roomie reunion!

Summer is such a great time to get together with friends!!  We got together with two of my college roommates and their girls -- that's right, all girls!  Jay and Mac were the token guys!

We conferenced called our fourth roommate who is now in CA adjusting to life with her first little one!

Missed you Wynn!!

Three roommates = 8 girls & 2 boys, 7 years old and under!

And how does one haul around all of those children!?  3 rockin vans in the driveway cracked me up!

Next time we need to get a pic of the mamas!!

reptile roundup!

We headed to the ecology preserve for a friend's birthday -- the kids got to hold ALL kinds of critters!!

We've got a reptile lover in our house for sure!

Not sure that I'm ready for all of the reptile exposure I'm going to get with two little boys!

six and sitting!

 This nugget is six months and sitting up! 

He started sitting up a few weeks ago, but poor third child only had it captured on instagram...

 

But he still much prefers to be on the floor rolling around!

Big brother woke up and busted in the photo shoot...

Love seeing these brothers together!

Potty Training -- yee haw!

This little cowboy started potty training...my least favorite parenting task.

All prepped with a cup of coffee, lots of underwear, and a reward chart!

Lots of juice and outside time!

 

And lots and lots and lots of trips to the potty!

 Luckily, Kirkley was at art camp this week and then I recruited babysitters to help my with Mac so it was all eyes on Jay for boot camp!

We're halfway there, still wearing diapers at night for insurance!

Hooray for Dollywood!

 One of the college students from our church spent the summer working with Navigators at of all places: Dollywood!  Mallory, me, and the kids headed up for a weekend of fun visiting Rachel!!  

 Mac's first theme park adventure!

Kirkley was a daredevil going on rides I would never go on!

Jay seemed to conquer his fear of characters!

There were several cute just for kids rides!  They thought it was so fun to go on their own!

Yummy dinner at the Apple Barn!

My man loves Gatlinburg!!  Sad we went during his busy season -- next time!!!

Bathtub Love

This is quite possibly my favorite pic of the three kiddos together that I've taken. I had them all squeezed in the bathtub together (Mac illegally in the Bumbo) on a night Alex was working late. Way impressed with my phone and of course instagram filters make it fun too! I want to blow this up for our bathroom!!

Tennis & Swinging

The bigs started little tennis lessons this week.  

For $10 and a few lessons for a month, I thought it would be fun to see how they liked it!

Jay was up first, and wow it was 100% obvious we hadn't prepped him!  It was tennis for mama too, helping him swing, stand on the line, etc.  Retrieving balls though, no problem! :)

Up next was sissy while the boys waited patiently...

She is our perpetually tired child.  If anyone has any sleep tips of how to get solid sleep, pass them on! 

We hit the second hand sports store on the way home and got a second kids racket.  

One easy game they showed us was rolling a beach ball across the floor and hitting it back and forth to each other - an easy indoor activity for them to do for practice!

Then it was off to the park since we were already out and about.  

We stuck Mac in a swing for the first time, and I could just eat him up.

  He loved it.  And we loved seeing him do something new!!

All these baby firsts are soooo much fun!

He's closing in on 6 months and is at one of my favorite ages!!!

And for iPhone users, a few of my new favorite things.  

Instagram -- and I also figured out how to put it on the blog sidebar using this.

Having a blast with instagram and the ability to post pics in just a few seconds!

Second is the Desiring God app.  Slowly figuring out how to use it.

Listened to this sermon yesterday at naptime as I did dishes and laundry!

And last, education.com has a Fun Finder app where you can select grade and type of activity, it pulls up all kinds of fun stuff to do with the kids.

Like "preschool" "science" pulled up bubble painting!

Then you add it to your kids list of activities to do, create a shopping list if needed, etc.

"Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. 

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

But the man who loves God is known by God."

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

First Pool Dip!

Mac has been to the pool lots of times in his little life, but today was the first day we got him all geared up to go for a dip! He's usually napping in the shade under fans with my iPhone blasting white noise. He didn't look like he loved or hated it. His siblings loved seeing him in the pool!!! Pretty uneventful, but of course super cute!!

Kirkley's First Fun Run!

 Kirkley did her very first fun run this weekend!

I pumped her up the night before showing her pics of Emma's first one at the same age.  

Emma's fun run was one of my running inspirations and now she's inspiring Kirkley too! :)

Alex ran with her, and I stayed put with the boys to wait for her.

As soon as she left, Jay was wishing he was running too and was not to be outdone...

Luckily we had some entertainment among the cheering section...

And here she comes!  

Jay cheering at the finish line (still rocking headphones)!!

 

 And across the finish line...it was a run/walk of sorts!

She didn't fall in love with running but hopefully we planted a little seed that it's a fun activity!

She loved her Grammy, Aunt Hannah, and Aunt Lala and Buddy being there cheering her on!!!

 

This was the first race I'd had a cheering section at the end too! 

You know, other than my friends that always finish before me there, like, yay, we can go now!?? 

Just kidding, they cheer, but so sweet to have my fam there cheering! :)

 

 Peach ice cream afterwards was a super fun prize! :)

Look to the Lord and His strength; 

seek His face always.

1 Chronicles 16:11