Wishing you all a be-YOU-tiful week ♥

Relay For Life

My mom and I took the girls out late tonight to visit Relay for Life.























It was held at McPherson College Brown Auditorium this year instead of Wall Park due to resent flooding. 

It's always humbling walking through the luminaries, reading the names....survivors, those still fighting, and deceased. 

Some names so fresh.

Our luminaries paid tribute to my Grandma Reese (we talk of her often but call her Grandma Bonnie now :))






















Every time I try to think of words to describe her, I draw a blank; there are no words great enough.






















And just as I find myself wishing for more time with her, I'm reminded of the time we did have.  I am forever grateful for those years....such wonderful memories that I love telling my kids about.

Audrey's Maternity Pictures

Hard to believe Bonnie Jayde was actually in Audrey's tummy; feels like she's always been here ♥



















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































My sister in law looked absolutely beautiful the day we took these pictures.  She endured yet another rough (that's putting it mildly) pregnancy, but all I see in these pictures is unconditional love from a mother to her children. 

And it totally makes me want a baby in my belly ♥

We are doing our best to make the most of every minute of our summer vacation!






















I prefer busy, tired, and slightly sunburned over "I'm bored".

Along with our busy days come busy nights.  Wednesday is practice day - tball and softball.





















 

The above picture....neither tball or softball, but the end of Reese's basketball camp.  Cru had a basketball in his hands the entire time we were there today just itching to shoot.  Actually, begged the whole time....can I shoot now?  Now?  Now?  Finally, I gave in.

Back to the story at hand, Reese is playing machine pitch softball.  She's loving it!  And doing great, I might add!  I'm coaching....assisting.  And loving it as well!

Tonight after practice, Reese and three of her good friends, who are on her team, were playing together like they do after every practice, and us coaches moms suggested walking to the next field to watch the Lady Express.  The girls quickly figured out that chasing foul balls was more fun than watching the game.  And while hunting for balls outside the complex, a foul ball was hit.....

I heard one of the other moms yell, "Look out, Reese!"

I look back at Reese just as the ball fell from the air right on the front of her forearm.

It hurt.  Bad.  As I ran to her, I was honestly scared that her wrist/arm may have been shattered.  She's just bruised.  Thank goodness it wasn't her head!  She cut nearly four inches off her hair today...she doesn't have as much padding :)

Good thing we aren't too busy to work out....keeps us tough!

I should have known good things would come of our day when when I told Reese's basketball camp coach (the head girls high school coach, whom she's had no interaction with up until this week) that it takes a while for her to come out of her shell, and she promptly replied.....

"I don't have a shell....I cracked it already!"

A little something about our big girl....she's not a fan of competition.

Freezes.  Loses all confidence.

But after several (competitive) events today.....

I saw a girl passively accept a challenge, gain confidence, and accomplish a goal she would have rather just given up on.

When these situations arise, it's a learning process for all of us, especially for Chet and I as her parents.  Encourage?  Discipline?  Reward?  Punish?

We still don't have things figured out, but it's SO rewarding to see progress.

Today was progress, and it was great!

Not sure our little girl will struggle much with confidence....

I could be wrong though....

Same song different day but my goal really is to stay up on blogging.

So today....

Actually, let's preface with yesterday. My mom and I made a quick run to Wichita with Everlee (Chet took big kids swimming and golfing), and while we were there, we picked up Charlee, who is spending a few days here.

And got some quick snuggles with Miss Bonnie!

Charlee is staying with my parents, and last night, Evee stayed with them too. We had a thunderstorm roll through late in the evening, so grandma had both girls in her room on the floor scared of the thunder and lightening, and from what I heard, Evee was still awake at 11pm saying her butt hurt and Grandma needed "to put butt cream on it".

And meanwhile, back at our house, Cru was in our bed, Reese was on our floor, and Chet was on the couch :)

So this morning....Reese had her first day of basketball camp. Cru asked to go to Grandma's before the camp started, but I wasn't sure anyone would be up there yet, so I told him we'd drop Reese off then go to Grandma's. As I was walking out of the gym, I got to talking with another mom so Cru took off for the park across the street. This park has a couple spinning chairs that once you sit on them, gravity pretty much takes over and you literally just spin. Cru was HATING it and screaming for me to help him off, so I took off running across the street, but before I got over there he fell off. Sweaty, dizzy, NOT A HAPPY BOY!

We left right after that, and I could tell he wasn't well. We decided to go to McDonald's for a smoothie. As we sat in the drive thru, I had the AC blasting, windows down, and he was still not well; totally feel his pain! After he told me he felt sick, I knew what was coming....

As calm as a mother could be when she knows her child is moments away from blowing chunks IN THE CAR, I told him if he needed to throw up, do it out the window.

Guess he just needed my permission to puke because right after that he let it go!

Yes, in the McDonald's drive thru. 

Awesome.

Nasty.

Somehow we made it to my mom's without any more spewing, but man was he in bad shape.

I literally dumped him on my parent's drive way, grabbed the little girls (who were still in their jammies and looked rather homeless, still cute, of course), and headed back to watch Reese at camp. 

I worried the whole time I was away...maybe it wasn't motion sickness, maybe he had a concussion?   I just felt so guilty.

Thankfully, when I got back from camp, he was SO MUCH BETTER! He was running up and down the driveway, waving at me, and yelling that he didn't throw up again and was finally ready for his smoothie!

After that rough start, here's how the rest of the day went....






































































































































































The kids swam from noon until 5!  It was overcast most of the day until around 3.  Water was still way too cold for this mama!

Charlee came home with us.  She requested an Elsa braid....as did Reese and Everlee ♥

Chet and I were both in need of a cocktail after my eventful, busy, FuN Monday and his typical day at the office, so off for margaritas we went with all kiddos in tow!

Then, it was back home for more play time!

So far this summer, our kids have been crawling into bed around 10pm or later every night.  Tonight, it was to bed early; I count 9:15 an early success!

Just like I count the rest of our day a success despite our crazy start!

Officially Summer

School has been out for almost two weeks, tball and softball practices are in full swing, we sip beers with out neighbors and watch the kids play way past dark, yet it wasn't until yesterday that it officially felt like summer....

Grandma and Grandpa's pool OPEN!

Bring on summer!