Camping at the Cabin

My parents have a cabin and lake back behind their house. My dad's request for Father's Day was for us to all come camping one weekend. The weather wasn't completely cooperative, but we still had lots of fun.

Braylee is 5 years younger than my nephew, but I think she is going to pass him up!

Brielle's 1st time sleeping in the camper bunk rather than her pack n play.

Checking things out on the beach on Saturday morning

French toast and sausage while the guys are golfing

We set up the campers by the shelter house.
Mom made a couple of trips to her "shelter house" up there on the hill. :)

A peek at the cabin and swingset on my way back around the lake.

Tracee and her little mini-me

Somebody must be a little type A. :)
Making water balloons on Sat. morning.

Mamaw & the littles

I think this was about the time Ely and I started adding up
 the weight to make sure we weren't passed the limit!

Usually we cast and then Brynna would reel it in.
On her very 1st cast by herself, she pulled in this bluegill!

Camping really wears a girl out!

This is my favorite picture of the entire weekend.
They had the best time!

The little blonde in the background is Christine's daughter Aliah.

Christine was an exchange student at our school my senior year.

They are from Switzerland and so sweet!

Aliah had her 1st try of Mello Yello and loved it! :)

She thinks this is a pose... ugh!

She is full of personality.

Miles was completely entertained by the parked golf cart.
Then Mamaw showed him how to honk the horn! Such a boy!

Brielle's 1st sparkler by herself

Hadlee! I think she was having fun with all of the glow stuff!

Papaw & the grandbabies
Brynna, Braylee with Miles, Papaw, Ely, Brielle, Kooper, Emilee & Hadlee 

The kids set off to build their own camp. :)

Brielle's 1st fishing attempt

Papaw made up a game for the littles while it was raining outside.
They will believe anything he tells them!
This is Brielle peeking- to make sure Kooper wasn't peeking! ha!

Mabel ran up to greet us as we drove away on Sunday afternoon.
(If you have expert eyes, you can see the cabin on the other side of the lake in the top left corner.)

VBS 2013- Kingdom Rock

VBS is always a highlight of our summer and this year was no exception! It is an exhausting week but so much fun!



They were so excited their cousins joined them this year!

Brynna watching her dad play King David

She told me once during the week that Gabe was her best friend. ♥

Aaron spoiled Brielle with a cupcake after VBS one night.
She was definitely on a sugar high when we got home too!

I had planned to take Brielle along with me all week, but once she realized she could go to class with Ella, she was all about it!  She seemed like such a big girl all week!

That week, we also had a much needed playdate with Abbie and Callie.

Brielle is 11 months older than Callie but they are about the same size!

We almost got away with Callie but her mommy wouldn't let us keep her! ;)

 

Remember how I said VBS week is exhausting?  The girls were painting one morning and Brielle was just so tired. She snuggled up with her blanket on the kitchen floor. We hadn't even had lunch yet!

All week at VBS, we talked about God-sightings with the kids--- seeing God work around us everyday. He decided to give them a big God-sighting on the last night. So pretty!

 

Father's Day 2013

I'm pretty sure my girls realize how lucky they are to have such an awesome daddy! They made him a card with candy on it and told him he could pick out the basketball goal he wants. My girls are girly girls but they love playing any type of ball with their dad.

Pointing to the one she hopes Daddy will share with her.

Random Summer Pictures

One Sunday evening, Alex decided he was in the mood for ice cream. He claimed it was a reward for something Braylee had done that weekend but we all knew he was just coming up with a reason to go to Scoops. ;)  We asked the girls what they wanted to do next and they asked about the paddle boats in the park. We went down to the park, and sure enough, the boat place was open. It was such a pleasant and unplanned family evening--- love when that happens.

The day I took the big girls to Holiday World, Alex let Brielle wash his car. :) Such a cutie!

 

This picture makes me laugh. She climbed up beside me, opened her book and said, "One time, I can't read. I don't know how." She turned the page and said the same thing. 

I had to stay late to chart at work one evening so the girls were with me. This is what Brynna drew--- a heart around her sisters. Notice she called her youngest sister "Babee." She thinks it's a completely appropriate name because it matches her sisters' names and she is the baby of the family. :)

One night, we made a quick (as in on the boat for less than 30 minutes) trip to Patoka. The guys were determined it would be fine-- watching the radar for the coming storm. The problem is the radar was showing Central time and we were on Eastern. ha! It made for a fun adventure.

Gramma, Liam, Mandi, Gabe, Brielle, Ella, Braylee, Brynna, and Andre

The girls finally had a chance to use their Build-a-Bear gift cards from Gramma & Pappy that they received at Christmas.  I talked them into taking one of the animals they already had and just buying accessories. When they got to the wash station, Brielle stood back and watched the big girls push the pedal (which is noisy) and wash their animals. Brielle turned to Gramma and I, pointed at her panda and said, "She's scared of it!" Sure...blame it on the panda. :)

 

 

May of 2011- my big girls made that panda for their little sister!

Braylee finished her reign as Little Miss Daviess County.  The final parade she was supposed to be in was rained out and then she crowned the new Little Miss later in the week.

Kind-of neat that I went to high school and was in 4-H with this girl's dad,
considering we are both Greene Co. folk. :)
(She is Byron Holtsclaw's daughter.)