summer of running

this has been one of the best summers EVER for being active with the kids.  i have run more WITH a kid than without!  ken has run SO many mile for cross country (with the team and on her own!).  i wish we'd done a better job of keeping up with the count so we'd have a grand total!  mck set a goal for herself of 80 miles and has almost reached it.  b had to run a timed mile each week for soccer and improved his time by over a minute.  and kam, who HATES to run has made the choice to run with us several times without being forced!  the worst part of running in texas in the summer is you HAVE to be running by 7:30 because it gets HOT fast! so we've been up early A LOT!  making the most out of each day.  we don't talk much when we run, but i love the talks as we are walking to warm up or cool down. makes the heart happy. love. 

ken comes home

after a week at cheer camp we have one tired girl.  she had so much fun working hard and getting to know her cheer friends.  i am so excited to see what this year brings for our sweet kid.  can't wait to hear all about her week when she gets home from celebrating her friend's birthday and sleeps for 12 hours!  love. 

b turns 8

how is it possible that our sweet little guy turned 8 today??????  he is such an awesome kid - smart, funny, athletic, and so, so loving.  he kept reassuring me that turning 8 was okay because he'll always be my baby.  love.  

we spent the day doing what he planned.  donuts for breakfast, main event for mini golf, bowling, lazer tag, rock climbing, games, and more lazer tag.  presents at home.  dinner at hat creek with grammy and grampy.  frozen yogurt cake at home.  and a special surprise - sleeping over at grammy and grampy's!  he had a great day, but was anxious to get back home to start on his new lego sets!  love this kid.

kam's last baby tooth

kam lost her last baby tooth tonight.  it fell out while i was flossing her teeth.  the tooth fairy was generous... tic tacs AND $10!  she was a happy camper!  i am way too emotional this week... too much growing up.

hamilton pool adventure

we've lived in austin way too long to have just now experienced hamilton pool.  it was really cool.  a pretty hike into this gorgeous natural swimming hole.  the surroundings are just perfect.  kids had so much fun swimming and splashing and jumping off the rock.  there were giant catfish that swam WAY too close to the shore and freaked us all out a little bit.  we will definitely be returning.  maybe for a hike in the fall.  love.

off to cheer camp

our sweet ken is off to cheer camp.  her first high school "thing"!  it was a busy week - freshman pool party, two days of practice, a send off dinner (complete with the gifting of AMAZING backpacks filled with all sorts of cheer goodies!) and then off to a&m for uca cheer camp week.  she was excited and nervous... but heading off to do something she really has fallen in love with.  can't wait to hear about her week.  love.                                                                            

watching women's soccer

we watched a GREAT women's soccer game final tonight.  so fun for mck to see women playing this sport she loves... and the rest of us enjoyed it too.  after sitting through 12 raffles and winning nothing... they scored the best price of the night!  a ball signed by the lonestar women's team!  love.  

pool time with the pups

we've done a great job of getting in the pool almost everyday this summer.  our puppies don't seem to enjoy getting in the water, but today we were encouraging them to swim and float with us.  graham wanted no part of it and leo couldn't wait to jump off the float and onto the side.  

holla mode - thai ice cream

we crossed off another summer list item of ken's with a visit to holla mode... a thai ice cream trailer.  it was SO cool.  the ice cream mixture is poured onto a freezing slab and then rolled up into these beautiful curls of ice cream.  it was a pricey treat... but worth every penny.  love. 

visit to the capitol building

kam missed out on a visit to the capitol building during the school year, so she added it to her summer list.  such a beautiful place with lots of history and a million storied to tell.  we had lots of fun exploring and ran into a nice guy who gave us some fun facts.  love. 

outdoor movie and night swimming

beauty and the beast and some pool time tonight!  so much fun to watch the movies on the big screen.

  

mck gets braces

mck got her top braces today.  we loaded up on lots of sticky foods yesterday to get ready for 9 months- a year of doing without all the things my mini-me loves... air heads, laffy taffy, caramel popcorn, and gum!  she picked a light blue color elastic (to match her outfit!) and looks so grown up i keep tearing up!  love.   

mck spends five days at a&m soccer camp

mck had such a great time at a&m soccer camp.  five days of no parents, three soccer seesions a day, hanging out in a dorm, eating college food, staying up late, and being with girls who love the sport she loves.  does it get any better?  she is such a rock star and continues to grow in her skill and love of soccer!  she came home, chilled out for a bit, and then went to her Force soccer training.  love.

first sight of our girl after five days!

camp check out.  mck scored THREE awards!

saying goodbye.

the girls.  such a sweet bunch of tough soccer players.

macaron making - most time consuming cookie in the world.

we learned the macaron making process tonight at make it sweet.  omgosh.  who knew that making the tiny little morsels of heaven literally takes a week from the start of the process until the point at which you can truly enjoy them????  we may be devouring all of our goodies (60 of them!!!!) and choosing to purchase them from this point on!  we had so much fun with our besties... catching up and learning something new.  love.

half way to summer goal - running to the lake

my summer goal is to run to the lake and back - six miles.  when making the goal I kind of forgot how hot texas summers are!  I may need to adjust the goal and plan to make it there and back by November.  today, ken and I ran half way there and got a ride home.  so much fun to be enjoying runs with this kid who hated running.  we just run.  don't even talk too much... point out wildlife... and sweat together.  love.

jumbo jenga (and a little yatzee too)

these hot summer days are much better when you can spend them with a cool drink, next to the pool, and in the shade.  today we played jumbo jenga and yatzee.  we tried to capture the exact moment the tower fell... but missed it, as it crashed into b's face! great morning.  love.

mck heads to soccer camp

dropped sweet mck off at a&m for soccer camp today.  she is so excited!  hoping these five days go by quickly so we can pick her up. and hear all about it.  love this kid and love these girls she is spending the week with. love.