4th of July

There is not better way to spend the Fourth of July than with family, and in NEBRASKA!  After our flight, it was so much fun to see family we haven't seen in a year!  We celebrated with the most delicious food, the kids splashed in the pool, drove around town on the Gator, and our annual game of kickball.  To top of the evening, we watched the guys shoot fireworks from the street.  A loud and exciting show was just what we all needed to finalize the party!

Port Aransas 2015

We were invited by the Flanagans to Port Aransas for a quick summer vacation.  It wasn't a bad drive (7 hours) and we were going with some great friends of ours, so we couldn't resist.  We spent the first evening at the beach splashing in the waves, relaxing in the sand, and most importantly making memories.

The kids enjoyed riding the boogie boards and inner tubes our on the waves.  It took me a little while, but I sucked up my fear of being in water I can't see through and got on a tube and enjoyed the fun as well!

After two days of sand castles, waves, and sun, we spent the evening on a gold cart we rented.  We drove around town, stopped for ice cream, speed through the bumping sand, and searched for crabs on the beach at night.

Father's Day 2015

For our family, this Father's Day was slightly different.  Charlie's dad passed away not too long before this special day.  I know Charlie's heart was aching with a pain only certain people know.  I can't imagine the misery of trying to celebrate himself, when deep down he was still grieving the loss of his father.  Instead of moping around and expressing his sadness, he put on a smile and allowed his own children to celebrate and love on him.  As normal, we went to my parent's house to honor the incredible men in our lives and enjoy a nice dinner together. 

Red Rocks

Every summer since Kylee was in Kindergarten, she has attend Lake Pointe's vacation bible school.  She loves learning about God, worshiping the Holy Spirit, and singing his glorious songs.  It definitely fills our whole house with joy! 

Sweet Summer Time

Here are a few quick shots from the beginning of Summer 2015!  Brooks completed his fourth year of ISR swim lessons with Ms. Michelle and he did just fine.  He wasn't enjoying himself like i had hoped, but nonetheless, he was able to swim and float himself to safety!  These swim lessons help give Charlie and I a little more piece of mind when we are around water. 

After moving in June, we had tons of boxes, of course. Here Brooks is pretending to be in a spaceship!

The kids think they need to be doing something every day during the summer.  We hardly have days where we just stay at home and relax.  So, when we are home, I like to find interesting, fun, or engaging things for them to do.  This particular day, we decided to make a new snack.  Graham Crackers, marshmallow cream, and mini chocolate chips make for a delicious s'more!

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Everyone knows how hot Texas can be in the summer.  This summer we are without our own pool.  It definitely reassured us that we want to build a pool so that it is ready for next summer. We have spent a lot of time in Jackie's community pool. 

Kylee won a lot of tickets at Shenaniganz one evening and was thrilled to have added a giant unicorn to her stuffed animal collection.  She wanted me to take her photo!

Just a few weeks after we moved into our new house, we met a couple neighbors, ate dinner, and enjoyed the refreshing water at our community Fourth of July party.

Kylee and her Best friend, Faith are elated to be living in the same town for the first time ever!  After our move to Lindale for 9 months, they didn't get to see much of each other, but they are sure making up for it this summer. They were together for 14 days straight as soon as we moved back to Rockwall!

What good is a big back yard with nothing in it?  The kiddos are sure enjoying the new swing set.  Next on the list....trampoline and a pool!

Every summer, for at least a week, the Krugers come stay a week with us. We always have a lot of fun!  This day was spent watching the lastest Disney movie, Inside Out. 

Softball Party

One thing I truly loved about Lindale was the sports programs.  Kylee played softball for the first year and really enjoyed it. She played 3rd base and could hit the ball pretty good.  Brooks also enjoyed tagging along to the games.  He had fun playing with all the other kiddos and ate a snow cone each game!  We couldn't have asked for a better coach.  She was dedicated, knowledgeable, and inspired Kylee to keep playing.  Coach Amanda celebrated a season of fun with a swim party at her house.  The families gathered and enjoyed each other's company, ate hot dogs, and the kids swam. Overall, it was a great season.

Last Day of School

Kylee was a brave soul on the first day of school in Lindale.  New town, new school, new friends, new teacher, and no mom at school.  It was certainly different for her, but she made the best of it.  Kylee made a lot of sweet friends, and it was a bitter sweet moment when we said out final goodbyes on the last day of school.  We were happy to be going back home, but sad that we had to say goodbye to people that mean so much to us. The last day of school was filled with SUMMER fun!