Year 31 Goals

1. Read through the Bible in 2010. I am doing this everyday. I am really enjoying read through the Bible chronologically. It has been really neat and I have learned so much.

My boy let the church know tonight that he believes that he is a sinner, he could not be good enough to live with God, Jesus died and came back to life so that God would forgive his sins, and he wants Jesus to be the boss of his life.

This week Jake has become obsessed with rope and knots. He is tying everything and everybody in knots. Jim went to the store and bought him some REAL rope instead of the string he was using from his toys.

There are things I like.

And then there are things I love.

I love my seeing my babies smile especially when they are laughing.

I love Anna Kate’s crazy nappy hair each morning.

I love to snuggle on the sofa with Judd just after he wakes up from a nap. (He is the only snuggler I have so far.)

I love when the kids run to meet Jim at the end of the drive way each afternoon.

I love long days when we get to stay outside and play as a family each evening.

I love the smell of sweating kids, sunscreen and watermelon mixed together. It reminds me that we are in the middle of summer. The most wonderful time of the year.

I love popsicles with the kids on the front porch at the end of a long nap time.

I love feeling my fourth baby move, flip and kick me ALL the time.

I love to hear my kids pray each night at the end of family worship.

I love putting exhausted kiddos to bed. 😉

I love the quiet time with Jim each night after the kids are in bed.

I love getting up and doing it all over again.

I love being Jake, Judd and Anna Kate’s mom.

This summer has been going by so quickly. We have been away from home more than we have been home. However, last week was our last trip away from home.

We celebrated our vacation at Jackson Lake with Jim’s family. This is our family vacation each year. This week always provides loads of fun for all of the cousins and some relaxation for the parents.

We arrived on Monday and left early Friday morning. Jim had to get back to perform a wedding ceremony on Friday night. This week provided us with many memories and maybe a new tradition or two.

This year included a new adventure for our boys. Both of them tried skiing. Jake did get up on the skis. I think they did really well for 5 and 3 and only going to the lake once a year. Hopefully, we can progress next year.

This is life at the lake with 10 kiddos.

For the second year in a row, we were able to enjoy a helicopter ride around Lake Jackson.

More random pictures from the week:

This was our last full day in Elko. At 7:00, my dad came to get the boys for a morning of fishing. They were up and ready to go get some fish. I am glad that they were able to spend some time with him. They even got to have a short visit with Aunt Karen. When Papa Wayne came back he showed all three of them how to clean one of the fish. They were very interested in why he had to cut the fish’s head off.

Judd takes time for a quick snuggle with Mema!

As we waited on dinner to be finished, the kiddos got in some last minute time on the slip-n-slide.




We ended the night with a big bubble bath.

We have been spoiled this week, well maybe I should say I have been so spoiled! This week has been busy seeing family, friends and just having plain ol’ fun!
Today we were able to visit with aunts and cousins. We went swimming and enjoyed a lunch of pizza.

Here are some pictures of the boys gathering vegetables out of Papa’s garden and picking blackberries. I think Judd ate as many as he picked, but isn’t that part of the fun!

Today was another wonderful day in Elko. The temperature reached the high 90’s and the humidity didn’t fail us either.Early this morning, Mr. Bill came and got them and took all three kids to pick plums and play in his worm pit. The worm pit is always a highlight in Elko. He brought them back around lunch and of course the kiddos wanted to play in the water again.

Here goes Day 2 of slip n slide fun.

The kids and I finally made it to Elko after a 9 hour drive that should have only taken 8 hours. What took us so long you ask? A flat tire! Yes, three kids, one pregnant lady, 100 degrees, a quarter tank of gas outside of Pell City, Alabama with only three good tires. It was only after 20 minutes of sweating, trying to find the jack hidden in my car, keeping the kids contained in the car did a truck driver pull over to help. I must admit I was a bit nervous but I just prayed that the Lord would protect me, I was talking to Jim and an Alabama Trooper was on his way to help (However, he never showed up). This ordeal took about an hour and then we were back on the road. The tire blew out completely so I will be getting new tires in Georgia this week. It was crazy but the kids did great!

Today was our first full day in Elko. This is the first time we have been to Elko during the summer in quite a few years so the kids are enjoying Papa and Mema’s water toys for the yard. The kids were up at 7, breakfast by 7:45 and in the yard at 8. It was way to early for me. I was wiped out and they were running full speed ahead.

First things first, check on the black berry bushes and the tomato plants. They seemed to be doing just fine. Oops, I think Anna Kate got a sour one.

Finally, at 10 we put on their bathing suits and set up the slip n slide. Let the fun begin…..

Just a few more from our day…