Our Five Ring Circus: Kicking Off Summer

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Kicking Off Summer

We aren't even a week into summer break, and it's already off to a busy start!

We started our first day of summer break by...waking up at the normal time.  Lexie didn't get the memo that it was okay to sleep in!  My dad called that morning and asked if one of the kids wanted to go on a little road trip with him.  Dylan opted to go grocery shopping with me, but Lexie was thrilled to join her Papa!

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We had a nice afternoon while Lexie was on the road with my dad, and we spent the evening shopping. Once we got home, the kids fell asleep watching a movie. 

The next day was a busy one!  We had two events that overlapped.  Our first stop was where I grew up, for a graduation party.   My cousin's sweet daughter, Madison, just graduated from high school.  My cousin, Rita, seriously has the best kids. They are so good with our kids and our kids adore them! We love spending time with them!

Many of my family members attended, and Liam got to meet a lot of new people.  He was passed around the entire time. It was neat to watch him meet our extended family.  My Aunt Jackie started to cry while she was holding him!

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It is bittersweet to spend time where I grew up.  I grew up on a country road, surrounded by family. We had a lot of pets and there was so much to do. There were ponds for swimming and fishing, a creek to walk in, private roads to ride my bike on, woods to hike through, and eventually, I got to ride my horse around and keep him in small paddock in my backyard.  Summer weekends were always so busy around our house. My Grandma lived next door to us, so I got to spend hours with her every day. 

So much has changed.  My Grandma passed away in 2000, and 4 years later, my parents lost their house due to severe flooding in the area.  Every time I go there, I miss my Grandma and miss my house.  I am, however, thankful that my kids still get to run around and do some of the things I used to do!

They had a great time on the big swing by the creek.  There used to be a tire swing there, but this one was just as much fun!

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Dylan and Lexie decided to walk in the creek with their cousins, and of course, Lily wanted to join in.  I didn't have any play clothes with us, so the only option was to have her take off the dress.  She had no problem with that!

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Once I managed to get them out of the creek, we had some dinner and visited with our relatives.

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We had a great time, and it was hard to say goodbye so early.  We can't wait to see everyone again soon!

Our next stop was at our friend's house for a cookout.  Steph and George hosted this time, and the food was delicious! I didn't pull out my camera until just before we left, but it was a fun night.  The kids played, the men played guitars and sang in the basement, and the women talked upstairs.  We were the last ones to leave, and we took two extra kids home with us for a sleepover!

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It was a perfect summer day spent with family and great friends!

11 comments:

  1. looks like a great kickoff to summer so far - where you grew up sounds beautiful. And yay for school being out. My daughter isn't out until next week!

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  2. I really am loving your pictures lately!!! They are such cuties!!! :)

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  3. Summer is in full swing for your kiddos! :) Looks like lots of fun!

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  4. You guys are taking lots of advantage of these great summer days!!! Have fun

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  5. Sounds like a great start to me. Love the pics! Happy Summer!

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  6. Life is sweeter in the summer! Going home brings back a lot of childhood memories for me too, glad they had fun!

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