Winding {down} and Gearing {up}

We are still winding down from our busy week we had last week visiting with old friends, completing a Lego Robo camp, starting a new session of ice-skating and finishing up volleyball! 

Monday- Picking up Alex from staying at Grandma's for two nights...shopping and eating lunch...makes for some sleepy passengers...

Tuesday-Friday- Alex and Emily completed a Lego camp where they learned to build and program their robots to complete obstacles and challenges...competing against each other on the last day to see who's robots completed the most obstacles correctly...

{Emily's teammate was one of the only participants who completed the first programmed obstacle correctly...landing her and Emily in the local newspaper...not only was she thrilled to have her name mentioned in the paper...but it was front page material!  She was super excited!}

Tuesday- We met with our old friends who moved away and now live in Tennessee and came for a 'work' visit...her husband had business meetings which meant we got to have fun!
Emily also started ice-skating again, beginning a new session a level higher!  Good job Emily!
We also watched her volleyball team win their very first game!  They were so pumped and we couldn't contain our excitement either!

{Emily earned 5 points for the team...and also recieved the 110% Effort Award!  We are so proud of her energy and willingness and enthusiasm in everything she does!  She had fun on and off the court!}

Wednesday- We had another fun afternoon meeting up with our friends for a pizza lunch and play time at The Commons and kidscommons kid's museum...

{Alex and Emily love climbing the rock wall and Alex climbed the wall blindfolded as one of his challenges...and he made it to the top!}

Thursday- One more visit with Carmen {can you tell we miss her tons?} for breakfast before she heads back to Tennessee...until next time...

Friday-Saturday-Sunday- The weekend awaits!  We made it through a busy...but fun week! 

Time to catch a breath...

Enjoy the gorgeous skies we had every single day...

Celebrate a braces-free smile with ice-cream and Twizzlers...

{...new retainer...still with his bottom braces...}

{...squeaky new grin!}

Getting rowdy with a new bouncy ball...

Preparing for Sunday school...

{cutting out paper crowns for the kids to decorate...David, Shepherd Boy and King!}

Getting up early and spending all morning outside...catching grasshoppers and spreading mulch...

...And trying to get a little bit of sleep...

...as we are gearing up for a much needed relaxing vacation at the beach...
...leaving our best furry friends behind...

{...bless Skipper's heart...he is going on 14 years old and he will be staying with the vet while we're away because he needs a few more tests to rule out this and that...we are not sure what to expect yet...but we've been preparing for the day he will no longer be our loving pet for a long time...and have been giving him lots of extra love and hugs until we leave!}

...here's to another week full of fun and family...as a sunny beach awaits!

Wordless Wednesday {Fun on the Run with Friends}

{...I know, I know...my wordless wednesdays are never wordless...but...whatever...on with the post...ha!}

{we were so lucky that our friends from Tennessee came back home for a visit!  the kids had fun seeing their old buddies playing in the sand, throwing water balloons, swinging and squirting water guns...while the moms could chat and catch up!}

{we had a busy day running from here, there and back again...but it was a beautiful day driving through stoplights to drop/pick up kids from Lego camp...grab lunch...meet at friend's house...home for a very quick breather...ice skating...volleyball...home...}

{these two have been friends since before they could barely talk...and used to look like twins!  emily now has some catching up to do...but I hope they are always good friends...even if they only get the chance to meet once a year...we miss them!}

{...so tired after this day...but that's what summer is all about...friends, fun, summer camps!  we are thankful for friends and activities to keep us going!  no rest for the weary!}

{Summer}snapshots

By the official calendar, summer has not started yet...but by our calendar...it's been sailing on by already!

We stayed a night away in a little cabin last weekend...

Dan took Alex and Emily to the Indianapolis 500...a yearly tradition that he's continued with the kids, since he was a kid...

{...Ellie and I held down the Manor while they were having fun...}

We made red,white&blue slushies, waved sparklers and caught lightening bugs on Memorial Day...

Tossed water balloons...

Sunny skies...

Rainy days...

Swinging...

Picnicing...

Shopping...

Staying up late...and taking an afternoon nap{if we're lucky!}...

Family pool party...

Campfires...

Ice cream...

Volleyball...

Celebrated Shelbie's high school graduation...

{Congratulations beautiful Shelbie!}

{Elizabeth and Uncle John}

{Did I miss anything?}

It's been a week of fun and sun...and most importantly...no homework!  Hoo-ray for summer!

 
It's only been about a week since we officially started our summer...but it's going so fast...and we are cherishing each day...yet looking forward to summer camps, vacation and more relaxing days by the pool!  Emily loves school and she misses it and her friends...but I am loving having her and Alex home as long as I can!  I'm still a little bit in denial that they will be third and fourth graders very soon...{gulp}

Wish I could push a summer slow-motion button some days...
...sigh...