spontaneity=smiles

Kyle called at 2:30 on Tuesday and asked if we'd like to go to Galveston for a couple of days...we were packed and in the car before 4:30 :) We thought our days of being spontaneous were over once we had kids, guess not!

So happy!

TONS of energy!

Along for the ride :)

so blessed :)

a much needed break!

Daddy buried Brooke...when Brooke saw the beach she said "this is where Uncle Bob lives"...the last time she saw the beach was in Flordia and my brother literally camped out on the beach for four days :) guess she couldn't tell the difference between Destin and Galveston!

Erin wanted to be a mermaid...her wish was daddy's command!

a sandcastle with a moat!

They loved the beach and shell searching...Erin was particular in her quest for beautiful shells. Brooke, not so much, it's kinda like her shoe obsession...any and all will do.

Praying for Stellan today...

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord.I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord.Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait.
I will move ahead, bold and confident.Taking every step in obedience.While I'm waiting, I will serve You.While I'm waiting, I will worship.While I'm waiting, I will not fade.I will be running the race, even while I wait.
I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord.I am peaceful, I'm waiting on You Lord.Though it's not easy, no, but faithfully I will wait.Yes I will wait.
I will move ahead, bold and confident. Taking every step in obedience.While I'm waiting, I will serve You.While I'm waiting, I will worship.While I'm waiting, I will not fade.I'll be running the race, even while wait.
I will move ahead, bold and confident.I will be taking every step in obedience.While I'm waiting, I will serve You.While I'm waiting, I will worship.While I'm waiting, I will not fade.I will serve you while I'm waiting.I'll worship while I'm waiting.

the circus...

Our sweet friend, Ms. Betty, gave us tickets to the Circus, the greatest show on earth :) The girls loved it...as long as they were assured the elephants and tigers were on leashes...

the girls...

with their Cha Cha....

the clowns...

the expensive spinning light toys :)

the opening act...

THE BIG ELEPHANTS!!

watching the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey and all the craziness out there on the floor, definitely reminded me of my own real life circus...all the juggling to entertain one, while hoping we're quiet enough not to wake the sleeping babe, and trying to keep another from crying...there really is never a dull moment...I need to remember to sit back, take it all in, and enjoy it every once in awhile :)

this is how...

Kameron crawls!! and it works...

scoot forward...

pull back...

forward...

back...

Erin and Brooke did not crawl this way...but, it's good enough and it has already changed life around here...her favorite places within 48 hours of mobility...the fireplace and stairs! Some things NEVER change :)

Back in the day...

I could tumble.  But, those days are gone....when Rachel and I were in PA I was too afraid to even do a back flip on the trampoline...she wasn't though...it was like riding a bike for her.

So, the girls are in gymnastics this summer and they love it :)  They're in a class with a lot of their friends...

very coordinated :)

Brooke checking big sis...

all smiles...

more warm-up...

down low...

up high...

jumping!

front rolls...

obstacle course play...

woohoo!

crab walk :)

Not My Child Monday!

It's Not My Child Monday, instead of me...so this should be more fun :)

Yes, I do have 'not my child' moments...and laugh at the coffee mug you've seen that says, "who are these children and why are they calling me mom?"  Some are recent and some are not!

Erin did not put my diamond cross necklace down the sink drain when she was 18 months old. She did, however, tell me where it was when I frantically asked where she put it!

Brooke did not disappear during a swim party at my house and put an entire new 'BIG' roll of toilet paper down the commode and proceeded to flush, and flush, and flush, flooding my bathroom.   Nope, not Brooke!

Erin did not use a not so nice adjective, while hugging a friend goodbye.  No, not my Erin, she isn't a verbally expressive 4 year old little girl!

Brooke did not climb four shelves and calmly rest her head while Erin screamed out for help.  No, not Brooke, you don't have to watch her like a hawk!

remember?

There you go.  Have a GREAT Monday!

pictures by rachel...

We had a really productive day :)  I like days like today, rather than the day we had yesterday...a VERY lazy day was had by all on Monday.  So, when I nursed Kameron at 5:45 this morning I didn't go back to bed...I went directly for a run, to the grocery store, and fed my girls all before 7:30 this morning.  Rachel came over at 9 to take pictures and it started like this...

time out...

But, she quickly cooperated in hopes of receiving gummies at the end of the photo session.  Erin likes to take pictures and Kameron is at the perfect age for great shots.  Rachel is really getting good...I plan on ordering the picture below on canvas for Kyle's office.

all three smiling, not crying, and somewhat looking at the camera...

Not easy to do with the ages involved.  But, Rachel did it and I was impressed.   Erin was a ready and willing candidate for anything involving a camera.  She still loves to take pictures and have her pictures taken.

My baby is definitely growing up...

Sweet smile by Brooke...hard to come by, not the smile, the stillness :) 

Kameron had lots of good shots...

so it was hard to decide :)

Not Me Monday!

Gosh, it's already been a week! Time flies when you're having fun, right? Got to love summer...it's the best! Not me Monday was created by MckMama for moments in your life when you do something that makes you think, 'did I do that? No, not me'!
I did not buy organic orzo pasta from the canisters at my grocery store, let it sit on the shelf in my pantry for a week, open it to make a new creation, only to see little live bugs crawling around. I did NOT proceed to sift through the pasta, locate and destroy all unwanted guests, and think to myself, 'if I missed one, the boiling water will take care of it'. Nope, not me! And I certainly, did not serve it to my children, who did not eat it, nor did I have three servings before the story unfolded to Kyle and I came back to reality and dumped the dish!
I did not hang out at the pool last week for many hours with the highlight of that time spent underneath the water slide talking with friends about the end of the world...nope, not me.
I did not take a CPR class and while resuscitating a plastic dummy, I thought about the real life person I was saving the whole time. Not me, I'm not that dramatic!
I hope some of you try this! It's easy, if you're anything like me :)

this is where...

she is happiest.

in a room full of shoes...

she has an undeniable shoe fetish :)

Like a moth to the flame...she is drawn to shoes...it's been her thing since she could walk. I first noticed it at Chick-fil-a...she didn't want to play on the structure, she wanted to try on every pair of shoes in all the little cubbies. She's NOT picky. She likes them all.

At the public pools, she's rummaging through bags desperately looking for shoes she can put on her feet. Kyle overheard her in my closet this morning while he was dressing for work...she was saying to herself, 'I love shoes' as she looked around for a pair she could walk around the house in...

New do's...

The girls are starting to like their hair...and they want to wear it differently. Kameron has more of it, and it seems to be blonde. Brooke isn't patient enough nor tough 'headed' enough for braids and Erin doesn't want just one braid, she wants two :)

We were at the pool for...4 full hours today! Summer, summer, summer!

Kam 'thinking' about pulling up on her own...which we haven't done yet :)

One of her braids...just guessed at how to french braid...

Brooke and what she calls 'honey buns'...

Not Me Monday!

I'm going to try this because I think it's fun and because I certainly have "not me" moments!
I did not take off my bikini top in our pool on the fourth of July (just Kyle and I) so that I could swim faster underwater in order to beat him on the number of pool lengths we could swim without taking a breath...oh no, not me!
I did not float the lazy river at Creekside while breastfeeding Kameron on my inner tube underneath my big floppy white sun hat...and no one commented on what a perfect way to nap my baby while I politely agreed.
I did not walk with the Tea Party in the 4th of July parade behind a man with big black combat boots and a sign that had pictures of prominent local representatives telling them that he was their boss...Not Me!
Whew...that was fun! I encourage you to try it! Didn't know I would have so many "not me" moments over the 4th of July :)

Life is so good when...

*I focus on God and stay thankful for all that He's given me...Jesus, Kyle, my girls, my parents, my sisters, my brother, my friends, His beautiful creation...

*I trust Him implicitly...

*I'm eating flaxseed granola over blueberries and yogurt for breakfast...

*I'm running outside and a praise song comes on and I look up in the clouds and think of my Creator...

*I think about taking a vacation with just my husband...

*I live in the moment...swimming with Brooke, underwater, letting my hair get wet...

*I'm holding Kameron and watching Erin and Brooke play (oh, so nicely)...

*my friends' kids are friends with my kids....

*I crawl into bed before 9 :)

Life is good just about all the time these days...

on a lazy day, questions are answered...

by my girls....

Who is your dad?

e and b: kyle robert

What does he do?

e: takes us to the donut shop sometimes (but we don't eat donuts) :)

b: takes me to church

Who is your mom?

e and b: sarah

How much do you love your mom and dad?

b: I love them so much

e: I love my momma big, so big and I love my dad so big...

What is your favorite thing about summer?

e: playing with all my friends, like daddy, kameron, and everyone I know

b: playing with mimi and papa, and getting in the water at their house

Do you like hot days?

e: I do, I just like to go swimming on hot days

b: I like hot days in summer when I'm swimming

What do you like to play?

e: little mermaid

b: with toys in the car

What's your name?

b: 'burk'

e: erin elizabeth watson

What are you thankful for?

e: you, swimming pools, ocean, kameron, and everyone around me

b: the stars and the flowers

What do you want to do when you're an adult?

b: be a daddy

e: be a mommy, actually I really want to be something else...I want to be all of them, I can't choose...a fireman...

What do you tell Jesus about?

e: I tell Him about the holy words

b: about how I'm going to play

Who is your best friend?

e: Drew and Tyler

b: God

What's your favorite movie?

e: Aladdin

b: the spiders

What is your favorite thing to do?

b: um, play and go swimming

e: play with you, now put the TV back on...

What do you want to do today?

b: umm, play with someone, and play in the house

e: watch TV all day

Fell off...

the blog wagon...but we're all really enjoying these summer days despite the 100 degree heat and walking through soup (the humidity) :)

Erin and Brooke both have fevers this afternoon, which made me nervous because Brooke kissed Ms. Betty on the lips this morning at church, before the fever. I wrote her an email letting her know... she wrote me back and said that if she gets sick, she WILL be well before next Tuesday so that she can come hold Kam on Wednesday. She's so awesome and has fallen in love with Kameron...she tells me her hip is lonely (the one Kameron rides on for hours) when Kameron isn't on it and that she thinks she's in Heaven when she holds our sweet Kam...they met during VBS and it has been love ever since.

Kyle took Erin and Brooke on a kayak tonight and it wore him out...good idea, but only 300 yards out they asked what else could they do...

Both girls are loving gymnastics and swimming for hours on end.

Great summer days...keep em' coming :)

I will take pics this weekend and post them!