Firecrackers!

I love the 4th of July- maybe because there is no pressure to buy gifts or decorate your house or do anything other than just enjoy the day together. I love the parade, fireworks, the summer nights, the watermelon and lemonade, the music- all of it. And I feel so blessed to be an American. We are going to be out of town this year on the 4th, so I dressed my sweet little firecrackers in their red, white, and blue this morning and took a few pictures.

 

Happy (early) 4th of July!

Starry night.

I love to go camping- especially at Roaring Springs. Some of my happiest memories growing up are there. The older I get, the less I love the air mattress, bugs, and mess of it all, but I love the memories that we make! We went on a little one night campout this week, and while it seemed like a ton of work for one night away from home, we made some memories that I will cherish!

We took Evyn camping last year, but she wasn't old enough to really get it. This year she could do so many things that made her seem so grown up- sit in her own chair, drink Caprisun, eat marshmallows ("mammosh"), play in the tent, swim, and go down the slide to name a few!

Please ignore how sweaty I am and try to notice how happy I am. I love getting away from TV, phones, internet, and toys and just getting to enjoy my sweet family!

I walked out of the restroom to find these two swinging and holding hands. I missed the hands by the time I got the camera, but it was enough to fill my heart! I love watching these two kiddos together.

We swam, ate a picnic dinner, caught bugs, played at the playground, went fishing, played catch, looked for fireflies, watched the stars come out, and made s'mores. I am fairly certain that I slept a total of two hours, but it was worth it to hear their excitement at 6 this morning when they woke up in the tent!

This is "super log." Carter found it when we first got there and took it with him everywhere. He assures me that it is especially useful for fighting bears and skunks. I am glad to report that we have yet to test that theory.

Look at the sheer joy on this face! Mike and I sat outside for about 30 minutes and just listened to Carter and Evyn playing and giggling in the tent. Sweet, sweet memories for sure.

We came home filthy and exhausted, but had a wonderful time. I am so thankful for the little moments in life that become favorite memories for a lifetime.

Fortune Cookie

We had Chinese food for lunch yesterday with Uncle Mark. Carter's fortune said "Tomorrow is a great day to try something new." We ate our cookies and came home for a busy afternoon of fun- never mentioning the cookies again. This morning, Carter came into the bathroom while I was drying my hair. He was chewing something and his lips were blue. I asked him what he was eating, and he told me "That piece of paper yesterday told me to try something new today, so I thought I would try eating candy for breakfast." That boy is one smart cookie!

Captain Carter's Big Day!

Carter's birthday party was on Saturday. It was his first "real" birthday party and he was so excited about it! He chose a pirate theme back in January, so we went with it. Here is Captain Carter waiting on his mateys to arrive for the fun to begin.

Here are three of my very favorite pirates. They start out sweet enough, but watch out. . .

Carter and cousin Jack (aka two sweet scallywags).

And the girls did not want to be left out of the fun.

I was a little apprehensive about doing a homemade birthday party, but after I got started, I had a blast! We had fun decorations, played pirate games, and I even made the cake! We started by playing "pin the patch on the pirate," then we all had to "walk the plank." Next was our cannon ball fight, only we used water balloons instead, and for the record it takes a group of kids about 15 minutes to pop water balloons that it takes two adults approximately two hours to fill. Then it was time for the pinata, and last but not least, we went on a "treasure hunt." I gave them the first clue written in pirate language, then they had to go all around the park and house to find the rest. It lead them to the top of the fort, where their pirate party favors were hidden. Then we opened presents, ate hot dogs, and had birthday cake.

The disadvantage of a summer birthday is that several friends were out of town, but we still had a wonderful day! Carter keeps asking if I remember his birthday party and telling me that it was amazing. I am already starting to get excited about next year!

Five.

Five years ago, an amazing little man made his grand entrance into the world and into my heart. Every year on his birthday, I find myself thinking that there is no possible way that I could ever love him more than I do at that moment. And then I find that as he grows, my heart grows too.

To know Carter is to love him. The words that I most frequently use to describe him are tender, kind, gentle, and loving. He is beyond patient with Evyn. He is sincerely compassionate and kind. He is generous, thoughtful, and so stinking smart. He is a fluent reader, doing basic addition and subtraction, and uses words like possibly, unfortunate, and unusual. He loves Jesus, and loves his mommy. I can't ask for more.

He was so very excited to get to share cupcakes with his friends at Bible school today. He has LOVED going to VBS, which makes me a tad bit more tolerant of the whole thing (insert smiley here). He woke up and immediately asked me if he looked taller and if his muscles looked bigger. I assured him that they did. Then he opened some presents from mom and dad. He was most excited about his scooter. He also got his very own "man cologne," and the game Guess Who (he has already beat Mike and I several times). Grammy gave him an extension for his train set, and we spent a lot of time this afternoon playing trains.

No birthday would be complete without a visit from your "best friend," so uncle Mark stopped by for a while. I could not get Evyn out of his lap! Look at how happy she looks to be sitting with him.

We had a lovely afternoon filled with birthday cards, phonecalls, and even text messages wishing Carter a happy birthday! For dinner, he picked Cracker Barrel where he happily ordered pancakes for dinner and had his very own piece of chocolate cake. Like a dork, I cried when Mike and I sang happy birthday to him. There are moments that I am so very overcome with how much I love him that I lose all control of my emotions. We ended dinner with a game of checkers and then came home for bathtime. Before bed, he gave me a "five year old kiss" and started to walk away. He stopped in the doorway and turned around and gave me the sweetest hug ever and told me that his birthday was perfect. My heart melted.

To be completely honest, I am apprehensive about this year and all that it holds. I am aware that as time passes, he needs me less, and this makes me sad and proud all at the same time. He is so excited to start school, and while I know that he will blossom and thrive, I worry that he will lose some of that innocence that I love so much. He can't say "L" at the beginning of a word (our dog is Willy and you put a wid on a bottle). I don't want him to outgrow this because it reminds me that he is still a little boy. I guess more than anything, I don't want him to outgrow me. While we were playing trains today, I asked him if he was an engineer. He looked at me and smiled and said "I am just your little boy, mommy." I pray that he will stay that way for a long time.

So, here is my big five year old showing off his muscles (and the do look bigger, no?). I don't think he has any idea how much I love him. I didn't know that I was capable of this kind of love until I met him five years ago. Thank you, God, for entrusting this gentle giant to me. May he grow up to love you with all of his heart. Happy birthday, Carter-bug. Mommy loves you.

Take me out to the ball game!

Season two of t-ball has started! Carter is actually running the bases in the right direction and looking pretty darn cute in his mesh hat, if I do say so myself!

Cheese!

Carter and Evyn were snuggling in a chair today, so I grabbed the camera and said "Say Cheese." This is what I got! I sure do love these two.

You know it is summer time when. . .

Your kids are covered in watermelon juice!

It is time for sunhats and fishing poles.

And your children are proudly sporting pigtails and flippers!

I have a feeling that this summer is going to be a LOT of fun!

Today

Today was an emotional day. I used to get frustrated at how very "emotional" God made me. I viewed it as a weakness. A flaw. Since becoming a mother, God has given me a new appreciation for the range and intensity of emotions that He has given me the opportunity to experience.

My other "intensely emotional" friends (you know who you are) will appreciate the range of emotions that I felt today. Here are just a few.

Anticipation- summer is so close that I can taste it.

Appreciation- I really love my job- especially as the year draws to a close, and I get to reflect back on the past year. I am so blessed to work with some families who have gone out of their way to make me feel loved and appreciated.

Sadness- I attended the funeral of a beautiful young woman today. She lived her life in a wheelchair, yet exuded the love of Christ. As I watched her mother say goodbye to her daughter, I was overwhelmed with sadness. I sat next to another sweet friend who buried her 11 year old daughter just a few short years ago. A mother should never have to live through this kind of sadness. My heart aches just imagining it.

Joy- I know that this young lady is whole again and that she is dancing with Jesus! It was so peaceful to be at the funeral and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is with her Heavenly Father and feels no more pain.

Pride- Mike officiated the funeral. I was praying for him the whole time because it was such a powerful and emotional service. He was amazing. The Holy Spirit spoke through him. He was passionate and eloquent. I sat back and marveled at this incredible man who loves others so deeply and loves the Lord with all of his heart.

Happiness- Evyn is super ticklish. Carter has a hilarious imagination. Spending time with the two of them simply makes me happy.

Mike lovingly tells me that God made me "passionate." I think that it is his gentle way of acknowledging that I have a tendency for extreme emotion. But I am also reminded that it is a gift to be able to really feel and experience all of the emotions that life has to offer. Today I laughed and I cried. And I am thankful for both.

It's beginning to look a lot like SUMMER!

Carter had his end of school party yesterday, complete with face painting!

We are really enjoying having a park as our front yard. Lots of time is spent playing soccer, feeding ducks, and walking the dog. Oh, and laying in the grass!

Danny invited us over for our first swim of the season today!

It is next to impossible to get a picture of all five of them looking the same direction! They played so sweetly together and had a wonderful afternoon!

I am so excited about two whole months off to soak up these kiddos! Summer time is the best part of my job! :)