toledo bend 2013

this summer has just flown by! can't believe school will start again in a couple of weeks. i feel like i haven't blogged much over the summer, but wanted to be sure and post a few photos from our annual trip to toledo bend with my sister and her family. we always have the best time!

i told them to make silly faces :)

she got tired of her floatie and wanted to explore. we had to keep a close watch on this one!

the kids had lots of fun hiking the nature trails in the morning when it was a little cooler.

dahlia and lorelei

i am so thankful that my kids have cousins that live close by and are such good friends. i love that we get to go on these fun trips together and make memories. don't think we will ever forget all the daddy long leg spiders in the cabin! yuck!

summer reading

here's just a few of the books i've been reading this summer:

this book is magical! the author's descriptions and imagery are breathtaking. this is one book that would make a very good movie!

i really enjoyed both Angels and Demons and The Lost Symbol, also written by Dan Brown, so i was excited to read his latest book. while this one is not quite as good as the others, it was a definite page turner and very action packed.

this book was so fascinating. it is about president James Garfield's assassination, the madman who shot him, and the doctors who ultimately killed him. Prior to reading this i knew absolutely nothing about President Garfield. His life and death were so interesting. i highly recommend this book.

this is a beautifully written memoir about life, love, and living off the land. this was a great read!

30 weeks

quick photo taken after church yesterday. getting so excited to meet baby boy! only a couple more months!

i wear this black maxi dress to church almost every week. it is sooo comfortable!

beach day

dan had the day off the friday after the 4th of july, so we decided to take a trip to the beach.

evan wore this life jacket almost the whole time because he wanted "to go out really deep and catch fish" with his net.

lolo loved the water! she ran back and forth through the waves. when a wave knocked her over, she would get right back up and keep going. it was so funny to watch.

the kids always love to bury each other in the sand

avery and aunt nicole chasing each other around uncle jeremy. the kids sure have fun with them. so glad they are now living in texas!

my sweet girl who turns 13 next month. it seems like just the other day she was the toddler running on the beach.

red, white, and blue

i got the idea for this 4th of july treat from pinterest and used this recipe for lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

the raspberries were so sweet and delicious.

the watermelon wasn't too bad either

another cute idea from pinterest. the girls had so much fun painting blue and white polka dot nails. avery's were a bit chipped by the time i had a chance to take a photo.

we had a great 4th! my brother jeremy and his wife nicole joined us for swimming, bbq, and fireworks at the city park.

4th of July pinwheels

fun little craft we made today. basic instructions found here.

we used a pencil wrapped in colored paper for the sticks

lazy days of summer...

summer is here and are we loving it!

sleeping in. staying in our pjs until noon. making homemade popsicles. taking lots of trips to the library. watching movies after dinner. snow cones at the park. and lots of water fun!

15 years

hard to believe it has been 15 years already! seems like just the other day we got married. i feel so blessed to have such a kind, loving husband who is truly my best friend and the love of my life.

last day of school!

today was the last day of school! i am soooo ready for a break from the early morning school routine and i am so excited to have my big girls home during the day! for a fun end of school treat we made marshmallow pops. they are so easy! just dip marshmallows in melted chocolate, cover in sprinkles, and harden in fridge or freezer. (i used some straws that were left over from a birthday party instead of lollipop sticks.)

we even made some pink ones by melting white chocolate and adding a few drops of food color.

recent reads

I originally watched the movie starring Daniel Radcliffe last year and recently decided to read the book. I really, really liked it. The book is a good old fashioned eerie ghost story that kept me glued until the very end.

this book was recommended to me by my sister Emily and i loved it! the book is based on the author's own ancestry through four generations of women in the deep south. the author did an amazing job researching her family's history! this book makes me want to know more about my own ancestors and their stories.

mother's day

i had a lovely mother's day!

i absolutely adore all the homemade cards and gifts the kids make me at school and church every mother's day. avery made me the beautiful painted vase with crepe paper flowers.

dan and the girls spoiled me all day long with breakfast in bed, a long nap and a delicious dinner! dan grilled t-bone steaks and served them with smashed red potatoes with butter and fresh parsley and a green salad with homemade vinaigrette (sadly, i forgot to take a photo). he is quite the chef! i didn't have to lift a finger. the girls made some yummy double chocolate brownies for dessert. i have the best husband and kids!

evan

i love playing dinos with my little buddy

oh boy!

baby BOY due in september!! evan is soooo happy he is getting a brother!

this pregnancy was a huge shock and surprise. we were done after number five, but someone obviously had other plans for our family :)

brownie covered oreos

these are so yummy and really simple to make! you just can't go wrong with brownies and oreos. Elayna made some of these for her church girls camp fundraiser. recipe found here.

*we greased and floured the muffin pans and they came out no problem. we used melted white chocolate for the drizzle.

little bunny

Lorelei especially enjoyed easter this year! her favorite thing was opening the tiny plastic eggs and discovering the candies inside

we had a great easter weekend filled with egg hunts, sno-cones, trips to the park, and lots of family. sadly, i never got around to taking a photo of all the kids and their cousins in their easter outfits after church :( they all looked so beautiful and handsome!