Catching up!

So much for staying on top of the blog and trying to write more often!  Perhaps that will be a good winter thing to do.  We have been super busy this summer.  We have had lots of fun and enjoyed it all!  Here are quite a bit of posts catching up on the last few months.  Hope you are enjoying summer as much as we are!

A week in Paradise...

Well, perhaps it isn't paradise, but it is a great place to spend time.  Each summer one of my besties Trish, and I, pack up our kids and head to Del Norte to visit the Freemans.  This year Becky and her crew joined us for the week too.  It is rather exhausting and is a week spent making meals, cleaning them up, making more meals, cleaning more dishes, getting millions (okay just 11) kids ready for bed and then starting it all over again!  But, besides that part, it is wonderful and truly a bit of paradise because we are together with friends, not just any, but amazing friends that challenge, bless, laugh, and love you through anything.  The kids thoroughly enjoy it as well and can't seem to get enough of each other.  We love you Freeman's and thank you SO much for letting us invade your life for a week each summer!!

Where else do you look out the window in the morning and see a bunch of cows stopping the traffic on the hwy?  Well, here in Del Norte you can!  We all went out in our pj's to watch the cowboys move their cows!  

The day at the Rio Grande!  The Freeman's live with in walking distance of the river so 

we always enjoy a day of play there.

Did I mention that I love spending the days chatting with these ladies?!

 20 miles away from their house, there was a huge forest fire.  On Thursday night we went and helped a friend of the Freeman's pack up their house since they were going to be evacuated.  Pretty scary!  Thankfully, they were able to move back into their house a few weeks later.

My traveling buddy!  Love you Trish!!

Father's Day

I think my kiddos have the best dad in the world...really I do!  He is very present when he is here, he loves to interact with his kids.  He is patient, kind, silly, and fun.  He is an amazing teacher.  I love how he teaches the kids things so that they understand life and can then work through things that might be difficult.  He is an example of our heavenly father and for that I am so thankful.  Nate, you bless us beyond words, thank you for being an amazing father to our children, there is no one I would rather share life with!

The card we made daddy!  

VBS

We had a great week at VBS this year.  We brought a few friends along and enjoyed the week together!
Each day there was a different theme...

Red Shirt day

Hat day

I helped out two of the days so I wore the old family heirloom hat!

Pajama day

Crazy Hair day

Water day

It was a fun week and I think the kids even learned a thing or two! 

Ballerina Beth

Elizabeth performed in her 3rd ballet recital this June.  She was beautiful and did a fabulous job.  We love seeing her graceful and thoughtful movements as she dances on stage for all to see.  She has confidence and loves performing, something we didn't realize about her until she was on stage for the first time.  She has dreams of many more recitals and performances to come!

Getting ready before the show!

Sarah and I waiting to get seats

Elizabeth has loved dancing with this group of girls.
They have all become friends and
have a good time together.
The mommies have become friends too,
which makes it all the more fun!

Miss Kat has been Elizabeth's teacher for the past 3 years.

Daddy brought her flowers!

Beautiful job Elizabeth, we are so proud of you!