June was a month full of fun! Summer time is our favorite time. We love the break from school and with school getting out for summer break in early/mid May by June summer feels like it is in full swing. We are in our routine of summer-time activities. I’m sure one day the kids will want to sleep in, relax, and be lazy on summer break-but that time has not come yet. The love taking advantage of every minute with activities. The kids made a very lengthy “Summer Fun List” of activities they wanted to do this summer so we filled out days that had no other plans with those activities.
First up, was for all 4 kids to “camp out” upstairs in the bonus room. We popped pop corn, watched a movie, then they settled down and enjoyed “camping out” upstairs.
Another activity they wanted to do was make slime. We made snow slime (pictured here) and two other kinds. The snow slime was the favorite because you could ball it up like a snow ball them flatten it back out. Not sure why NK has a magnifying glass in the picture. Maybe she was inspecting the slime?
We let each of the kids pick 2 activities or camps for the summer. One of Nora Kate’s selections was to continue doing gymnastics by enrolling in summer classes. Her classes started in June, so here she is after her first summer gymnastics glass! She has the same teacher that she did back in the school year for gymnastics so she was really excited when we walked in and her teacher said, “Oh, Nora Kate! I’m so glad you’re here!” I have been really excited because now that Covid restrictions have been lifted I can watch her classes and I’m continually impressed.
I’ve had the big 3 do some exercises with me in the garage some this summer.
The next pictures are from a hike we did up on Monte Sano. The kids had been wanting to do a hike with a “fat man squeeze” for months, so they put it on their “summer fun list” of things they want to do this summer. So we did a 4 mile hike with several “fat man squeezes.” It was VERY hot, but a beautiful day for hiking!
Dawson demonstrating the squeeze.
WAY back before Christmas Dawson had a project which involved making a homemade piñata...balloon, newspaper, flour, water, the whole deal of a homemade piñata. He had a blast making it and then he asked me if we could fill it with candy and hit it. I said yes, then life got busy. Now, 7 months later things finally slowed down enough that this moved to the top of our to do list and we bought candy and this piñata was surprisingly more durable than the ones you buy in the store! We hung it from the basketball goal and the kids had a blast hitting it!
Back in May when we were in Florida, Nora Kate and I found matching dresses. We were excited to twin for church on Sunday morning!
As I mentioned each kid got to pick 2 summer activities.
Nora Kate and Carter picked Soccer Camp at the University of Alabama in Huntsville!
They were Chargers for a week!
Here they are on the first day of camp.
Last day of camp and still smiling!
The really loved this camp! They had so much fun.
All the kids at soccer camp the week they went!
Nora Kate’s friend Tiffany was a camp with her!
Carter’s friends Sutton and Bryant were there too, but the boys took off across the fields WAY to fast for me to get a picture!
NK’s friend came home to play with her for a few hours after camp one day. They had fun painting nails, playing floam (pictured here), and more!
While the middles were at soccer camp, Dawson, Clayton, and I had “book ends days.”
We took advantage of the time exploring areas of Huntsville near UAH where they were at camp where we don’t spend much time. So we got to check out 3 new-to-us parks (Kids Space Park, California Avenue Park, ad Oakwood Park). They celebrated one of their bookends days with fancy cupcakes from Edgar’s and a visit to the library. We also scootered around the UAH campus.
At the end of the week Lolly came in town on Friday then Nana and Grandad on Saturday. This is the first time we have had everyone here at the same time, but it was for a special occasion...Dawson’s Confirmation. February through May Dawson took weekly hour and a half long classes at church. He has now completed his confirmation classes and made the decision to be confirmed in the church.
Nana got this yummy cake to celebrate.
Nora Kate and I both had on pearls and she REALLY wanted Lolly to have on pearls too, so she got out some of her jewelry and insisted that Lolly wear this pearl necklace. So here we are in our pearls.
When we got to church we saw Dawson’s name on the screen in the narthex.
Nana and Grandad with Dawson after his confirmation.
Dawson was confirmed in the Contemporary Service at Asbury United Methodist Church on Sunday, June 13, 2021.
Our big boy.
We are so proud of him.
Clayton knew it was a special day for Dawson and was excited that they had on matching dress shirts. Clayton was super sweet with his biggest brother on this special day. Clayton requested I take this picture.
Lolly and Dawson.
All of our family at Dawson’s confirmation.
After church we had a big lunch. I made ham, radishes, asparagus, rolls, baked potatoes, salad, and then we enjoyed the cake Nana brought too!
As family was getting ready to leave the kids put on their swim clothes to get ready to head to a birthday party in the neighborhood. So their goodbye to Lolly picture is in swimwear. We were so thankful that Nana and Grandad and Lolly could all come down for Dawson’s confirmation. It made it that much more special for him. While family was in town we also swam, took everyone to our favorite pizza place-Village Pizza, and walked around the Square a little.
One of their friends in the neighborhood had a birthday party and rented this giant water slide. It was lots of fun!
We have had more pool days than I can count this month! Any time we don’t have something do to, we swim!
This summer I told the kids I would give them a cool treat (drink/milkshake/icee/ etc) for every 150 pages they read in a chapter book. Then when they reached 1,000 pages we would go to The Yard. Carter was excited to reach his 1,000 pages!
Look at this giant reward he got for his 1,000 pages!!!! WOW and YUM!
Everyone else had reached a 150 page marker so they got small scoops of ice cream.
More pool fun
We went to the Cineplanet to see Peter Rabbit 2...popcorn, drinks, and reclining chairs are always a hit at the movies!
June 16th John and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. We had a fancy and yummy dinner at Texas de Brazil at Bridgestreet. Here is our post dinner selfie!
We had lots of fun swimming with out friends the Houghs this month.
The kids even got to spend the night over there one night and had a blast!
Another item on the summer fun list was go to Altitude. John had never come with us before so we saved it for a Saturday morning. Thankfully there were only 2 other families in there.
Nora Kate on the flying trapeze
For Father’s Day we went to the Trash Pandas game. This time we decided to get tickets to sit on the berm and it was GREAT! We spread out our giant quilt and enjoyed the game.
We of course had to go to the playground while we were there.
We were SOOOO hot, if you can’t tell in all these pictures.
This boy melts my heart!
And he loves baseball.
Father’s Day at the Trash Pandas!
We have been getting lots of good stuff from our garden.
Jalapeños, strawberries, snap peas, blueberries, raspberries, radishes.
One night after his shower I pulled Clayton’s hair into a pony tail. He thought it was hilarious and asked that I take his picture.
Another day of picking from the garden.
Another item on their summer fun list was for the kids to make dinner. They made chicken tacos/taco bowls, Spanish rice, black beans, quesadillas, jalapeños from the garden, and mint chocolate cookies,
We have had some absolutely beautiful sunsets. Picture taken from our back patio. No filter.
Dawson at his first Court of Honor.
He earned the rank of scout!
We celebrated after with an Athens Summer Tradition-KREME DELITE in the back of Daddy’s truck.
Another item on the summer fun list-Slip and Slide and sprinkler in the back yard.
I love their expressions in these action shots.
The next week was time for another summer activity.
Carter and Dawson picked Golf Camp.
They really enjoyed all 5 days and were excited to go back each day.
Day one of golf camp
Day 5 of golf camp
Their buddy Henry was doing golf camp the same week!
While the 2 bigs were at golf camp, we had Littles Days. Nora Kate, Clayton, and I had fun meeting up with friend Ruby to play at Palmer park then scooter on the greenway.
Another Littles Day we went to Dublin’s Kids Kingdom which is always a hit.
And a trip to the library.
More playground fun.
We hiked Waterline Trail to Dry Falls and hiked Tree Caves trail. We saw a snake and a turtle.
Here we are hot and sweaty at the top of Dry Falls.
Beautiful green trail
YAY we made the climb!
Two of the 3 caves on the trail.
Everyone still had some energy after hiking a few miles, so we decided to bike 4 miles on the greenway in Madison where we saw another turtle.
The next week Clayton started one of his summer activities-Baseball Camp!
He was so excited and acted so big about it all. Here is is walking across the field to meet up with his group. Look at that big kid!
Baseball camp day 3 (it was just 3 days long which was perfect!)
Baseball camp day 2
Baseball camp day 1
On the last day of camp Clayton got the Best Camper award! He was so proud.
They also let the kids do a giant slip and slide (aka tarp, soap, water hose) for the last hour of camp and he LOVED it. Honestly, I think he loved everything about baseball camp. He knew several other boys there from playing baseball this spring which made it even more fun for him.
While Clayton was at camp we had the 3 bigs day...we went to the big swings playground, the archery park, and the library.
Dawson enjoys archery.
Dawson showing Nora Kate how to use the bow.
Carter aiming!
I have enjoyed watching this Mama duck and her babies every morning as I run around the pond in our neighborhood. She has 6 little baby ducks!
John and I had been talking about getting Dawson his own phone for a few months now. He has never once asked for a phone, but there have been numerous band activities, scout activities, and more where he has needed to be able to call us or text us to tell us when to pick him up. I never thought we would be buying a 12 year old a phone, but honestly in the few weeks that he has had it-it has already been SO nice for us! (And added bonus was that we got a few texts from him while he was at scout camp. They didn’t have great cell service there, but he was able to get a few through that let us know he was having fun and happy!)
Dirt bike Clayton
This boy LOVES his dirt bike!
Dawson hit his 1,000 pages right at the end of June and right before he went to boy scout camp so he ended up having to wait until July to get his treat from The Yard since he was about to leave for Camp.
Lots of sandbox time this summer.
Baseball camp and swimming in the afternoons wore this boy out! I found him super relaxed like this watching tv. This is a rare sight.
We got a giant connect four game for the patio...lots of fun.
We have now reached the point of summer where the pool water feels like bath water and you have to wear your sandals to the pool’s edge because the concrete is so hot.
BUT oh, how we love these hot summers and our time at the pool!
