basketballs, VBS and peaches!

My kids and I were able to spend a couple of hours with Lance on Father's day before heading off to Shreveport for the week. We didn't see him all week prior to that since we were the beach and then he spent the weekend down at the condo with his dad and two other friends for a guys golfing weekend. So our time on Father's day was short but sweet. Here is a picture of what the kids gave to lance. I have been wanting to do this project for some time and I love it! I get great ideas from a blog called No Time For Flash Cards and I highly recommend it!

Last week was a down scaled version of last year's "cousin camp" at my parent's house while I worked my basketball camp at St. Mark's school. Instead of 8 kids staying at their house, it was only 5 and that doesn't include the 4 other cousins living in Shreveport near them! My mom loves kids and chaos so she got what she asked for!! ;)

My kids had such a great time that they didn't even notice me coming and going each morning and afternoon! And the evenings was filled with VBS at the local church that even Kennedy got to attend...she loves hangin with the big kids. This was also a good breather my parents would get before round two of activities took place on Sundown Drive at night. Speaking of night time activities... there is no cousin camp without a midnight sprinkler party (this is my mom's way of getting the kids bathed the most efficient way!). I laughed every time when a car came by because they would all scream, "Car!!!" and hit the ground to hide...guess you had to have been there! I am sorry that I don't have any pictures from these activities... :(

After a long, but very successful week of basketball camp, we got back to Ruston just in time to enjoy some of the festivities for the Ruston Peach Festival. We always enjoy the parade every year and, of course, getting some peaches!

The kids waiting for the parade to start...not sure why, but the bags always seem to go on the heads!!

Enjoying their 'loot' on the front swing of the AXO house!

Escaping with the Cauley's

My dear friend, Mandy, and her family have been through the ringer the past two months. Her five year old little girl had a tough battle with pneumonia that nearly took her life. Between all the poking, prodding, ambulance rides, no sleep, tubes, beeping monitors, countless number of nurses, tears, rashes, prayers and x-rays, they all had enough. Finally, after the right kind of medicine was administered, Harper drastically improved. She came home with a pic line still in her arm and ready for life to get back to normal. But it took two weeks of being at home, secluded (for the most part) and still being on meds before life continued as before.

During her hospital stint, Harper requested to go to the beach. Her wish was granted just five days after her pic line was removed and cleared to live life as usual, Mandy and her two girls packed up to join us at the condo. The look in her girl's eyes as they frolicked in the waves that first evening was absolutely priceless. Our four days together included laughter, tears, shared secrets, pure joy and some tired kids (and mamas!). It was great being able to finally catch up with my sweet friend and I will forever cherish the sweet moments we endured.

Kennedy still asks for Harper as we are back in the real world in Ruston. She followed Harper around like a little sister would and wanted to have everything Harper had. Last night, we got the kids back together for a dive-in movie at Squire Creek pool and I loved seeing Kennedy's eyes light up when she heard Harper was coming. Too sweet!

I was proud of Landon playing so well in the ocean this past week (even though we spotted two sharks and pulled out 4 jelly fish!). He usually wants to just swim in the pools but he wanted to go to the beach everyday to swim and boogy board. Even Kennedy got some good water time in the ocean when the waves were small enough. It was a great week of clear water and smaller waves.

Anyway, enough of my rambling and on with some pictures from our trip this past week!

Sweet Baylor playing at LuLu's

Landon holding the first 'wild' hermit crab that Mandy found in the ocean. We are now owners of some pet crabs after visiting the local surf shop!

Silly Mandy and landon getting ready to go on an 'adventure'

Go Kennedy!

Group hug!

Getting ready for the dolphin tour

Landon doing his 'dolphin' call

Captain Landon

Heat wave!

Summer is definitely here with some blazing heat this past week! We have been trying to stay cool by lots of swimming and I love it. It's also been a good week of basketball workouts and team clinics... I love getting my basketball juices going this time of year!

I was grateful my parents kept the kids a couple of nights on Sunday and monday so I could get the clinics in and a special little girls night out last night. It was very much needed by all of us and it was nice to get away. I also enjoyed sleeping in this morning! But it was short lived when I had to pick this kids up at 9:30, but I will take it!

Kennedy has been amazing still with potty training. I can't remember the last accident she had...she hasn't had one since my last post, so I am pumped about that!

This week and next week, I will be preparing for a team camp I am doing for St. Mark's in Shreveport later on this month. I am also getting ready for my own camp at Byrd HS on July 18-20th. It's a lot to get ready for and I hope the turn out is good at the Byrd camp. I need to get on the horn and start advertising!

Below are some pictures that i forgot to include in my post about our last beach trip. We stopped in Jackson along the way and went to their children's museum and it was FANTASTIC! I highly recommend it! The kids had a ball. Here are a couple of pics from the museum and some candid beach pictures that i tried to take! ;)

"Ta-da!"

This is our sweet Lindsey and Katie that helped out with the kids this trip!

Memorial day madness!

Ok, not really madness, but I could probably call my current life an everyday madness with these two silly kiddos running around with a batman cape and a princess crown. You would think Kennedy would be the one wearing the crown and not the cape, but on this day, and on many others, it's the other way around...madness to most, but to me it's just my life! And i wouldn't have it any other way. ;)

Between learning the not-so- simple-concept of peeing in the potty, playing candyland, dancing, enduring a summer cold and having tea parties, I was ready to get out of the house and enjoy the holiday weekend festivities. Potty training is officially over and I can't believe it only took 4 days. Now, in those four days of constant attention on kennedy, it tested my patience, pride, and personality! But now she is so proud and loves to tell everyone how she got her poo poo prize, the crown that is found on someone's head throughout the day in our household.

Our weekend kicked off with spending some time with my sister in law and her family. They celebrated the birthday of her little miracle baby who was born 9 weeks prematurely this time last year. It's amazing that he is doing wonderful and is healthy as can be. I look forward to many more holidays with our kids playing together.

Sunday we went over to our friend's, Becky and Hunter Smith, house to have some major water party fun. They had a pool, two water slides, slip and slide, dirt pit and tramopline. Basically a kid heaven and a great time was had by all!! We were all exhausted and bedtime came early and easy!

Our attempt to get all the kids in one of the slides!

Monday, we were lazy most of the morning before heading over the Drewett's house around lunch time. I have been wanting to try out their new pool since it was built last fall. It has a major tunnel slide that has two turns in it and drops you into the pool from their upper deck (which you walk up two flights of stairs to reach it). I can't believe I didn't get a picture of it. We swam all day and the kids did awesome. I am simply amazed with Landon's ability to hold his breath and swim all day in the deep water without a floating device. Now, it took me going down the slide with him about 3 times before doing it by himself (it was fast and I understood his reservations!). Kennedy on the other hand didn't even bat an eye. She hopped on that thing all by herself after one ride with me....i was nervous with her going by herself, but it didn't last long.

They also had a diving board and that was a huge hit by kids and adults! Kennedy watched some of the older girls swimming and doing flips off the diving board and she wanted to do them too. She went off backwards on the diving board a couple of times before she hit her check on the board. Scared us at first when she hit, but fortunately, it was just a nasty scrape. Six hours in the pool and with no naps, we all were exhausted! We are so blessed to have such great friends to spend holidays with!

The sweet Drewett boys who were awesome with our kids. If you look close you can see K's scrape on her face.

Kennedy with Lilly Adcox..she loved Lilly's princess dive sticks! If anyone seeing these in a store, please pick some up for me!! It was ariel, cinderella and one more (i don't know all their names!!!! lol)

Tuesday night we had our end of the year party with our t-ball team at the Toma Lodge pool. I love all this swimming to keep these kids active and sleeping good at night!! We had such great coaches and parents on our team and we really enjoy spending time with each other. Big thanks to Coach Hunter and Trotter for all of their help this season!

Landon with his two T-ball coaches