Where has summer gone?!

Is it really August? Is Summer really almost over! Is school really about to start?

Thanks to an early start last school year and no snow days, I got to spend the longest summer of my teaching career with my baby girl.  For a few months I got to pretend to be a "stay at home" mommy.

I was able to keep a clean house, have dinner ready early, and most importantly PLAY with Aubrey. 
There were no family vacations for us this year due to our plans to build a house, but I wouldn't trade these days at home for anything.  Summers for me used to consist of lots of swimming, sleeping in, shopping etc. This year, my long summer days  were filled with four wheeler rides around the garden, swinging in the swing multiple times a day, nap times,  playing hide-n-go-seek, reading GO Dog Go over and over, pretending to drink milk from a sippy cup or to put gas in a play car, and pushing a stroller around the yard in 100 degree heat just becasue someone wanted to.

Nap time was sacred.   Every morning I began the day with a "to do" list in my head of things I wanted to accomplish at nap time.  Things like: paybills, work on shutterfly photo book, call for estimates for the house, layout (until it became unbearable), work in the garden, clean...  Have you ever tried to clean your house silently, or in warp speed?  I also spent nap time keeping the books for Rightway Construction up to date.  Poor Marty has to work outside in the heat all day, so it's the least I can do.  He loves it and wishes I could do it all the time.   Ocassionally nap time meant a nap for Mommy or enjoying a good book that I didn't want to put down.  These days were heavenly. 

At the beginning of the summer I made a list of about 15-20 things I wanted to accomplish or complete over the summer. Well... lets just say I didn't cross off many items on that list but I played with my girl and that time precious.

Who Knew?

 Who knew that being a parent meant...

You would find Cheerios in various places around your house?

You would actually laugh when someone else stuck their tiny finger up your nose?

You would plan your day around nap time?

That sleeping in would be considered anything past 7 o'clock?

You would refer to your spouse as Mommy or Daddy?

You would see your own parents do silly things just to make a little girl laugh?

You would never be caught up on your laundry again?

You could sleep through the sound of the garbage truck but at the tiniest whimper you'd be on your feet?

That sound of someone calling "Mommy" could be so sweet?

Who knew that being a parent meant your heart could be so full of love and your life so full of joy?

Psalm 127:3 "Children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

Photo Book

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Create your own personalized photo books at Shutterfly.com.

Child Labor?

Aubrey officially has her first chore, one that she picked out, and will allow no one else to do... feeding Sadie. 

Every day, she drags out Sadie's food tub, gets her bowl, places it in the chair, and fills it up.  She misses the bowl frequently but carefully picks each piece up one by one while Sade waits patiently not so patiently.  She then carefully carries the bowl back to its spot and turns and gives Sadie the command. 

She's done this so much now, that I don't even have to offer assistance anymore.  Is this considered child labor?

Best Buddies



Our Little Firecracker

Watching the Redfield Parade with Grandpa

Nothing like a dip on a hot summer day!

How Does the Garden Grow?

I love vegetable gardening! It's theraputic! My father in-law, Papaw Pete, loves vegetable gardening too! Between my little garden, and his BIG garden, we should be well stocked up on vegetables.  Papaw, Aubrey, and I check both gardens daily.  She loves picking the cherry tomatoes and taking them to Papaw but she doesn't seem to understand that she's only suppose to pick the red ones!

My Garden

Papaw Pete's garden

We've had a "bumper crop" of squash.



Helping Papaw plant seeds.  She kept uncovering the seeds he had just planted.  

Who needs shoes...

When the dirt feels so great between your toes? 

 

Sadie surpervises






Papaw also planted "Punkins" for his "Punkin"

  Genesis 1: 11-13

"Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the third day."

A Walk on the River