Saints game

In August every year, Jay's company sponsors a family outing.  The past couple years its been at the Saints Baseball game.  It's pretty cool actually, because they not only have a picnic area reserved where they feed us dinner before the game starts and get us tickets to get into the game.....they also give every person $10 in Saints bucks.  That means we got a free dinner, free admission, AND $80 in dollars to spend on treats, drinks, food....whatever.  What a deal!  Oh, and they even had the beer free for our company section so you didn't even have to use the dollars on that.  Basically, what this meant was that the boys could have anything they wanted. 
You'd like some cotton candy??  No problem
Cookies?  Sure
Your own lemonade?  Of course
They thought this was great.   These are kids who usually have to share a free refill pop at McDonald's and who, at the State Fair, get told no 10 times more than yes.  I hate that, but it's just the way it is when you have 8 people in your family.  It all gets so expensive, so this was really a treat for all of us. 
Oh, and I actually had $20 in the bucks left as the game was ending so I went to one of the T-shirt stands and got myself a shirt.  Hey, I'm not walking outta that place with it in my pocket.  Might as well get something. 

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.