There Seems to Be a Pattern Happening Here

I see the last time I wrote was May...now it's July.  Sigh...oh well...between all the computers and phone and drives and cards and CDs, I can't seem to get a system down where all my photos are all in one place anymore these days.  I am trying to get better organized and at the same time, make sure my photos are getting backed up, but it's just not working out how I would like.  Anyway, here is a post with a mish mash of mainly June.  June, as always, is pretty crazy.  End of school activities, end of year Girl Scout activities and Melanie's Birthday.  Not to mention, the start of Summer.  This is my second year to be home with both the kids and with John 3 and more active and social and VOCAL - well, I am finding this summer proving hard to keep the kids from tearing each other's heads off from the minute we wake up.  So, foresaking anything for Mark and I - Haa haaa - we are trying to keep them each busy.  Of course, Mel loves just about any camp or activity, so she is easy to please.  But, John is on a whole nother spectrum, age wise and interest wise.  He wants to have play dates constantly and be outside and playing with trains and looking in sewers, and then, I guess he would be happy too! :-) 

 As you can see by these photos - we signed Mel up for a horse back riding lesson that we purchased through Groupon.  She fell in love.  I can't blame her.  It was pretty cool to see her so excited and to see her confidence grow.  She chattered NONSTOP with the instructor the whole time.  It was pretty cute.  I couldn't stop smiling to see her so happy.

 On our way home from the riding lesson we stopped at a park we spied out in Sherwood.  It had a really cool bull dozer graveyard and we just had to stop and play for a bit.

 One weekend, the Motts said they wanted to take Mel to Oaks Park for an afternoon.  I was like - CAN WE COME?!  I had to crash their outting!  I hadn't been to Oaks Park since I was a kid and I wanted to check it out.  Mel and her friend ended up with yaya and Mark, John and I hung with papa.  It was a blast!  John was a bit apprehensive and we waited THREE hours for the train ride to open.  Mark talked me into going into some twister, drop ride and I felt like I was going to barf for an hour after - but, all in all, it was a great day!

 Melanie came home in May and said she wanted to do a hoola hooping routine in the her school's talent show.  I was pretty skeptical at first - she is outgoing - but, can be pretty shy too at times.  She had a couple bouts of uncertainty, but in the end - she was AMAZING!  I am so proud of my girl!  She really has grown and come a long way lately and I am so happy she has grown in confidence and got up on that stage.  I know I would have never been able to do it!

 John and his shades!  He is such a cool kid!

 Mel and her friend Emily.  And Mel with a new hair style she rocked.  It was crazy how many compliments she got that day! :-)

 John being his usual creative self.  Painting and LOTS of paint seem to be his latest passion.

 At the end of June, Mel "bridged" from a Brownie to a Junior with her Girl Scout troop. Next year her uniform will be green.  I can't believe these girls are mostly the same ones who started when they were 5!  They have all grown so much and she is really growing some fun relationships this past year that we are happy are developing.  She continues to enjoy her troop and we are glad that it's something that she likes to do and be involved in.  She has two Girl Scout camps planned for the summer and she also went to a weekend overnighter camp with her troop in April. 

 Now school is out and we are just enjoying the summer.  The weather hasn't been the nicest, but when it is, we get out as much as possible and just play and visit parks and local fountains and go to the library and feed the ducks and play in the yard and watch our garden grow, and, and...we certainly aren't lacking in fun!  Mark and I try and keep our kids as busy as possible..wears us all out!  But, we also enjoy it, as much as we may complain!  We were just talking a couple weeks ago and were saying that when our kids are gone we aren't going to know what to do with ourselves.  And they will be gone soon enough :-(  We just really are enjoying having me home, doing all we can as a family and enjoying and embracing this time.  I continue to clip my recipes and write down books I want to read.  I told Mark I will be trying LOTS of recipes when the kids are gone.  I will have plenty of time to make all kinds of stuff then!