Thoughts and Pictures

Our crazy, sweet boy is hating counting down the days until he goes home. After a conversation last night about this week's schedule he asked, "Tuesday at 2 bye bye home???" ...It just breaks our hearts that we have to say, "yes".

This parenting is hard

and exhausting

and frustrating

and sometimes seems impossible,

but God has built us to push through and love well. He loves this boy more than we ever can, and we are blessed to share in that.

Yes, O, Tuesday you will have to leave home, but it IS your home. This is family. And you are forever loved. Home is us. Home is all of your new friends/family. (And Major, of course.) Home is arguing with parents about bed time. Home is baking cupcakes and going camping. Home is singing at church and little foam stickers. Home is the special healing powers of Mama kisses. Home is piggyback rides with Papa. Home is everything you need and so many things you have never had.

So on Tuesday we will all have to say bye bye to home. And we will celebrate the day that we are all together again. All HOME.

Baking Cupcakes:

 Trampoline Park during our visit to GrandMary and GrandWilliam's house:

So proud of the American Flag cup that GrandMary got for him:

Going to church:

Visiting Gamie and Gandolf's house:

J and O go to school together and both love swimming!

A normal morning doing sticker art:

 Playing on the football field:

 Visiting the children's museum:

Wearing Drew's childhood pirate costume (modernized by his addition of the fedora and aviators):

 Visiting generous new friends:

O told us that night that when he turns 18, he is going to have a baby deer. ;)

First ever camping trip (more like "glamping"):

Weekend

Let the pictures and captions commence:

We actually woke up before him on Friday! That's right - he slept past 8!

We have a little local park and we decided to have a little family outing.

O loved every minute of his first ever ride on a Go-Cart.

He also had his first carousel ride. He was so surprised when the horse started moving up and down!

He made Drew sit down next to him.

Despite how he looks in this picture, he really enjoyed all of the park.

We also had our first ride on the tiny train. (the windblown look)

If he knows his picture is being taken, he always sticks out his tongue.

On Saturday morning, we got to have some of my breakfast favorites. Starbucks...

...and Shipley's Do-Nuts.

O prefers kolaches to do-nuts.

The boys had a breath-holding contest. O won three out of four times! He can go for up to 45 seconds! It's quite impressive.

He was so tired. He actually took himself to bed!

The boys surprised me with coffee delivery for my birthday on Sunday.

And I also got some breakfast in bed. They had practiced singing in the car and sang "Happy Birthday" together.  I didn't have time to catch it on film, but trust me...it was SO cute to hear O singing.

How handsome is this boy?! - (waiting to leave for church)

O begged to go to the water park on Sunday after church. He loves the water.

We all had a good time!

On Sunday evening we celebrated with friends at a local restaurant.

(Trying not to smile now that he knows Drew is taking a picture.)

We have the sweetest friends! E came wearing this cute little sign!

I promise one day soon I will write a real post with words and everything! But we are really enjoying the summer, and we cannot believe how quickly time is passing by...