!  Yay for us!

Fun craft

Lots of farm stories and even pig races!

Fun pig cupcakes

Cade doing what he does best - trying to escape

These were the prizes for dressed up kiddos.  Cole picked the duck to bring home.

Rightfully named Aflac :)

End of Summer Tidbits

The summer has sure flown by.  Perhaps it's two sweet boys that keep me movin' or the fact that I've been planning like crazy for our first day of homeschooling (yikes and yay all in one) that have made the warm weather days pass with speed.  No matter the reason, fall is approaching and I. Can't. Wait.  I can almost smell the bonfire and taste some delish smores, but for now we'll savor the fading days of summertime. . .

Backyard picnics are the best

 Peek-a-boo!

Cole finished his first week of VBS.  He was nervous when it began, but loved it by Friday.

Already loving the school room.  He can't wait to get started!