Fun Summer 2016: Part 3 Fun with Friends

Crazy how many memories we have made with our dear friends this summer!!  Especially when I wait till the very end of the summer to reflect on them... Fun that I got THIS gem with my Landon. Oh, how I treasure the wonderful moments we shared together this summer. I so love these little ones, pre-adolescent attitudes...and all.

Here LJ is wearing her smile as we had a play date with our playgroup that involved all outdoor water play!!! FUN!

Courtney got some sweet snuggles from her mama.

The kids appear to be discussing something really serious here...like pool toys? I don't know...

Cutie in a bathing suit!

Lindsay Jane and Kaeden being silly on the steps!

And a rare shot of the mamas!!  What a fun time we had catching up and watching our little ones play in the water. Boy, we were so ready for summer back them!

Lindsay Jane has had many tea parties with her stuffed friends this summer. Having a little girl is so very different, and so very wonderful.

She decided one morning, as the boys were getting ready for a baseball game, that she simply had to don her own ball uniform...that she did and proud as a peacock, she pranced around the house all morning...

And, we'd be remiss not to include these furry friends we have certainly enjoyed over the summer. Snuggles galore and these cats are spoiled rotten!

And...of course, there has been a lot of fun with our neighbors! What a better way to segway into our 'hood than with silly Rachel!

Lindsay Jane happily ready to ward off any daring brothers...

Silly girls...and one big sister who is not so sure the littles are as funny as they think they are...

Crazy brothers enjoying the summer sun and the backyard pool!!

Crazy third children...doing the same...

Crazy middles being crazy and free!!

And...trouble...with a water gun...

Stan and Holt were kind enough to humor me for a picture...

And since Connor got a huge ice cream sandwich, I got a smile from him too...without much whining at all!

All the kids were happy to smile with such scrumptious cookies in hand!

One of many adventures with our dear neighbors...even sitting her reflecting today makes me feel so very blessed to have the support we do in our very back yard.

Yep. I am that mom. Made the kids read this summer...from the very start. 30 minutes a day before any screen time. Yep. My first born fought me tooth and nail every.single.time....except this sweet one...does it get any sweeter?

Next stop...Three Bears Acres for our third annual trip with the Brooks'!!!

Crazy sledding down a slide on a sled with wheels!!!  What? SO fun!

I did my very best to catch Landon, but that rascal can run, I am telling you!!!!

Bailey was her usual sweet sweet big sister self, taking care of Lindsay Jane and making sure she got ALL the attention she wanted...

Paddle boating time!

Me...and 4 kids...Totally cray cray and totally fun! They actually did SO well helping to paddle!

Thankfully...we all made it back in one piece...with smiles!

Lindsay Jane found a water squirter and thought it might be a good idea to use it? Mom, can I use it? So different for me as the boys just pull that trigger...like impulse...

And an all time fave...the bog bouncy pillow!

And Landon's favorite...the pipe rolling. He laughed so hard doing this! Look at that real smile! Don't you love it and want to bottle it up? I do!

And, oh my...I have an artist, apparently...this girl was serious about her painting that day...

Look at that face of determination!

Concentrating so hard!

Finished product of her family...

Finished product with proud artist. I love love love this picture...

Next, this girl got in her gear in the mud kitchen!

Now you see her genuine smiles too!!! Happy kiddos playing in MUD!

Landon even found this sink to be very entertaining...he was doing some type of water siphoning and figuring out something with some type of physics, I am sure. Whatever it was, he was entertained for a long time, running back and forth looking at the water line and checking it in the sink. It is so much fun to watch him operate...

He then got into a fun dish washing party with Bailey and Lindsay Jane.

Sweet moment...

Bailey was really concentrating too!

And the mamas got to sit, relax and actually catch up for a change!

And then Connor took way more than his "one" picture of us...

Snicker snicker...

What a joy it was to watch the kids use their imagination. Stacey and I just sat and treasured every little moment of watching their childhood. What a true gift...

And...we had to do a little more jumping before heading home...

And I actually got this super sweet picture with my boy!!!!

And sweet little LJ did not want to be left out...a picture with me too, mom?

Of course, my little darling!!!

Great place...great friends...great day...

And...we had to go celebrate Bailey's birthday, of course! She wanted a funnel cake!!! Yum!

Well, that is only a portion of our fun with friends for the summer, I didn't want to bombard you in one post! More fun with friends to follow! Hope you enjoyed this one!