Ahhh! Much Better...

Today was a much better day than yesterday.  I didn't get a whole lot done, but we got to enjoy some sweet friends and enjoy one of the last days before summer vacation is over.  Parker, Grayson and I spent midday at the pool with two of their friends and their mom.  This will sadly be one of our last chances to hang together before our friends make their big move to Pennsylvania.  They will be moving in a few weeks and will be missed. But, today we focused on having fun and tried not to be sad about their moving away. After playing at the pool, Parker and Grayson attended a very cute end of summer Tye-dye party and as you can see from their smiling faces below, they had a blast. 

Parker is holding his tye dye shirt he made. As you can see it was reallllly hot outside today.

Holding her cute tye-dye shirt she just made

You can never have too many silly bands on your arm at one time.......

Stressed Filled Day......

What a day!! I mean really.....It has been one of those days when I just want to throw my hands up and say "I Quit", I want to get in my car and just start driving and keep driving. I wouldn't ever really do that. It just releases something in me to say it out loud. Nothing tragic has happened, but I just can't seem to get a handle on everything and need to vent. Better yet, I need to spend some quiet time with my sweet savior. Our family needs to get back to our family devotion time and I need to organize my days better.

I came home from a mid morning meeting to find my mother (beginning stages of Alzheimer's and cannot walk steady) stuck on a hill in the front yard in her power wheelchair. It sounds to crazy to actually be true, but it is. My older boys had just seen her outside and had approached her to help. Of course when we tried to help, she became angry with us because she cannot seem to get in her mind that she cannot do some things for safety reasons. Of course she can't get it in her mind because of her illness.....duh. The story doesn't end there, but ends with her crashing her power chair in her living room. I have to laugh a little because if I don't I will surely break out in tears at this point. All of this started because she wanted to take out her own trash and not let Kanon help her. After this ordeal, she became upset with me because I wouldn't drop everything and take her shopping. Now really....does she really need to be trying to navigate stores at this point?

My mother truly cannot comprehend that I have 4 children I am trying to get ready to go back to school, laundry that needs to be done, Kanon has a party this afternoon to attend, I have dinner to prepare, a consulting business that has unfinished projects, and rental property with a renter moving out today. It's also the end of the month and bills need to be paid and I have some cleaning that needs to be finished. I would also really like to have a few minutes to just spend time with my family. I'm so glad my dear husband is at work right now because he would be thinking I have gone crazy. It's days like this that remind me how quickly things can go wrong and that I should be focusing on what's really important. I truly feel that I am suffering caring for my mom. Some days it is so hard and a feeling I can't describe. I also feel extremely guilty for these thoughts. When I slow down and think and pray, I very quickly realize this is what I am supposed to do and there is a purpose and that she is my mom.

In John 14:31, Jesus said that the reason that He was doing what the Heavenly Father commanded of Him (going willingly to the cross) was so that the world may know the love of the Father. When we experience suffering, we are also sharing in Christ's sufferings - so we too, know in a deeper and fuller way the Love of our Father!

I pray for peace in these circumstances. I pray that I will be strong and handle these situations in a way that sets a positive example for my children. I know I don't always do that and I need to get better. I also need to realize, I'm not alone and to trust in my heavenly father.

Vacation.......Vacation!

I'm not sure where to really begin.  These last few weeks have flown by and have been jammed packed with fun.  Our family beach vacation was a little different this year.  We usually go to Orange Beach and stay at this great place called The Caribe.  It's beautiful and the pool has 4 water slides and a lazy river. This usually keeps the kids really busy.  We usually stay a week and have time to relax, but this year was a little different.  Some sweet friends got tickets to see a Jimmy Buffet, Zac Brown and Kenny Chesney Concert at the beach and invited us to go.  We love country music and thought that would be a blast.  I never usually want to leave the kids, so we invited our sweet girl Sidney to go along and watch the younger kids while we went to the concert.  This way we all got to go.  At the last minute, our friends had a very sad family moment that didn't allow them to go so they graciously ask us to use their tickets too, so.....we all ended up going to the concert.  It was a blast and I definitely think we will remember this vacation for some time to come.  If you asked the kids, they will remember this as the time daddy's shoes were stolen.  Details about this hilarious moment later.  Below are some wonderful pictures capturing some fun moments.

This is us before we left for the big Jimmy Buffet concert on the beach. I look a little crazy in this picture, but it's good of everyone else and I will take any picture where we are all together.

                          It's all about me!"  as Grayson would say......

My sweet little ones on the

 beach.  I never get tired of seeing them love on each other.

Parker and Grayson are only 15 months apart and for the most part it's like having twins.  People will stop me on the street or in a store and say things like, "oh..how cute twins..a boy and girl".  They are making sweet memories together and will look back on all the fun times they have shared together.  I always wished growing up, that I could have a big brother and this lucky little girl has 3 of them.  My hope is that they will always remain close as they get older.

Sweet Sidney.  Thank you for going Syd!

Finally Summer........

I am so excited. I finally feel as if summer has arrived for us to slow down and enjoy ourselves.  Parker has finished basketball camp and baseball all-stars and we are gearing up for the beach.  But before we leave, we are enjoying spending a few lazy days and nights of summer hanging out with each other. I am so used to our schedules being so busy, I think I have forgotten how to relax.  I will definitely figure it out though.  I am loving us not only being able to relax our bodies, but relaxing our minds as well.  I do have a few projects around the house to be completed...(for my sweet husband that is). I am extremely grateful for him and everything he does.  He never complains about any "honey do" list.  He just recently moved around lots of furniture in our house to give me a better home office.  Thank you Don!  I'll post a picture below.  I think I should be more productive now. At least that's what I told my sweet husband. Ha!  After vacation I promise to get back to work.  Thank you God for my wonderful family and all the sweet blessings you have given us.

Go... Parker.... Go!

 Look how cute he is.....

My home office where all the work happens.

You can't have summer without watermelon. I used to love 

eating watermelon out by the pool when I was a kid.

If only they could love on each 

other like this without fighting all the time.

Look at that sweet smile, but don't let it fool you she

 can hang with her brothers anyday!