Summer Fun... Flying By...

School letters arrived in the mail and I bought back to school supplies this week... is it REALLY time to start thinking about going back?  I ♥♥♥ summer and am not ready to think about it coming to an end.  Seriously, it feels like summer JUST started.  I am only working 2 days/wk this summer and we have had an awesome summer... and if it is true that a picture is worth 1000 words, then here are a lot of words from our summer fun so far!

Jaycie did cheer camp and horse back riding camp with her best buddy, Leah.  This is a sweet, sweet friendship we are very thankful for!  They LOVED it!  Jessica spent 2 weeks at camp "Papa & Memommy" and she did a week of horse back riding camp.  All of the kids enjoyed VBS... as did I... loving on the sweet babies in the nursery!!  Jaycie & Jamie are at camp "Papa & Memommy" now... and Jacob will go next week (w/Jaycie, too). 



Jaycie is on the front row (center) with her arms up.



Excited to be at the top!

Jaycie rode Cocoa again this year.



Jessica & Stormy (she has been riding Stormy for ~2 years)



Jess loves riding bareback!

Cantering

Jaycie, Kaylyn, Sydney, & Jessica

Ms. Sandy has been Jessica's riding instructor for 3 years...
she has a heart of gold... for the kids & the horses!!

Hanging out with sweet friends from church
after our last night of VBS...

We celebrated Jessica's 11th birthday, Father's Day, and James' birthday all in the same weekend!  For Jessica's birthday, we volunteered at the animal shelter... her 2nd year doing this!

Jessica's 11th birthday breakfast!!

At the animal shelter

If you ask for ice cream cake on your birthday,
you get ice cream cake on your birthday!

Dad & Ann spent Father's Day (& the birthday) weekend with us!

C-man (aka Colby) proudly poses with us!

Happy Father's Day!!!

We have spent a lot of our free time at the pool with great friends!  This is the first year I felt comfortable taking all of the kids to the pool without James... and they have done GREAT!!!  The underwater camera has been a huge hit with the kids... I let the older girls play with it and there have definitely been some funny pictures! 

Leah & Jaycie

Jamie, Leah, & Jaycie

Jacob & Grandma Geri

Abbi, Jessica M, Jessica G, & Jaycie

Jessica - underwater she actually likes having her picture taken!

Jamie

Savannah

Noah - I love this pic!

Morgan, Jacob, Katy, Jaycie, Gracie, Jamie, & Emily

Tom - my BFF from high school...
stopped by w/his family to visit!

Timmy - Is he not THE cutest little thing? 
Tom's Minni-me!!

Over the 4th... we spent a long weekend at James' parents' house.  They had a family reunion while we were there and we were able to see a lot of extended family (I didn't get good pics at the reunion... too much going on!)  The kids had a blast playing in the river, in the boat, & on the tube... and as always, they loved spending time with their cousins, Grant & Sage!

This describes their relationship perfectly!
Jamie is mothering (and a little bossy!)
Jacob is always silly & goofy!

Colby - contemplating getting in...

The good news... he CAN swim!!!
The bad news... he really does NOT like to!



Realizing he prefers to watch the kids swim from shore!



Grandmama & Granddaddy... and all the Grands!
Sage, Jessica, Grant, Jacob, Jamie, & Jaycie

Sunset from the pier... so relaxing!

We were able to spend a day with my grandparents!  Mom, Jim, Shelly, & Sydney met us there... and it was really a nice day!  Grandmom had just gotten out of the hospital... but she was doing much better than she had been!  They love seeing the kids!!

My grandparents, Sydney & our four "J's"

Nana (my mom), Papa Jim, Sydney, and the four "J's"

Me & Shelly (my sister)

Granddaddy gave Jacob this car and made his day...
then Jacob got so relaxed in Granddaddy's lap he fell asleep...
making Granddaddy's day!

We have been able to spend some time at the beach & hope to get to spend a little more (love living close to the coast!)  The girls are perfecting their boogie boarding skills and Jacob has finally decided that he enjoys it, too!  Thanks to the B's for inviting us to spend a weekend with them!  We had a great time!

Morgan & Jamie

Katy made "Bella"

Jacob LOVES Emily...
and I think the feeling is mutual!



Jacob & Morgan



Jamie, Morgan, Jacob, Katy, Gracie, Jaycie, & Emily
(Jess was at Dad's)



Melissa reading a bedtime story...
Jacob really does love being the only boy...
He gets a lot of attention that way!

We spent some time in Raleigh with Nana & Papa Jim... and we took the kids to the Natural Science Museum.  It had been awhile since we had been to the museum... we still loved it!  Then the kids ALL stayed at camp "Nana & Papa Jim" for a few days!

Nana & the kids

Nana also came and spent a week with us.  She watched the kids for me while I worked Monday & Tuesday... and we spent the rest of the week playing at the pool & beach!

We spent time on the lake with Londa, Troy, & Hunter (our awesome neighbors)... as always, we had a BLAST!!! 

Jessica LOVED the jet ski w/Londa!
Jaycie took a ride, too!

Jamie would only ride with me... slowly...

Hunter & Jacob chilling out... waiting for lunch...
shrimp & burgers... yum!

Hunter & Troy

Jamie

Jessica

Hunter

Jaycie



Jamie

And finally... fun around the house.  We have been converting the play room into the kids' TV room... slowly.  We finally got it all set up... and their favorite thing is... the TV box... aka the fort!  Even Colby likes the fort!

Here's to a few more great weeks of summer!