This year, during the dog days of summer…
…Levi gave his blankets a ride in his hotrod.
…David started reading to Levi.
…the boys made special discoveries like snake skin.
…and they made many, many, many, many tents around the house many, many, many, many times.
We participated in some fun festivities thanks to Kidz Community Choir…
David is finally old enough to join Stephen in the Community Kidz Choir, and it is so cute watching him, our passionate little drama king!
We missed out on the Kidz Choir camp this year because…
We made our usual trips to The Holy City of the Wichitas (where Gary and I got married!)…
and to the top of Mt. Scott.
But the most funnest thing in the world was taking care of Teta Marie’s older sister, my niece Lena. Isn’t she a doll?!?
The only setback was that our van was totaled by a drunk driver in the middle of the night. No one was hurt, and the check engine light had come on about two hours before the accident. So… let’s just say I think that was a blessing in disguise.
Before I leave the topic of Oklahoma, let me just say that the Wichitas boast the loveliest sunsets.
We rewarded our children’s efforts by visiting the Wilderness of the Smokies…
… and got a big kick out of the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge.
With Gary in Tanzania for my birthday in June of this year, the boys made up for it by making me a “flag cake” with a very special message.
Gary finally finished the shelving in the boys’ rooms, and now the train is running – all the way around David’s room and through the wall into Stephen’s room and back!
The boys also helped to build a rockwall around the sandbox.
Gary was transferred from Tanzania to Brazil, placing him about 3,500 miles – or 12 hours flight time – closer to home. This has been a long-awaited answer to our prayers for him to be transferred to this side of the world!
Levi and I spent some quality one-on-one time…
While his brothers participated in things like Vacation Bible School and Art in the Park.
I finally cleaned up this stack of papers that has been looming in our bedroom for half a year now.
Stephen turned 9 years old in July. That boy keeps getting older, and sometimes just looking at him makes me weep…
Matter of fact, I practiced this song and sang it to him the night of his birthday.
Stephen entered four of his creations into the county fair and won five ribbons!
It’s been a fast and furious summer for us. I just wanted to capture the memories lest I forget…
