Doggie Days

We thought this would be a great time to give an update on the newest member of our family. Raxtus is now four months old and weights in at 17lbs. He seems to take on the temperament of whomever he's hanging out with, and thus, if we're being loud and playful or calm and quiet he adapts to the mood and blends in perfectly. In a nut shell, he's a fantastic dog!

                                             

 

Random Endings

Our final week of summer was filled with a number of random activity's that allowed for both laughter and relaxation. We taught the kiddos one of our favorite childhood games (capture the flag), then set the back yard up accordingly and went at it. We did change one tiny rule however. Instead of tagging people with hands, we used water balloons. It was great fun, and of course ended in a full fledged water fight. That's when I pulled the camera out to take pictures for posterity's sake - keeps me dry! In addition, we had friends over, spent time at friends houses, and attended a fun church party. It was a relaxing,wonderful week before school begins again. 

Thursday evening the kids school had an open house to meet their news teachers and other fellow students. With a third new school in three years our kiddos were very apprehensive, yet once again, Heavenly Father showed us His tender mercy. Each of their teachers were wonderful, kind, and mindful of them individually. We left that night with three happy kiddos who are now super excited for school, and two very relieved and grateful parents.

                                              

Monkey Business

Only two weeks left before we must face the inevitable of returning to routines. That being said, lets live it up!

Myrtle Beach

We headed for the coast this past Saturday and enjoyed an evening at the beach. With no traffic the trip takes exactly two hours, and since dogs are allowed to join in the fun at five, we packed up the kiddos and puppy at three on the dot and began our journey. We enjoyed a warm ocean and beautiful sunset, then grabbed some dinner and headed for home. We weren't quite sure how this experience would play out but found ourselves pleasantly surprised. Raxtus (and a few of the kids) slept both ways of the trip - and we all loved the ocean and had a fantastic four hours running and filling buckets from the dollar store. I would say the only downfall would be Azure and Raxtus wanting to eat the sand! The fact that Steven and I were still smiling at 11pm as he bathed kids upstairs and I bathed our puppy on the back porch must be solid proof that the trip was a great success. 

Summer Days of August

Military discounts and summer clearance sales have already offered us many fun times at a great price. Our kiddos have benefited greatly from this particular move when dealing with the topic of summer break. Missouri schools let out two weeks ahead of most East Coast schools, so technically these little munchkins will receive four "extra" weeks of summer vacation. August 27th is their first day here, and I must admit, that sounds more correct to me than any other starting date. When I was little we always returned after Labor Day - and now it seems as though each year they head back one week earlier. These "bonus" weeks couldn't have come at a better moment either. Since a few weeks were spent devoted to a move and putting our new home together, we are grateful for the extra time and are determined to make the most of it! 

By the way, the bottom pic is one with the kids posing during a Ballard Family dance off. It's my favorite by far! Love their faces and intensity. Just wait 'til I post the video! :)