Summer Vacation!

So we've been on summer vacation for almost two weeks now and we are enjoying it! It's nice to have Chris home and to just relax with the kids!

Our little angel! She hates the water but loves to hang out by the pool with us!

Me and my baby girl! We spend a lot of time just laying around the pool together

!

Our bathing beauty! I got her a new hat and she likes wearing it unless we are in the car of the house. She has a fit if you try to put it on her when she is "indoors" anywhere! Apparently, it's an outdoor hat only!!

Draining and refilling the pool!

We have been battling a green pool for awhile and decided after weeks of dumbing chemicals in the darn thing to just drain it and start over. So we rented a pump from Lowe's and Chris spend one night (he was up until 3:00 a.m.) draining the pool. The next day we washed it all down and then re-filled it. I think the kids had more fun playing in the pool as it was filling up than they do when it's full!

The kids checking out the empty pool!

Sitting in the bottom of the pool as it fills up!

Chris and Adalyn watching the water rise!

They spent ALL day in the pool as it was filling up! The funny thing was when it was finally full we checked the water temp and it was 85!! Yes! 85! And we had filled it with tap water!

Kite flying fun!

We have been waiting for a windy day for awhile so we could go fly kites over at the park! Chris has a couple of stunt kites he bought when he was in Hawaii and Broedy bought a kite recently an wanted to try it out! So, today the wind was blowing and we headed over to the park for some kite flying fun!

Myles loves riding his bike and rode his bike over to the park!

Chris helping Broedy fly one of the stunt kites! I gave it a try and did way more crashing than I did flying, but it was fun anyways!

Broedy giving it a shot!

Raelyn getting ready to throw the kite up!

Getting one of the kites ready to fly!

My Baby turns Two!

Adalyn Grace,

Two years....two years ago I held you for the 1st time. It seems like just yesterday. I remember your birth well, it was one of the most empowering things I think I've ever done.

You were so tiny, so perfect, so little. A bundle of joy sent straight from Heaven. You completed our family. My fourth baby...my last baby and now you are two.

You are a doll. Your siblings adore you and you adore them. You are a stubborn little thing and are very fond of the word "No". You cross your arms, wrinkle up your face and say "No" quite often. At times it is funny and at times, it is frustrating.

You hold your own with your siblings. Just a few weeks ago Raelyn tried to wrestle a crayon out of your tiny little fists and you won! It was actually quite funny to watch. You know what you want out of life and you aren't afraid to let others know when they get in the way.

You are still a total Mommy's girl and I love that about you. I don't make it out of the house without you very often. As soon as you see my getting ready to leave you get your shoes and follow me around until I agree to take you with me. We often run errands together, just you and me. You are a charmer and have Daddy wrapped around your finger. You love to have lunch with Daddy and can out eat almost all of your siblings on any given night.

Tonight we went out for pizza as a family to celebrate your birthday and then had cupcakes for dessert when we got home! You weren't sure what to think of us singing to you but you loved your cupcake!

I'm so glad God blessed me with you and I'm so proud to be your Mommy!

Happy Birthday Sweet Adalyn!

Love,

Mommy

A Birthday Party!

Today we went to a birthday party for our neighbor, Shelby! It was at the little Gym and the kids had a blast!

Chris and Myles watching all the action!

Briauna and Adalyn...these two are buddies!

Briauna and Adalyn again!

Raelyn

Adalyn

Myles

Movie Night at the Park!

Tonight our Church hosted a "movie in the park" night! It was held at the park across the street from us and they showed the movie "Up". We had popcorn, otter pops and lots of fun! It was a beautiful night (although it was windy) and we had a great evening hanging out with friends at the movies!

The Big Screen!

Tim & Chris hanging out with with the kids!

Morgan and Raelyn

Kindergarten Graduation!

Raelyn had her Kindergarten Graduation today. It was cute! Can't believe she will be in 1st grade next year already. This school year went by really fast.

Raelyn and her teacher, Ms. Brown (who is also from Michigan...we love MI people!!)

Raelyn with her certificate!

Look who is on two wheels.....

Raelyn!!!

So this week Raelyn's friend, Jenna learned to ride a two wheeler and about a day later, her friend Morgan learned to ride a two wheeler so Raelyn decided she better learn too!

She took off right away and can start on her own and stop on her own! She just needed the courage to actually take that first ride!

So now we have three brand new two wheeling riders in our neighborhood! It's been fun to watch them every night ride all over together!

Preschool Party

Tonight Myle's preschool program had a year end party at the park. We had a potluck and just let the kids play and have fun! It was a beautiful evening and we had a lot of fun.

Adalyn

Myles

Adalyn eating Cheez-it's! She carried this bag of crackers around almost all evening.

Raelyn

Adalyn - she loves the swings!

Myles - he is slowly learning how to swing on his own.

Raelyn

The kids loved having Dad push them!

The balloons off one of the cupcakes!

Adalyn again!

Friends! Briaunna lives down the street from us and these three love each other!

Me and my preschooler!

Five on Friday!

1. Broedy, Myles and I got our hair cut this week! I'm still on the fence about if I like my hair or not! I will say I'm loving my boys and their longer hair though. I am waiting for Broedy to decide to get his hair shaved again due to the heat but so far he wants to keep it longer.

2. Broedy is having a friend spend the night. I'm so glad he has good friends out here to hang out with. Here is him and Zack!

3. Adalyn is finally letting me do her hair and will keep things in her hair. The funny thing is Myles keeps pulling her hair ties out! I can't win! Here is a picture of her with piggy tails before Myles got ahold of them;-)

4. I booked my plane ticket to visit my best friend this week! I'm so excited to have a week to hang out with my best friend before she moves. It's been a year since I've seen her and I'm looking forward to having lots of girl time with her!

5. The weather here has been just beautiful all week. I have been trying to enjoy every minute of it because I know the triple digits will be here all too soon!

Our little cheerleader!

This past Saturday Raelyn went to a cheerleading camp. She has been asking to be a cheerleader for awhile so we thought we would let her attend this camp to see if she really did like it.

Doing a cheer with the rest of the girls.

They were trying to get Jenna to do the cheer.

My cheerleader! She loved it and had a blast!

I'm invisible

I came across this a few years back and posted it on my old blog and thought it would be appropriate to post it again today.

So often as I find myself in the trenches of motherhood making lunches, wiping noses, changing diapers, dealing with daily melt-downs, trying to keep a house clean that just never seems to stay that way and trying to keep up with the laundry that is never ending, I often feel invisible, overwhelmed and wonder if what I'm doing really matters at all.

It is hard to be a Mom, it's the hardest job I've ever done. It's hard to work all day long and not see the results of our sweat, stress, time and effort yet what we do is so important.

We are raising the future and someday we will be rewarded for the work that we have spent our lives doing. For all those Mom's out there that sometimes wonder if what we do each day really makes a difference....it does......it truly does.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

"I'm invisible."

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,
the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone
and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see
I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone,
or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner,
because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a
Clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What
number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30,
please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -
but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen
again. She's going . she's going . she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip,
and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was
sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was
hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my
out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean.
My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly
sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

"To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are
building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
Discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made
great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building
was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a
tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,
"Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that
will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."

And the workman replied, "Because God sees." I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see
the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake
you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are
building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease
that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As
one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever
be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in
the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a
turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table."

That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want
him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say
to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has
been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Here is my Cathedral:

Five on Friday!

1. I am in love with my toes! I know it sounds stupid but I didn't realize having cute painted toes would bring me such joy! I'm thinking budget wise me getting a pedicure was not a good idea! I can't wait to get another one!!

2. I have eaten a ton of ice cream this week! Friends of ours opened a local ma and pa ice cream store and I have been there every night since they opened! If you live in Laveen you need to check out Scooptacular which is next to starbucks!

3. 11 years ago today I was at my rehearsal dinner! Tomorrow is our 11 year anniversary!

4. I officially think everyone on survivor are idiots this time around. Can someone please explain to me WHY Russell is still in the game?

5. I have given up on Potty training until after school gets out.

My 1st Pedicure!

Tonight I went to a Mom's Night Out once again! We went and got pedicures! It was my 1st time ever having a pedicure and it was a blast! I Love Mom's Nights out!

Heather, Julie and Katie

My awesome cute toes! Yes I have bad tan lines from my sandals! It happens when you live in Arizona and wear sandals almost year round!

Misc. Pictures from this week!

We had a ton of helicopters flying over our house this week. Two girls got sweep into the salt river (which is the river that is flooded and has us stranded in Laveen). They saved the 1st girl but a 15 year old ended up drowning in the river.

We finally got the John Deer Gator up and running and the kids have been having a blast in it this week!

Broedy took my camera and took a picture of this lizard in the backyard!