Oklahoma Visit

Labor Day weekend was full for us.  It started Thursday night (Gavin's actual birthday) and we drove to Oklahoma to visit Micah and Steph while they were stateside.  It's so important for us to see them when they are in the USA so we let Gavin miss school on Friday even though it was the first week of school.  The Sperling's had a busy schedule as well so we planned to spend Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday morning with them and we were busy!!  Between four wheelers, cow viewing, riding the gator, exploring, and running around our kids had a blast playing and being with Jake!!  After kids would go to bed, we got to stay up and hang out.  

I brought a cake with us to celebrate Gavin's birthday.  I forgot candles so we used matches instead!  He loved it!

 

  

Of course, we took a trip to Eskimo Joes for lunch!

 

We LOVE spending time with the Sperling's and can't wait for baby Hailey to arrive!!  

Gavin's 6th Birthday

Gavin turned 6 on August 28 and we had a special time together as a family with him.  I have officially learned my lesson in that the end of the summer, the beginning of the school year are BUSY for us and for the 2nd year in a row Gavin didn't have a birthday party with friends (mom fail) because time just got away from us.  That didn't stop him from LOVING his day all about him.  The morning started off with his birthday breakfast, the kitchen decorated, a special lunch, and cupcakes brought to his school.  He got to open all his presents that night with us and couldn't open them fast enough.  He loved showing things off to Miles and Brooklyn and happily shared his gifts with them.  

We are loving this age with Gavin.  He continues to show maturity, has a strong ability to care for others, shows compassion, and LOVES being responsible!  He makes us laugh daily and sometimes has the funniest expressions ever.  He loves school and has SOARED in first grade.  He enjoys sports, reading, and his love language is tied between gifts and quality time!  We love our big guy!

Gavin was surprised with a set of drums and fell in LOVE!  He had been asking for drums for months because he wanted to play for worship at our church (how sweet) so we went with it.  Eventually, our hope is to get him lessons and we're praying he has a passion for this instrument years to come! 

4th of July

We have been so busy during the summer that we felt like we were always going and going.  Originally, our intentions for the 4th were to drive up to Denver and spend some time in the mountains with Brooks' dad and family, but we were just so tired from traveling and going and doing things, we needed a little R&R for the 5 of us!

So, we found out about a local, small town nearby having festivities all day including a parade, kids activities, shopping, etc and decided to check it out!  We loaded the kids up and off we went! While searching for a place to land during the parade we stumbled upon an open area, that just so happened to be in the midst of a family reunion gathering.  The sweet family graciously let us stay in their "spot" and randomly introduced us to all the cousins, grandparents, kids, etc.  Random, but we had a great spot to watch the parade.  In the beginning our kids just watched as the trucks and trailers rolled by, but eventually they got out there and started catching some candy.  The weather was HOT, so the kids would go out to the street, catch a few pieces, then come back and sit down, take a drink, and go right back out! After the parade we grabbed lunch at one of the booths, went to a few activities, and then decided to take a drive through Palo Duro Canyon.  We're hoping to go camping there sometime and wanted to check the place out.  There were some incredible, amazing, breathtaking views and we can't wait to spend a weekend there!  

 

 

The car ride home... Can you tell they had fun?

After naps and relaxing at home, we went over to some neighbors of ours who the husband works with Brooks and they have 4 kids so it was sure to be lots of fun.  We grilled hamburgers, the kids played in the jump house and riding bikes, until it was finally time to shoot fireworks.  Right behind out house, literally, one street over isn't city limits so our friends had the perfect place to shoot fireworks and see everyone on our side of town shoot theirs, too!  The kids had a blast taking turns lighting roman candles, throwing snappers, and watching the BIG fireworks fly!  Brooklyn, like with any loud noises, didn't appreciate how loud the fireworks got and so she eventually stayed on my lap, shaking, with her ears covered! The boys, they were loving the fire and watching stuff "blow up"!

 

Happy 4th of July! 

Our summer in Arkansas

This summer we spent a week in Arkansas with Brooks' family and had a blast!  

Our first stop was with GG and Papa John and Uncle Bran and Aunt Kate came and spent a few days with us.  Our week was jam packed with swimming, shooting guns, feeding the horses, playing in the tree house daddy fixed up, riding the tractors, and exploring.  We also went and floated the Caddo River on inter tubes in the FREEZING water, but had an AWESOME time.  It was gorgeous throughout and the kids had a blast.  Gavin wouldn't move off his tube the entire 2 hours-- not sure if it was out of fear or what, but less then a mile left of our floating, he got out, mainly because we had to, and then loved being in the water.  Miles and Brooklyn on the other hand explored back and forth between all of our tubes and didn't stay still but only minutes at a time.  It was really fun time. 

We took advantage of seeing some of our camp friends who we love dearly and miss tremendously.  There's just something about camp friends that makes life seem right!!  What a fun night filled with lots of laughs!!

 

Next in Arkansas, we went to the Ranch and spent the weekend with Brooks' grandparents and cousins!  Camp was going on, which is where Brooks and I met, and it was the 50th Anniversary. It was crazy to think we barely knew anyone there-- there are only a few of our campers left-- everyone has grown up!   We LOVED showing our kids camp and letting them experience a little of it.  Besides four wheel riding, hanging with Mim and Pop, the kids explored the ranch and played with all the animals down at Nature with their "cousins".  After church and lunch, we headed out!  Such a great weekend!