Table Rock

*Warning....this post has lots of pictures!

This past weekend we traveled to Eagle Rock, MO with family to my mom's lake house.  She and my step dad got a house down there just down the street from Table Rock lake.  It is pretty fabulous.  I still think I will enjoy it far more as the kids get older, but they love it, even now!  It's only an hour from Branson, so it's pretty easy to drive in for some Branson fun too.  We left Friday morning, got in and settled, and headed out to the lake to spend some time on the water on a pontoon boat my mom rented for the day.  The kids all thought it was pretty cool:)  And since this trip, Brian has decided that we just need a boat to keep down there so we can go on the water anytime we want.

The kids got to spend a day with their cousins too, and they enjoyed every minute of it.  Because of our different schedules, Ross and Amanda had to leave on Saturday, and we weren't able to be there until Friday, so they didn't get much time to play.  Good thing the amount of time doesn't matter to these kids.....they always pick up right where they left off.

 Crazy James:)

 Sawyer had the hardship of having to nap in Nana's arms while we road around on the boat.  It sure it tough to be him;)

 Not real sure why she was pouting.  She's cute regardless.  And he pout is much better than her whine!  She's the only girl in the gaggle of boys, so she's got to hold her own!

 Brian got to go tubbing....behind a pontoon.  Not real fast, but the kids enjoyed watching him:)

 And Parker was the only one brave enough to go out with Daddy.  The other kids wouldn't try it, even after watching how slow it went, they were too scared.  Next year!

 And of course, you've got to have 4 wheeler rides!

 And Parker....this kid would not nap while we were there.  He really needs a nap.  He fell asleep every day at the most random occasions...our walks, golf cart rides.  Just enough to wind him up for a little bit again.

And Charles being mr. serious.  Which really isn't his personality at all:)

 And waking Paker up was hysterical.  Love his wake up face:)

Brian and I were able to venture into Branson one morning without kids (except my buddy Sawyer) to do some shopping.  It was pretty fabulous!  We also trekked into Branson the next day with the kids to Ride the Ducks.  And we spent lots of time throwing rocks in the water.  The kids love that.  Just trying to keep Parker from drowning is the trick:)......Mr. fearless.  Next year we might be brave and try to survive Silver Dollar City with the kids.  Maybe.  Unless we come to our senses!

Mowing

Parker is a "man's man"  That's what I say all the time because he loves his daddy and wants to do everything he does.  Brian was getting ready to mow one day and Parker insisted on helping.  I have similar pictures of Brian and Eli when Eli was a little boy, so it's cute to compare the two.  Parker enjoyed himself far more than I remember Eli:)

Cuties

I've probably said it more than 100 times, and you guys may get sick of hearing it, but we have cute babies.  I mean really cute.  It's a good thing too, because they can be a handful:)  I've already decided I may have to hire a babysitter once Brian goes back to work to help me handle all 4...I've gotten spoiled with him being home and being an extra set of hands all summer.  He often takes the older two places in the afternoon, or watches all of the older 3 while I run and do stuff.  It's been fabulous!  Anyways, enough about how fabulous my hubby is too:)  We've got cute kids, and I never really grow tired of photographing them.  Especially when they will actually look at me and let their little personalities shine through.  So much better than a picture of their back side.....

Sawyer is getting to the point where he is sitting up all by himself sometimes.  I don't leave him like that for long, since his core isn't quite strong enough yet:)  But, he does pretty awesome.  I say it's just that sturdy base he has to work with.  I had to get some pictures of the big boy showing off his new trick.  I was taking advantage of the awesome afternoon light in his room for this and the other three just happened to join me.  So as an added bonus, I got some fabulously cute pictures of them as well.  Happy day!

 This pretty much sums him up....he's always got his tongue out and drool trailing from his chin:)  And an awesome comb over.  Cuteness.

 This boy and his blue eyes and blonde hair are going to be trouble.  And that dimple.  Gets.Me.Every.Time

And this picture has nothing to do with the above picture taking.  We were at botanica one day last week and the kids were sitting at the fountain.  I have a picture of Eli and Kamdyn (when I was pregnant with Parker), taken by my friend Allison, sitting on the same wall with their feet in the water.  It is hanging up downstairs, and is one of my all time favorite pictures.  It's horribly out of date, since we are missing half our kids, but I can't stand to take it down.  So I tried to re-create it:)  Granted, it's still out of date because we don't have Sawyer's feet in it but at least we have Parker now!  And I still love it:)

4th of July

I have to start this post with a disclaimer.... I'm sort of a holiday scrooge.  I don't really like them.   Now, don't get me wrong.... I love the 4th of July for the holiday that it is.  I'm so thankful to live in a free country, and even more thankful to the men and women who fought for that freedom.  So for that, I'm happy celebrating.  But I. HATE. FIREWORKS.  And because they seem to be such a big part of the 4th, I tend to not like it much.  They are loud, and dangerous.  And obnoxious. And people are stupid with said loud, dangerous explosives! Ok, I'm done.  Just had to get that out there.  So don't be surprised if you ever come to our house on a holiday and it's not decorated, or we don't shoot off fireworks:)  Not my thing.  Like I said, apparently I'm a holiday scrooge:)

Despite my dislike to the 4th (well, really just my strong dislike for the fireworks that come along with it), we had a fabulous day.  We started off with a Fourth of July parade through our family BFF's , the Lowreys, neighborhood.  This is the second year we've joined them in this.  And while I don't think it's all that exciting, the kids like joining in and have fun, so that's all that matters.  Plus, I get some adult time with one of my all-time besties, so it's well worth it.  Eli got to ride his bike and the other kids rode in the strollers as we walked through their neighborhood behind a firetruck.  We ended at the neighborhood pool and they got to pick out prizes and have popsicles.  And they played on the playground.   Good morning in their book:)

 I guess Parker actually got to ride in the bike trailer with Derek.  He was riding with his gf for a while too, but she got out right before I took this picture.  Too bad too, because Violet and Parker are a cute duo:)

 Kamdyn and her bff Grace.  They were having fun at the playground.  And I gotta say, I'm so thankful for her friendship with Grace.....there aren't many girls in our circle of friends (and the few that there are are still under 2), so it's so great for K to finally have a little girlfriend that is her age.

 Proof that mommy and Sawyer were there!!  I love this little slobber bucket:)

 The whole parade crew:)

 After lunch and naps, we headed over to granny and papa's for some swimming and dinner.

 It is safe to say that Parker definitely enjoyed his 4th of July cupcake:)

 And I had Derek take a picture of our perfect family of 6.  We don't have many of these!  It sure is an awful lot of work to get this to happen:)  But I sure am glad when we manage!

 And our beautiful kids.  They sure are a handful, and I have days where I wonder why in my right mind I would want to tackle this many so close together:)  But really, I wouldn't have it any other way! Plus, they are so stinking cute.  So it kind of makes up for all those crappy moments in life.

 PS.  Erin, aren't you proud that my kids actually have on festive clothes this year?!?  This may be a first for our family:)

 And we finished off the evening with a few fireworks.  In the past, the kids haven't really liked them, but I wanted to give it another go and see if they were still scared of them.  They were:)  But that's ok.  I don't much like them anyways....so now I can just not worry about buying them for several more years.  Unless they ask.  Then I suppose I can suck it up:)

 And this is a "morning after" shot.  Lots of people shoot of in our neighborhood.  These people just so happened to catch the field on fire behind our house.  This is actually the second year in a row this has happened, but last year they got the spark out before it was more than a little campfire.  This year they weren't so lucky.  When I came out from feeding Sawyer, it was going pretty good and I didn't think there was any way they could get it under control themselves.   God was watching out for them and gave a slight break in the wind so they were able to get ahead and put the big fire out just seconds before the firetrucks showed up.  They got really lucky....it could have gotten really bad.  The dark parts in the pictures are all the areas that were going up in flame.  Scary stuff.  And that is one of the many reasons I can't stand fireworks:)  Thankfully this all turned out fine!  And hopefully it will put a stop to their big firework show for a while!!