21 Summers...

On Sunday, Kyle and I took the kids to the lake to celebrate Independence Day with my mom and dad.

It was a wonderful day.

At the house, we played cards and watched movies. The kids climbed up and down the bunk beds no less than 100 times. Once we were on the water, we enjoyed a boat ride, tubing and a relaxing swim in a quiet cove.

And at the end of the day, so much fun had been had that we decided to stay the night and enjoy it all again the next day.

{Tubing}

{Cooling off in the cove}

{Searching for treasures on the shore}

 

While we were on the water Monday afternoon, I thought to myself...

My parents bought this boat when I was 13.

I've soaked up  21 summers of sunshine right here.
Swam in these very waters more times than I could count.

And I remembered so clearly the days that I sat in the back seats with my feet propped up on the side wondering what life held for me.
A husband? A family?

There on the water with my husband and children, all those years behind me seemed to have passed like mere moments.

Once again I was amazed at how quickly life moves from one season to the next. Gone before we know it.

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:14

And it made me want to...
snuggle my babies
kiss my husband
thank my parents
visit my grandmother
laugh with my friends
not just read, but know my Bible
lift my hands in praise to my Heavenly Father
honor Him
bring Him glory
serve Him
go where He sends me
love His people
tell them about Him, His love, His Son
and not waste another moment of this precious life!

Only one life, 'twill soon be past.
Only what's done for Christ will last.
-C.T. Studd

One of those days...just rambling

At a little before 8:00 last night...yeah, just about bedtime for the children...we loaded into the mini-van my swagger wagon and headed north  for one of our favorite summer treats...snow cones.

Have you seen the swagger wagon video? It is hil.ar.i.ous! And, for me, it never gets old.
I have an Odyssey, but I've got to give props to Toyota on this one. Check it.

You're laughing, aren't you? And you can relate, huh? 

I know. Me too.

Back to the snow cones...

But first a quick plug here...Firehouse Snow Cones just off the square in Celina, TX has the very best snow cones in the whole wide world. My recommendation? The Jack Jack. It's three flavors of sugary delight...cotton candy topped with wedding cake topped with strawberry.  Yumyumyumyumyum.

So we're on our way to cups full of empty calories and sugar highs when I realize that I have no cash. This is no surprise because I never ever ever have cash in my wallet. I don't even remember how I functioned before the invention of the debit card. My poor kids think anything and everything can be purchased with "that card thingy". Ugghhh...Dave Ramsey would be so disappointed in me.

Anyway...you know what else? We're always low on milk at our house...which was again the case last night. No matter how many gallons I buy...I feel like I'm always saying, "Better stop at the store. We need milk for the kids' breakfast." I'm telling you...these kids of mine go through it!

So lucky for us...CVS came to our town a couple of years ago. Which is so convenient because with the swipe of a debit card you can get grossly overpriced milk and up to thirty dollars cash back!

Which is exactly what I did.

About half an hour after we first left, we were finally on our way. At one point during the drive, I ran my  tongue over my teeth. Felt a little fuzzy. And I thought...Did I brush my teeth today? Sheesh! What had me so busy that I completely skipped basic oral hygiene? 

And for the life of me I couldn't remember.

So it was one of those days.
Not a bad one. Just the kind that leaves you with fuzzy teeth and not a single memory of what happened throughout the day.

{Evan wearing his Spiderman t-shirt while eating a Spiderman flavored snow cone. Which makes him look like he's either been punched in the mouth or a very young member of the Cullen family.}

{Olivia enjoying a Barbie flavored snow cone while perfecting her eye roll. Give me strength.}

I have no picture of Joshua eating his Sour Apple snow cone because there were older kids around and he was having one of those "I'm-too-cool-to-let-my-mom-take-a-picture-of-me" kind of days. Whatever.

{And here it is...my swagger wagon's empty seat. Every time I get in the driver's seat, I look back at it and imagine another pink car seat, an Ethiopian princess and sweet sisters giggling as we drive along.}

Boy becomes Fish!

School is out, but we've got some serious learning going on!

Yesterday afternoon Evan decided he was done "floating"...he wanted to swim like his big brother. So my mom (who is awesome when it comes to lessons like "how to blow a bubble", "how to tie your shoes" and "how to swim") gave him a quick lesson. And that was it! Within a matter of minutes, he was swimming the entire width of the pool.

Way to go, Evan! Your family is so proud of you!

Summer

Joshua has been out of school since June 3rd. That means we have had 11 full days of summer and let me tell you...we have enjoyed every minute of it!

There have been late nights and quiet, sleepy mornings.  Three trips to the movies (Summer Movie Club at a local theater makes this possible...50 cents a ticket!). Long afternoons swimming at Grandma and Peepaw's pool. Snow Cones. Family games of kickball in our cul-de-sac and fun with sidewalk chalk. A get-every-book-you-want trip to the library. And many nights (6 to be precise) bleedin' blue, cheering on our Dallas Mavericks!

Oh, summer time...how I love you!

{My bathing beauty...enjoying a snack poolside}

{My little Mavs maniacs...off to church on Sunday morning}

{An evening swim...why bathe them when you can chlorinate them?}

And this mama's been doing some reading too.

I read this book...

And now I'm reading this book...

Not exactly your typical summer reads. But challenging. Convicting. Inspiring. And, in my opinion, two books that every follower of Christ should read. But before you read Radical Together, you must read Radical by the same author-David Platt. Okay, so not two but three books every believer should read!

Over the next month, I'm going to enjoy more summer fun. And, thanks to grandparents, hubby and I are going to enjoy some date nights. Oooooo la la! 

And then...I'm going to Ethiopia. No, this trip is not related to the adoption. But it has everything to do with what God started in our lives one year ago this month. He stirred our hearts and created in us a desire to care for orphans...specifically those in Ethiopia. Funny thing is...even as we surrendered to God's plan to adopt, Kyle and I made some of our own. We thought we'd adopt and then do missions someday. But our ways are not His ways (Isaiah 55:8) and here I go! I can't wait to share more as I prepare for the trip and then after I'm home.

And one more thing on the agenda for this summer...blogging. I keep neglecting this little blog of mine and hubby is not happy about it! Apparently he really enjoys signing on and reading about this life of ours. So in an effort to keep my biggest fan happy and maintain my role of submissive wife...I will get back to blogging!

So how about you? Whatcha been doin'? Whatcha been reading? Got big plans for the summer? Do tell.