Summer fun

 I love it that when Derrick asked Aliya to grab a library book to read, the older two immediately snuggled next to them to read along as he read an Arthur book. Madi & Bre have read OVER 2014 pages this summer already. They love reading! I couldn't ask for more!

So much of summer revolves around Madison & Breanne's schedule, so I am so happy to see Aliya have her special things too: T-ball (with Dad as a coach) and violin lessons with Ms. Renee.

What an awesome 1st Base Coach!

One gorgeous summer evening, while picking peas by myself in the garden, I thought, This is dumb. Peas don't really matter. I'll go ask the girls if we can go on a bike ride or something instead. Rounding the front corner of the house, I found this. While they were rollerblading, Breanne had checked the mail and in no time, they were each glued to their Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines. The roller-blading can wait!

How many times when the girls ask to do my hair, has Derrick said, "You can do my hair?" As if! And I'll tell them, "Once my cousins did Daddy's hair…but I can't find that picture." Got it!Enjoy it girls!

Oh...

 This is what the camping trip with the cousins was marked by…tubing! So much so, it put a hole in our tube (Breanne's favorite red tube.) So sad…we'll try to patch it Bre!

 We stretched the birthday girls' day into a week because her day consisted of seven hours in the car to get her sister, a visit to the 4-H pigs, but the highlight was 4-wheeling with the cousins.

Oh, summer!

Maiden Voyage

Enjoyed our first weekend camping at Lake Red Rock in the Pella, IA area last weekend with the DeWilde family! Got to hold baby Evie; my how she has grown! Madison has become an accomplished water skier. Tubed, water skied and celebrated Melissa and Breanne's birthdays!

Birthday Ice Cream in a Bag. A lot of work, but oh, so worth it!

"Dad, I'm bored!"

 

Not for long!

Type-casted!

Breanne has been type-casted! First a munchkin. Second a dwarf. And now, an elf. But honestly, we had a great time watching her group's performance of The Elves and the Shoemaker. 

"Hark!" as she puts her hand to her ear….too cute!

"Elf consternation time." AKA…rock, paper, scissors.

Whirlwind

 Nearly two weeks down of summer vacation already. I won't lie. It's been rough at times and I've been called a whiner of a momma. I'm trying to catch myself and allow the Holy Spirit in me to replace the negative words with words of gratitude. It is fun to watch the girls do the things they enjoy.
Madison's new craft desk (a very belated birthday gift) has not been neat and tidy since this picture was taken. She's scrapbooking for the fair. She's also working on some sidewalk chalk games for kids, taking saxophone lessons, working toward reading 2014 pages this summer, working on 4-H Share the Fun skit, celebrated a best friends' birthday and attended 4-H Day Camp last Friday.
Breanne has a 3/4 finished wind chime hanging in segmented pieces in the sunroom, practicing every day for the past 2 weeks for her play The Elves and Shoemaker, is doing 4-H Share the Fun skit as well, playing soccer, assisted me in taking pictures at a wedding last weekend, is also reading toward 2014 pages this summer and continues to keep the neatest and most organized room in the house.
Aliya tries to spend as much time reading with momma as she can (her goal is 1000 pages), making an American Doll House for Caroline & friends, started T-ball last week and violin lessons. I pinch myself for not taking a picture of this last night: she came down from her bath, in pjs, bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her hair…so grown up!
All the girls have been swimming! However, this cool rain water, hardly lets the water temp rise, so Derrick and I have shied away from a refreshing dip. The first weekend in June, we went to celebrate my cousin Lee's wedding in Michigan. It was a long drive, but the girls thought it was awesome to have a whole cabin for just our family and swim in the lake. Derrick and I enjoyed a canoe paddle at dusk (mosquitos included…nothing cuter than wedding attire and bug spray).

On our way home we got to see Lake Michigan. Our new mini-goal is to see all five great lakes as a family.

We chuckled, when a wave capsized Breanne; she screamed and scrambled. Somehow, she's always the one to fall in the water!

Mother's Day with our middle

Poor Breanne! When she needed a photo of me and her for a Mother's Day project, we found none! She is well overdue. This impromptu turned out pretty well though.

As she matures, I'm seeing that of the three girls, she seems to be the best mix of Derrick and me. She is stubborn (well, that's both of us), very detailed and particular (Derrick), writes (me) and has a dramatic attitude (likely me.)
On Mother's Day, they told me to sleep in and they'd bring me breakfast in bed, but I ruined it and snuck out for "my own time" with coffee and the sunrise. After Bre and Aliya had waken, I was given the greatest gift: watching Breanne read Aliya the picture Bible. (Notice Breanne's sporting a coffee mug…totally me!)

 We spent the rest of Mother's Day with my family at my sister's. We got to stop and see Micah's headstone for the first time. He's always missed! Especially in this one.

 We missed it last Mother's Day, but this one turned out great…me and my mom. I really think we couldn't have enough pictures with the ones that we love…I should take that to heart with Breanne, huh?
Last weekend, we got to travel to Peoria to meet Evie, the first DeWilde cousin. So maybe she wasn't too impressed with us, but she surely wrapped us around her sweet little finger.

The girls totally fought over who got to hold Evie. I think the words I heard most were, "She's going to like you best!" Now read that with a whining, it's my turn tone. Totally cute…the first time. Then, well, not so much.

 

Welcome Evie…be nice to your mom and dad!