My baby boy turns ELEVEN!

This year Joshua was celebrated abundantly!  We went out to dinner.  We celebrated at the lake with family over Labor day weekend.  We went out to dinner with the other side of the family.  AND he had a laser tag party!  It was big fun!

Joshua decided to invite just 5 or 6 boys, his siblings, and boy cousins to play laser tag and arcade games.  He had never played laser tag and it turned out to be a really fun time for him!  I love his little group of buddies!  There are two of them that are more reserved, and then the other two are loud and outgoing.  When they are all together it is just complete fifth grade silliness. 

I am still amazed at the simplicity of parties now.  The gifts are almost all gift cards.  That is so fun because I get to have a special shopping date with my boy!  We are still waiting for that fun day and hope to go on Sunday.  For this party we baked cupcakes and wrote a check and everything else was provided.  Easy!  I am just loving this season of life with the boys and their friends!  Thank you Jesus for friendships!  What an answer to prayer!!

Back-to-School dance for Jack

 ::Seventh grade::

Jack and a few of his good buddies at the dance.  And then afterwards, a bunch of friends out for pizza.  What a wonderful group of friends he has been blessed to get to know!  Sweet friends from sweet families.  It's a WONDERFUL community for us and our children!

The beginning of another school year

It was so nice not to be new this year! Although the kids were eager and curious about their new teachers, they had very little nervousness or anxiety.  They become so acclimated to the school, coming so often with me over the summer to work in my room.  The school is FILLED the last few weeks of summer with teachers and their children.  They entertain each other well, and it's actually a pretty fun place my children. So the first day of school, in some ways, just feels like a more exciting new day in a familiar place!

We were all ready and excited for a new year.  Actually, the boys would live in a perpetual state of summer, and I can't say that I blame them one bit.  But Lydie and I were ready for routine.  And the boys were excited about their favorite subjects, seeing their friends, and such.

Praying for depth of spiritual insight, continued and deepened friendships, continued servant-hearted leaderships, and an eagerness for knowledge for my children and my students!  May God be glorified!  Our verse for the year: "Serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13.  Plain and simple!

Jack::7th grade

 

Witty, smart, sensitive, encouraging, inquisitive

 

Josh::5th grade

 

Silly but reserved, brilliant, affectionate, kind, light-hearted

Lydie::1st grade

Joyful, attentive, motivated, tender

 So glad to be near my sweeties all day.  Praying for a great year!

Cross country workout 1, Jack 0

Wow, this sport is gonna be a doozy!  So proud of his hard work!  Watch out 5k...here he comes!

Visiting

We are new again, visiting churches and finding our place.  We almost immediately narrowed our search to two churches.  It is very exciting for the children to have friends at both churches.  We are so thankful for our sweet church by the farm and the outpouring of love and discipleship we received there.  But also, we are ready for this new chapter! 

After months of prayer...

Finally some time alone with this great kiddo.  Jack had cross country practice, Lydie was at a friend's house, and that left he and I alone at IHOP.  He doesn't like small talk a lot.  So we just ate, smiled, talked a little, and he humored me with lots of hugs.  Good stuff.

August fun

 The kids went to our last event at our old church...VBS.  The boys volunteered and this is a picture of them walking one of our friend's toddlers to the nursery.  SO darling!

 We found out at the beginning of the month which teachers we have for the year.  Then we had a meet and greet at the playground.  My sweet friend sent me a picture of her daughters' reactions when they read in an email that I will be their teacher this year.  PRICELESS!

 We took one last trip to our favorite museum.  The kids can't get enough of the giant bubbles!

 And then we took our family vacation back to the beach!  The first night we were able to meet our best friends from Atlanta for dinner, ice cream, and a walk on the beach.  What a treat!!

 Love best friend brothers.  These two are so opposite, yet so close!  Pray it is always this way!

 This is what a bored Daddy looks like when he has been looking at hair accessories in Claire's for an hour.  Yes, he will begin trying on things...like glasses, for one.

The boys went on a big fishing trip with Daddy.  Andy wisely paid for a guide.  It was one of those trips where you throw your line in and catch fish after fish.  What a memory!
Okay, I realize that I am always whining about how my babies are growing up too fast.  But truly, a nearly perfect vacation like this one will make me very thankful.  The kids are the *perfect* ages right now.  They can all swim, they still enjoy us and one another, and they want to be together and with us.  It was as stress-free as a vacation with three kids could possibly be!  I have graduated to the Mommy at the pool with a magazine in one hand and a cocktail in the other!  I read an entire book on vacation.  I had time alone with my children.  They entertained one another well.  They are all still entertained by waves and sand.  It was oh-so-good.  It's nice to actually feel RELAXED after vacation!

8 boys in 7th grade for 16 hours!!

Jackson asked for a sleepover this year instead of a party.  It was about the cheapest birthday celebration ever!  He wanted the boys to have a place to practice bows/arrows, air soft guns, and capture the flag.  After eating hamburgers and junk food, they were in the yard until dark.  Then they watched the Hobbit, banged on the drums, and played Rock Band until midnight.  Some of the boys crashed, and others continued on...
At 4 am I heard them whispering down the hall.  The whole crew had bought sleeping bags and started out in the basement.  But this was the fearless five who continued to press on and not sleep ALL NIGHT.  They came upstairs to Jack's room to hang out.  And they talked.  ALL.NIGHT.LONG.  Maybe the m&ms and Coca-Cola were a little much!?!  Jackson was one of the fearless five, and had a blast!  Wow, so this is what teenage birthdays are like.  Cheap, terrible pictures,  and exhausting!!  Ha!

Thirteen

Our precious Jackson turned 13 yesterday.  Oh the bittersweet excitement.  I cannot believe we have a teenager in the house!  He is such a delight.  The hormones are definitely raging.  But he continues to be tender-hearted and kind.  We enjoy his gifts so much.  He is a godly, servant leader with a fun-loving personality.  He's pretty great.  I hope this year will bring him loads of wisdom and knowledge, and deepened friendships.  He will have so many new and amazing experiences this year as a seventh grader!  Happy birthday, sweet Jack!!