VBS

True to form this summer, this post is long overdue. The boys had Vacation Bible School the first week in August. Actually, we all did. I volunteered all week as a 5th grade governer and Livi went to the childcare for toddlers.

It's always a great week full of fun and friends, but it's exhausting too. By the time Friday hit, I was ready to be done, but that doesn't mean I won't do it again and again. It's really a lot of fun!

The best part of the week is Thursday night when they have the program. All the kids have a chance to get up on the alter and sing one of the songs they learned during the week.

              Tony's hiding in there somewhere.....

Tanner's turn....

Trae is in the front row with the blue striped shirt

Olivia was really wanting to get up there herself. 

The best part of the evening every year is when the 7th graders get up and do the routine they've been working on.  They all have their faces painted white like mimes and they haven't talked or ate or drank since putting it on hours earlier. 
The performance is always so powerful even when it's not involving one of my children,

but when it does....it just makes an even bigger impact. 

They always do a dance to a Christian song first

Tim is in the middle of the second row with yellow shorts

Then a silent performance to another song that tells a story as they act it out.

This was a part that Tim had at the feet of Jesus. 

I had the kleenex out for this, it just was so moving to see him up there like that.

After their performance is done, they invite anyone who wants to come up and receive prayer.

It's just so amazing to see these 12 year olds praying over all the people.  We waited in the line that Tim was in.  While he prayed for us.....I prayed for him.



First day of school

First thing I want to say about the first day of school is that I feel like I am always unusually excited for it.  This year though took the cake.  I love my boys so much, bet I'd be lying if I didn't say that I count down the days until school starts like a child waiting for Christmas.   This summer was especially hard because Jay was put on second shift from late July until late Sept.  That's about the worst schedule you can give to a family man.  Too much going on with sports and my job to have him away from 1:30pm until late night.  A little reprieve during the day is just what this tired mama needs sometimes. 

This year the boys entered 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th grade.  Wow, I think I must have blinked one too many times.

 This was a huge year for us.  Tyler started high school!  I really can't believe it.  When did this happen?  I still remember his first day of kindergarten so well.  Watching him get on that big bus and waving goodbye without hardly even looking back and me getting choked up as the bus carried my baby away.  Oh my gosh, I just realized as I wrote that what a different mom I've become.  I've gone from crying on their first day of school to crying on their last.  That can't be a sign of a good mother. 

I'm so proud of him and all my kids.  I have to put that trust in them as they go to school that they will be good kids and kind to others.  I have no doubt they are.

Park

This past week we took the kids to a "kinda" new park in the area.  It's actually been there for a long time, but last summer it was closed for renovations.  We loved it before so we were anxious to see what changes they made.  Well, we were not disappointed.  It was amazing! 

It was really unlike any park we've even gone to.  There were so many pieces of equipment that I've never seen at a park and the kids were lovin' it!

They have a smaller kids area that Olivia started out on.  There's a huge sandbox area that had a buried dinosaur skeleton you could uncover and tons of things for the toddlers to do.

 The boys were having a blast finding all sorts of older kid things to do!

 I sat and watched.....and worried a bit about the heights they were reaching.....

 While dad decided to give some of it a try....

If it hadn't felt like 100', we probably would have stayed all day....

They waited in line to get a chance to ride one of the really cool, saucer shaped swings...

Livi wasn't too sure about it at first....

 but only a minute into it, she was loving it....

 ...and hanging on tight to Tony

 Then, we couldn't get her off the thing...

Finally, we found some refuge from the sun in one of the caves.....

 Livi was beat......

What a fun day.....

We'll be going back before the summer is done. 

My Veggies

When we bought our first house over 10 years ago, the backyard had a beautiful vegetable garden.  It was really huge and was able to fit just about any plant out there.  The man who lived there before us had planted it every year for over 30 years so the soil was very rich and even I, who does NOT have a green thumb, was able to grow tons of great veggies. 
When we moved to our current home almost 7 years ago, the backyard was perfect except for one thing....no garden.  Every summer I said I wanted to get one started, but spring would come and summer would end and it just didn't get done. 
One of the reasons I think we avoided it was because of the work it would take to clear a spot in the yard.  One summer, we'd done it for our swing set area.....
Another summer, we'd done it for some landscaping....
so we knew just how much of a pain it was to skim off the grass and dig through the roots.
Then a couple years ago, as I was mentioning this all to a client of mine, she told me of a great way to clear a spot without as much work.   In the fall, we would map out the area we wanted and lay down about 3 -4 layers of newspaper and wet it all with a hose.  Then you rake the leaves onto the newspaper and wait. 
So, we did that.  And last year in the spring we rented a roto-tiller to get it all mixed together. 
That proved to be quite the pain in itself.  We have a ton of mature trees around our house and the roots alone were giving Jay a lot of trouble.  But....we got it done, and I planted my garden.
The seeds started to grow into plants and get bigger and bigger and even started to flower, but they never produced any vegetables.  Ever.  Every flower that should turn into a cucumber or green bean or zucchini just eventually died and fell off.  Nothing. 
I knew the first couple years would be rough until the soil had a chance to get more primed, but I didn't expect that. 
Okay, well moving on to this year.  We rented the tiller again and it was much easier this time.  I planted and waited. 
I am very happy to say that last night I ate my first 2 cukes out of my garden.  YAY! 
There are plenty of veggies coming in this time.  I'm sure the weather has been a part of it as well.  We've had a good combo of sun and rain this year, and someone told me that even though super humid days can be good for keeping moisture in the soil.  Not sure if that's true or not.
I've yet to see a zucchini starting but they flowers are huge and bright, unlike last year, so I'm sure it won't be long.
There's nothing like a fresh garden veggie....I just love them. 
The boys are excited to pick the green beans today, and I'm excited to let them.....those things can run a muck and be hard to keep up with.
Here are some pics of my garden......



I have 2 rows of green beans.

One green and one red pepper plant......

Several onions......

A huge row of cucumbers with about 100 flowers on it ready to grow and be eaten.....

Four hills of zucchini........

Five different tomato plants, including Cherry.......

....and Roma