Summer Recap

It may have been quiet around this ol' blog lately but that's not a reflection of our lives this summer. As we're currently engrossed in our newest phase of life--GABBIE'S IN KINDERGARTEN!!!--there is no way I will ever sit down to blog about each summer activity individually, so here is a mishmash post of everything we've been up to these past few months...

Gabbie:

Gabbie is a lean, mean, reading machine! She started with very basic Dick & Jane books in March or April and is now reading Magic Tree House chapter books with little-to-no help. She amazes us every day with all that she can read and comprehend...and nothing is safe anymore! She reads my texts, she can figure out what Danny and I are saying if we try and S-P-E-L-L things out in front of the kids, and heaven forbid you try and check your email in front of her--good thing we have no secrets!

Gabbie also got her ears pierced this summer. We have always, jokingly, asked her every time we were at the mall if she wanted to get them done and one day she just said yes. I was a little leery when she did it because the store only had one "ear piercer" on staff that day which meant she had to get her ears done one at a time. I was worried she'd chicken out after the first earring and then we'd have a real problem on our hands. As it turned out, she did just fine with the piercings and put up more of a fight with me having to clean them three times a day for the next six weeks. We're past all of that now and she loves her little bit of ear bling.

Luke:

Luke is very into make-believe right now and is always one of the following characters at any point in a given day: firefighter, cowboy, golfer, basketball player, baseball player, football player, David (of "David & Goliath"), or Buzz "Lipe"-year (as he pronounces it). It's hard to keep up and if we don't refer to him as the proper character, he will either correct us or ignore us completely. It's a very serious thing!

Luke's big accomplishment this summer has been potty training! We started right after our trip to Myrtle Beach and he caught on pretty quickly. He now gets on and off the potty by himself and doesn't need help with his pants or underwear. We are so proud of him can't believe how big he's getting!

Jonah:

Where do I start with Jonah? This is such a fun age as he seems to change and mature in leaps and bounds. He is talking up a STORM and even gives Gabbie a run for her money. The clarity of his words is astounding and his comprehension is amazing. He has such a great personality and is a very funny little guy. He loves to make us laugh and always has time to give a hug and a kiss. I am really looking forward to Luke & Jonah's budding relationship as they spend much more quality time together while Gabbie is in school.

Jonah had his first haircut this summer. No more wild curls for this boy! He looks so grown up now. He did okay at the salon. He started out sitting in the cool race car chair but ended up in my lap for most of the actual hair cut. We gave him a lollipop (his first) which really helped him sit still. (I took all three kids to the salon without Danny so Gabbie had to take pictures for me since I was holding Jonah.)

Family:

We enjoyed a week down in Cape May, as is our summer tradition, and this year did not disappoint. Apparently, it was the only week of the entire summer that it rained nearly every day but that didn't stop us from being out and about. We spent a day at the beach, the zoo, the boardwalk, Storybook Land, and of course, Wildwood. I didn't take many pictures that week but I did get a few.

Church:

We're currently in the thick of an outreach-oriented fall but I wanted to highlight a few special summer events that always mean a lot to our family. We had our annual VBS with a Jonah theme called "Wet & Wild Week." We saw around 80 kids over the course of the week and raised over $600 for a family in our church who will soon be full time missionaries in Haiti. The kids had a great time and for my kids, particularly, this is the highlight of their entire summer.

We also had our annual "Friends & Family Picnic" at a local park and had around 140 people attend. This is always one of my favorite events at our church. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the time with friends is priceless. Such a fun and easy way to reach out to people who might not attend a church service but have no problem hanging at a cookout. Lots of fun!

Hope your summer was a good one!