Family Fun

It's been a while since I've posted some fun family pics. My DSLR isn't getting much use these days, so my trusty iPhone is responsible for immortalizing my kids' childhood in pictures.

 

Tatum and I treated ourselves to pedicures when the big sisters went on a youth group retreat.

Gentry had a friend over for a sleepover and they worked on perfecting "The Cup Song" routine. A million times in a row.

 This is my view for several hours a day these days.

Thanks to our tradition of adding a charm on each first day of school, the girls' bracelets are filling up. This makes me both happy and sad.

For an outside dog, Charlie sure spends a lot of time inside in the kitchen. It's been hot this summer, and even the most cold-hearted non-animal-lover wouldn't begrudge her an hour on the cold tile floor.

The backstory on this one:  When Tatum was a baby, she had a febrile seizure. It scared me to death, 911 was called, and firemen and paramedics rushed into our home. Ava and Gentry were very young and scared as well. I needed to ride in the ambulance to the hospital with Tatum, so the friendly firemen volunteered to stay and play with them until Tye could make it home. The older girls vividly remember the day the firemen were their playmates, and we've always been so grateful for their help in an otherwise terrifying situation. We live in a different city now, but we try to take cookies to our local fire station whenever we can to say thanks for serving our community. Tatum tried a new recipe for chocolate chip cookies that were amazing!

My new favorite candle is Granny Bee's Creme Brulee. It's not going to last much longer at the rate I'm burning it but I can't help it. It smells delicious.

 Another baking experiment the girls tried, this time with cupcakes and just a few sprinkles.

If you don't hear from me in the next 6-8 weeks, this is where I will be hanging out. Soccer pretty much dictates our schedule until early November. We weren't sure how Tatum would do since her knee surgery in January, but she seems to be good as new. Many prayers answered.

 I think this one speaks for itself.