on the go

Much of my life is wrapped up in those three little words~"on the go".  I remember when my kids were really young, thinking how crazy my life was with them all under the age of six or seven.  But looking back, it really wasn't a big deal.  I was easily able to contain them, and at that time, they had zero social lives.

After years of being warned, "Just wait until those boys are teenagers!", I can say that the time has officially arrived.  I feel like my life is spent on the road.  As crazy as it is, it's also wonderful.  I am so thankful for this season and I'm soaking up every minute.  What is so strange to me is that this time next year it won't be this way~Graham will be driving himself everywhere by then, in his own car.  He'll be able to drive his brothers around too.  Something else that is insane to me is that in the fall, Jonah and Noah will be moving up to the youth group.  (How did that happen?  I still forget and accidentally call them "the babies".)

Anyway, I thought I would share the highlights of our weekend.

Saturday found us at home with three of our boys.  Graham had to work from two to seven, so after we took him to work, Todd made arrangements for us to meet some friends at Jerry's Sno Cones.  (And no, there is no picture to prove that we were there, although I've certainly taken them in the past!  I figured if you've seen it once, you've seen it a million times.)

I did take a picture of Jonah's face after he ate his shock tart flavored snow cone, but I promised that I would not share it.  I am a mom of my word, if nothing else.

We started heading back home afterward, but Toddley was kind enough to stop at Lifeway for me to buy a couple of non-fiction books to add to my summer reading list.

Multiply, by Francis Chan and Kisses from Katie, by Katie Davis.  I'm already on chapter three of Kisses From Katie.  I started it Saturday night and had to make myself put it down.  I try to read at least one non-fiction book a year.  It's not my favorite, but I feel like it's just something I need to do, because of all the other books I read each year.  I know, I'm weird.

Jonah, Noah and I went to my mom's and step-dad's for dinner.  Todd stayed home so he could pick Graham up from work.  I took this picture on my way home from their house~the sky was amazing!  It had been raining on and off, and there were some dark clouds that stuck around.

Sunday morning found me up at the crack of dawn for a shower and a homemade breakfast.  I made a double recipe of this stuff:

We love monkey bread!  I left some at home and took one pan to church for the ninth and tenth grade girls.  We had both classes that morning in our Bible fellowship class.

After church, Jonah and Noah invited their friend Ben over, and I think Crash was glad~Ben found this toy in our backyard.  This is his favorite toy, I think, and he seemed so glad to have it.  :)  I love how he appears to be holding it.

I had a Backyard Kids Club meeting at church at 4:30, then after that we had our first small group swim party of the summer.  We didn't have anything planned for the Bible study portion of our night, so we spent time writing Bible verses and prayer requests on note cards.  We exchanged cards and are going to memorize the ones we received.  I also suggested that we keep them in our Bibles and that it'll serve as a reminder for us to pray for one another.  Afterward we spent some sweet time in prayer for the things going on this summer.  There are so many opportunities for these amazing kids to serve.  I am so excited at what all is going on...it's such an exciting time to be a part in their lives.

And here are some of the awesome girls I am so privileged to get to feed into:

Some were at camp as junior counselors for the middle school kids, some were at home packing for their trip to camp they left for today and some just couldn't come.  But I love them all and am so thankful I get to be a small part of their lives.  I don't know if they know how much I love them~I mean, I think they do because I tell them all the time and they tell me the same thing back, but I LOVE THESE GIRLS!  Words cannot express how much.

Graham and I finally made it back home by nine ten, and he packed up for camp.  And this morning we left home at ten minutes until six to go to Kroger for snacks and for him to get some cash from us.  I also took him and Jonah to Chick Fil A for breakfast.

I said goodbye, hugged him and put him on this bus.  And at seven ten, they pulled out of the parking lot and began the trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama for five glorious days in the sun and sand.  I am a bit jealous, I must admit.  Next year I will be accompanying them, mark my words.  I will not be recovering from surgery so that I am able to do that!  Also, this is the first year in eight years that Todd has not gone with our boys to camp.  Sniff, sniff.  They really are growing up.  I am so thankful for the fun they will have and have had this week...Drew should be home tonight by about nine thirty.  I cannot wait to see him!  I have missed that boy so much.

Well.  I guess I had better get off here and get started on my day.  I've been enjoying the peace and quiet, but Noah just woke up.  He informed me that Jonah was back in bed, sound asleep.  God love him...he insisted on going with me to take Graham to church this morning.  He said he was going to stay awake, but you see how well that turned out.

I hope you have a great day!  Hopefully we'll be going to the pool with my mom-in-love today.  :)  Love to all!