What the Summer is good for...

I try to spend as much one-on-one time w/ Kennedy as possible while Will is sleeping or while Daddy is spending time w/ him. And she just eats it up of course! The other day we decided to bust out some of her new sidewalk chalk that she received as a gift from a sweet friend around the time of Bubba's birth. We proceeded to seclude ourselves to the only shady spot on the driveway to display our art and had lots of fun together! The pavement is just SO DARN HOT on bare feet during the Summer! Ugh!




Our favorite thing to do as a family this Summer, however, is fishing @ Lake Fayetteville. We've made several short evening trips to nearby Lake Fayet. to fish a little (until sunset) and let Kennedy play on the playground next to the softball fields. We enjoy walking along the trail on cooler nights as well. And, we usually end up @ a sno cone stand as well by the end of the evening! : ) She LOVES to do this and we all love doing it together. It takes us a whoppin' 3 minutes or so to drive there, which we also LOVE!









Anyone who knows me, also knows how much I ADORE fruit! Greatest food group EVER! My daughter also shares the exact same passion and has ever since she was on solids. I just LOVE fresh fruit (in season) especially during the Summer and cooking/grilling delicious garden-grown veggies as well! We live off of it throughout the Summer and miss it during the Winter so much! Below is tangerine and kiwi, but I also cherish a delicious peach, nectarine, plum, pineapple, watermelon and strawberries. Mmmmm...it's making my mouth water just thinking a/b them!



Of course I enjoy some quality naps during the hot Summer afternoons as well...




We haven't been able to go swimming much this Summer ever since Bubba was born, b/c it's just TOO hot to keep him out for very long! Therefore, we've resorted to fun w/ the water hose. Call us redneck if you wish...but it's easy and free entertainment for all involved! Ha! Now I know why we grew up spending so many quality Summer days running through the sprinkler or playing w/ the water hose!
The dogs CERTAINLY aren't a fan of the hose by ANY means...but they're adjusting. They just don't like it when Kennedy (or Momma) chase them around the yard spraying them for no good reason. : ) Oops!









And for the first time in a few years (and the 1st time since we've had kids), Patrick's enjoyed playing Fayetteville league softball again w/ several old college friends. It's a very short season, but it's been enjoyable to sit out under the stars w/ friends one night a wk. while our husbands all try to stay young! : ) Kennedy especially enjoys going to the ball fields each wk.!

Summer fellowships (and 2 cute babies!)

Our church started doing monthly fellowships this Summer @ church members' homes, and it's been a lot of fun already! Our first get-together was @ some friends' house, the Lundry's, who live in Siloam Springs. After some great hamburgers and hotdogs, the adults got in some great conversation while the kids all played on a fun slip 'n slide in their backyard. This was Kennedy's first slip 'n slide experience, so it was quite funny to watch! She got the hang of running from a distance b/f sliding very fast. However, she would stop when she got the beginning of the slide and just sort-of sit down on her knees. It was hilarious and several of the dads helping out got a kick out of it as well! Needless to say, Daddy stepped in and helped push her down once she made it the first part of the way on her own! : ) She laughed so hard, she could hardly stand up! (...as did we!)
I'll definitely be investing in one of these by next Summer if not before I'd imagine.
Will enjoyed being outside as well w/ us as we were swinging the kids, watching Kennedy slide, etc. And we even got a precious picture of Will and Dax (some friends' baby boy born the day after Will) side-by-side b/f the night was over. Our firstborn are only 4 months apart, and it will be very special getting to swap stories of these 2 handsome baby boys as they grow up so close in age! It's also neat to see the physical differences b/w 2 babies born only 1 day apart.

We're looking very forward to the next time we do this again!










(Check out the fly that I caught flying mid-picture...crazy!)

ABA mtg. in Springfield

We spent 4 days in Springfield, MO recently for the Nat'l. ABA mtg. It was nice having the mtg. in our neck of the woods this yr.! And it was SO great getting to see SO many friends @ one place and one time!

Patrick spent a lot of his time manning an MBSF booth b/w sessions, but we tried to fit in as much family time as possible during our days away from home. Kennedy had so much fun staying in the hotel and getting to check out their indoor/outdoor pool. She also seemed to really enjoy eating fast food for several days as well (which we got thoroughly sick of by week's end). One day I ventured out of the hotel to a nearby fountain park w/ the kids as well as Miriam Moreno and her girls. Those three had a blast (b/f a big storm blew through) and they're always so wonderful w/ Kennedy!

Kennedy loved looking over the balcony to the lobby/restaurant below. She's gonna be a people-watcher too I bet! Ha! (Taken right after swimming w/ the Moreno family.)

Breakfast in bed

Kennedy talking to her Bubba

Smiles directed @ Kennedy like always!


Swimming is fun, right?
(Memory retention @ this age from Summer to Summer is not apparent. Kennedy obviously forgot how much she absolutely LOVED swimming last yr.!

"Sitting on the bottom step" (as K called it)...her favorite thing to do in the pool!

Bubba seemed to enjoy lounging in the stroller under a shade tree while the family went swimming

Doing much better!

Kennedy wanted her hair in a towel "just like Momma"

...but then THIS began to happen (due to the weight of the towel)!

...and then this.
Ha! We couldn't quit laughing!

Awesome fountain park w/ Kenia and Thania Moreno




The week included many general business meetings (BORING!), wonderful preaching from pastors as well as foreign missionaries, some sessions concerning Missions updates and an overwhelming Mission service, and several individual breakfasts/luncheons on specific subjects that people could attend. The schedule was jam-packed, but I obviously didn't attempt 1/2 of it w/ both kids.

Due to the incredibly late bedtimes each night while we were there, I let the kids sleep in every morning to catch up on a little sleep at least. We also laid out some down time each afternoon so they wouldn't miss a much needed nap too.

Sitting w/ Bro. Moreno during one of the evening sessions

2009 ABA Mission service


Kennedy breaking out her bag of books one evening


Naomi Bates wanted to hold Will SO bad...and of course, I didn't mind!
(some friends' daughter)

Kennedy playing w/ a couple of the children also hanging out @ the MBSF booth

Another MBSF director's adorable daughter and a new friend K made

The 4 of us w/ some extended family members I had never met b/f
(on my father-in-law's side of the family)

Our family in front of the infamous MBSF booth Patrick worked so hard to coordinate

Several of the hispanic missionaries we were able to spend some time w/ one evening...SUCH a blessing to us!


On our way out of town Thurs., we were able to eat a delicious lunch @ Lamberts (aka=Home of the thrown rolls) w/ the Anderson's (our pastor's family) and the Moreno's (our hispanic pastor's family).



It was a great wk. and a nice break from the "norm"!