Just July

Shew!  I made it to July.  I don't like posting on the blog like this, months in the span of a day.  But, the boys will be back Friday from their visit with Mimi and Papaw and I don't know when I would have time again to post pictures.  I don't like posting so retrospectively because I feel like I miss the life of a time period.  It's hard to remember exactly what an event felt like or exactly what funny/crazy thing the boys said/did.  But since Christmas, life has been really crazy so this is the best I can do.  I can do the 'drinker's pledge' of blogging, swear to never get this far behind again, but who knows what will happen over the next 6 months!  Anyway, it feels good to have the pictures organized and at least put up here, even if all the details I would have liked to remember, are gone.  Here is the last set, from July.

We were going somewhere, probably Lowe's, and I just thought the boys looked so cute!  They often do when they are strapped in :)

 At the first of the month I went Stanford as part of a grant I received.  Here are my sweeties the night before I left.  I looked at this picture a million times while I was gone :(

 The campus was amazing!

 No trouble being motivated to run!

 Having breakfast with Eli, the morning after I returned.

 That week my Mom came in town and kept the boys while I worked.  Then, the next weekend we headed to MS.  My awesome parents kept the boys for the last 2 week of July, while I worked.  It was so hard to leave them, even when I knew the boys would have a great time.  I don't know who cried more, me or Luke (the other two boys couldn't have cared less that I was leaving!).  Here are Luke and Nathan eating some popcorn at Papaw's.

 For the 4th, we went to Haslet's 4th of July celebration.  It was the perfect speed for us (and price, everything was $1!).  The fireworks were great and the boys were not too scared. 

Eli with a snow cone in this one.

 While I was gone to CA, Jeff took the boys to Grammy and Papa's and they fished in the creek.  Both boys caught their first fish (with a lot of help from Daddy and Papa)!

 Hanging out with Sandi on a hot July day.

 While Nathan and Eli spent the night with Grammy and Papa, Luke and Daddy stayed home.  Having all that time to themselves, I mean what else would you do but shave your head, right?  Nice work Daddy!

Nathan's Big Day

On June 26th, Nathan turned 4 years old!  Here he is first thing.  He still gets up really early so there was no chance for me to get a picture of him in his bed.  Here he is, climbing into mine!

 

 That evening we had a party for Nathan.

Eli started refusing to sit in a booster about a month ago.  It's all big boy chair now.

 Just a cutie pie shot of my Nathan.  He's rambunctious but he's still my hugger :)

 And the brothers...

June Fun

June was a busy, but good, month.  June also began the gift our family gave us.  My parents, Jeff's parents and my sister agreed to keep the boys this summer so we could avoid putting them in a new school, just for the summer.  I'm working a few weeks in June and a few in July, so it was an amazingly generous gift!  Thanks to you all for helping us so much!

We also just had some plain fun in June--Jeff and Luke building the birdhouse Luke got for his birthday.

 You know it's going to be a day when this happens at 7AM.

 Mimi's first babysitting visit!

 My favorite thing to do is still to watch the boys play.  We have an awesome playroom for me to do that in now!

 Papaw's first babysitting visit.  It happened to be just before Father's Day so we had a little celebration before he left.

 Daddy's Father's Day present.  I had a hard time keeping these away from little boys!

 Daddy's other gift, an edger!

 Chin gash, our first visit to the ER in our new place.

 All fixed up!

 And, the boys' visit to Grammy and Papa's for their babysitting turn!  Helping Papa in the garden is always a lot of fun!

The Big Party

The first Saturday in June was 'the big party' for Luke and Nathan.  They decided to have their party at Bounce U, and we had it in Plano so all their friends could come.  Here are the birthday boys, at home before the party.

 Now, Eli has gotten up and is joining the fun.  This next series of pictures really defines life at our house.  Personalities are on display.

 Now we made it to the party!

 After the party, we headed to get haircuts.  This is when Luke informed us that he wanted to shave his head.  It's summer so we said, ok.  What a big boy!

 And, this is what Eli does at the hair cut place.

I've tried three times to get Nathan's picture on here but Blogspot is not cooperating!  So, Nathan was there and was his awesome self.  No crying and no head shave.  Just the usual please!  What a day!  It was a lot of fun but I was glad it was over!