Hitting the Pool

We got to spend the week with Sarah and Caleb this week while Chris and Elijah were at a Missions conference in Texas.  We had a great and busy week!  These kiddos were all so good!  

Even though it wasn't exactly hot today they wanted to swim since they were all such great kiddos this week I said okay lets go!  

I do not like to swim unless it's in the upper 90's so I knew I would be sitting out so I took my camera and got a couple of cute pictures!  

They actually asked me to go across the pool and take this one.  They are so perfect for me!!

Pretty girls!

I love that all of my kids enjoy their time with Caleb he is so much younger than they are but they just love and care for him so much!

Pretty kiddos were so excited about jumping in at the 9 foot!

I just love them all!!!

Edmond Road VBS video :)

Ten Months

Brandy

It has been over 10 months since you have left this old ugly world and joined our father in Heaven!  I think I can say the shock of loosing you has worn off however my heart still misses you every single moment of every single day!  How I wish you were hear for one more "trip" to Oklahoma, one more telephone call or I'd even take one more text at this point.  Just to say Hi and I love you and say it to you and know that you hear me.  

I've spoken to people who say that they can talk to you in heaven and they feel you hear them but I don't feel it.  When I speak it's more just to God.  How I wish I felt you could hear me! 

I am not worried about you I know your happy and enjoying the presence of God.  It's us still here on earth.  Until you passed away I always kinda had a dread for death.  Now I feel a longing to join  you and God!  I know my job here isn't done so I'll keep working on things here.  

I haven't been able to go to sleep lately.  You know me I've always been the night owl and not a morning person.  However it's just getting later and later.  Last night it was after 4AM before I could fall asleep.  I can't lay down until I am about to pass out because I will start thinking about you and that day!  The day that changed our lives forever!  

In ways it still feels like it couldn't be true!  Unfortunately I know that it is!  

I have worried about nightmares since you have passed especially after I got a few more details because I tend to have them.  Thankfully I've only had a few dreams that I remembered.  One that had you in it.  In the dream you knew that you were going to pass soon it wasn't an accident though.  You weren't in pain . . .I am not sure why but you were at peace and you talked to us.  I think maybe you were trying to tell me that you were okay with God's plans and that I needed to be too!

I know you can see it but Chris is doing amazing with the kids!  I am so thankful I am here and get to see them so much!  It is going to be hard when school starts and I do not have Caleb . . .I know I'll see Sarah and Elijah at the school even though they are not in my class.  Caleb though with be with Nancy everyday.  She is lucky to get to love on him so much!

I miss you so much at times my heart feels like it will stop from the pain!  

She is 10

WOW! How can this baby girl be 10?  I can't believe it!  It doesn't seem possible!  I remember when I turned 10 and I thought I was pretty big stuff!  

This is a girl who has NEVER played with dolls other than a small span of time she loved Barbies!

Then a few months ago I bought her Mckenna it's an american girl movie about a gymnast.  This sparked her interest in both gymnastics and the doll.  

So for her birthday she wanted these dolls she picked them out.  

(I tend to believe this will be a short lived love but who knows I could be wrong and I'd be happy about that!)

My sweet girl and her birthday presents on her birthday!

Caylea and I were able to spend some time just me and her thanks to my friend who was more than happy to take my other two to a friends birthday party on the same afternoon.  

Caylea and I met my Mom for lunch and then we went shopping . . . we then had time to hit a salon and get mani and pedi's.  

Caylea and Carolina have gotten their nails painted many, many times at the nail salon.  However I've kinda saved the mani and pedi for later.  I thought today was the perfect day to do it!

We had a great time together! 

(the next two are phone pictures. . .I didn't get near enough real pictures from our day)

Caylea, I and my Mom at lunch. . .Caylea chose Mazzio's.

Caylea at the nail salon!

Happy Birthday at Vacation Bible School!!

Vacation Bible School

What a fun busy week we had at VBS! 

My beautiful Caylea on the first night 

and handsome Caden 

Caylea with her cousin Bri and friends working in craft time

Caylea, Livi and Macy posing for me during game time 

Some of the girls in Caylea's class what a fun group!

My Mr. Cool dude!

Some sweet girls during music!

Tonight I took pictures of each class Caylea's was separate pictures but here is part of the 5th & 6th grade class! 

Caden, Carolina and Sam during game time ~ they did not want to get wet in the water balloon fight!

The 1st and 2nd grade class!  Great kids!

My cousin Monica took these I really liked this one there is Caden and his cousin Sam in music

Anthony playing guitar for the kids

Macy and Caylea during crafts tonight on the last night

My cousin Monica and I after a long week of pictures.

I took most of the pictures although she took some I looked at mine and I took 540 in 4 days ~ she actually took quite a few for me tonight to help fill in my gaps. . .She also took video. . .I can't wait to see the video.  My friend Rae is putting it together.  I have been giving her the pictures each morning.  She has a hard job she has to cut out more than half the pictures and edit the video in.  WOW! 

I am so thankful that is not my job I am not good at ditching pictures!  I tend to keep them all! 

The last two weeks have been crazy last week we were up at the church many many hours each day well into the night working on decorating the church for VBS and then VBS this week.  Next week I have my niece and nephew while my Brother in law and Elijah go to a missions conference.  Also Anthony will be out of town as well as my best friend and Chris's parents.  The week will either be super calm and chill or crazy. . .I guess I will find out quickly enough :) 

On a much for serious note this little girl Ashley Kate is my best friends niece.  She has literally had a piece of my heart since Rae first told me about her when I was pregnant with Carolina.  She is just a few months older than Carolina and was due around the same time as Carolina but she came a little early and she was in the NICU.  This sweet family can use all of the prayers for comfort, wisdom, peace and strength they can get right now.  I read Trish's words and it just breaks my heart.  Ashley's Birthday party is in 3 weeks in Longview, TX I really want to go.  I got to go the her 2nd and 3rd they were here in Oklahoma.  I had to miss the 4th in Longview and the 5th in Omaha.  However because we were living in Shreveport it was easy to make the 6th and 7th and so good to see Ash.  During both of these parties she looked so good you would of never known what she was fighting on the inside of her body!  Ashley's 8th Birthday is coming up as it does and whether or not I am able to attend I pray that everything goes as smoothly as possible for Trish, Ashley and the rest of the family! 

Splash Pad

My kiddos loved splash pads before we moved to Louisiana.  We had one near our house in Oklahoma City.  However when we moved to Louisiana we had a neighborhood pool.  Even though there was a splash pad in Bossier we never visited it.  

Our neighborhood pool here is closed on Mondays.  I have my nephews and niece that day.  So I wanted to do something fun with them.

A friend from church has a splash pad near her so we met some friends up there last Monday.

All of the kiddos have  a great time.

So did I . . .I was so busy enjoying adult conversation that I didn't get many pictures.

I do love the few I did get!

They document a few hours in one day this summer. . .the year we moved back to Oklahoma.  I hope one day my kids can look at all these pictures and remember the good times of their childhood!  

We do have a lot of good times mixed in this time we call life!

I hope that you can all same!

July 4th

We started off the day meeting some friends at the Edmond Liberty Fest Parade.  We arrived about an hour early and thankfully Rachael's Mom was already saving a spot because the place was filling up quickly!  

Caden and Isaac playing BleyBlades waiting for the parade to start. 

Love this cute boy!  We had a great time at the parade.  I love making new memories for my kiddos.  I want their childhood to be full of all of these great positive memories to mix in with the all stuff that is just life!  

Carolina with some friends.  They enjoyed their front row seat!  

Abby holding baby Jack!  He was just waving that flag around it was so cute!! Every time I went to take a picture someone walked in front of us or he quit waving it around.  Still a cute shot I think!

Carolina and her Daddy!  Such love between these two!  

Another of my precious boy Caden!

My 3 lovies!  They don't always want to take pictures for me but I am so thankful they don't put up too much of a fight!

In the evening we went to Amanda's house for a fun cookout and fireworks!  I had such a great time! Fireworks in close range will always freak me out and cause a little anxiety but I tried my best to chill and enjoy being with some of those who love me most! 

It sure was a blessing to spend the holiday with those who came!

Amanda and Aaron had invited Anthony's parents, his Aunt Patsy and cousin Melissa and her family.  Along with our Brother Lawrence and sister Stephanie and their families and Shelly.  

David and Hannah and their cutie Avery and Mike, Nancy and Bryce and My mom and Dad also came.

It was a great evening I hope I am not forgetting anyone.

Stephanie, Will and Caleb

Some of the kiddos enjoying a tug of war game before fireworks started.

Getting ready to start

I am so glad we have some members of our family who want the kiddos to have a good time and be safe.  I would never be comfortable lighting a smoke bomb and letting my child through it or lighting roman candles in my child's hand and letting them shoot them off.  I wouldn't want to do that or even let them but I am glad that they get to! 

Little Khloe enjoying some poppers!

Taylor and Liz.  Lizzie wasn't too sure about all the noise to start with but she ended up enjoying herself very much!!

Uncle WA helping Carolina light some kind of firework and then teaching her to RUN!!

How cute is she?

Khloe loves her cousin Caylea!!!. . .and Caylea didn't mind carrying her around at all!

Sweet precious girls!  I love this shot! and these girls!!!

Nancy brought the girls some head bands too cute!  and all the kiddos a light up necklace how fun!!!! 

They only started a couple of fires. . .yeah really thankfully they had plenty of water on hand and a fire extinguisher!!

I took some pictures of fireworks and they are okay.  However I am excited about next year because I am going to take my tripod and lower my shutter speed and hopefully get some better pictures!