SUMMERTIME!!!

               We’ve been back from our last summer trip for a week now, and the kids started back to school today.  They were SO excited this morning they could hardly eat, and I am excited for a new year with wonderful teachers and classmates.  With everything going on with Flint, it will also be a challenging year for them, but I anticipate great growth and love, and I know they will rise to the challenges they will face!
                This was sort of a hard summer, only because we started finding out about Flint’s challenges right before school got out and we’ve spent the majority of the summer wondering and worrying about him.  Being pregnant anyway, plus beginning a “mourning” process for our “perfect baby” has left me drained and with very little energy.  All things considered though, we had a great time as a family and still got in two vacations, which were very needed and wonderful distractions to have.
                Here’s a little taste of what we’ve been up to this summer.

Brock did a few home improvement projects with his "helpers...."

 

My wonderful husband brought me flowers when we celebrated 11 fabulous years of marriage...

The kids had fun at a few "Build and Grow" workshops at Lowes...

 

 

Aunt Meg came to visit... 

We stopped in Oklahoma City for a brief visit on the Riverwalk on our way to Iowa for the 4th of July

 

 We hung out in Ames and celebrated a wonderful 4th of July....

 

 

We visited some of our favorite friends and play areas from when we lived there....

 

We saw this HUGE geode, which was extra exciting to our rock-loving 7 year old...

 

Enjoyed lots of fun pioneer activities in Nauvoo, IL....

 

Hung out in Kansas City and explored a bit...

 

Enjoyed a few movie nights as a family... 

 

Our amazing kids treated us to a GREAT "Parent's Day," complete with breakfast in bed, presents, and service, all of which they planned all by themselves... 

 

We had a great visit from Grammy and Gramps, and they treated us to dinner and the "Texas" show in Palo Duro Canyon...

 

We ate yummy cobbler to celebrate Gramps's birthday...

 

We went to Dallas for a fetal MRI and hung out with my sister's family.  Here we were visiting the Museum of Art...

 

We took the kids to some fun sights in San Antonio...

 

 

And we got back home just in time to get ready for school.  While our day-to-day activities this summer were a little slower than usual, we still spent a lot of time at the pool, with family, and on vacations.  What a blessing my family is to me!  I am truly blessed to have them in my life!