Wet Fun in the Summer Sun!

Get ready to snuggle in for a long blog. I guess I need to start way back- some time around mid June. Around that time was our church's VBS. This was Noah's first time. I was the recreation leader for the week. I had a good time but Noah loved it. The songs they learned and getting to perform on stage Sunday morning were his favorites. He also memorized three new Bible verses along the way, but I can't seem to get him to recite them to anyone but me. Wyatt really enjoyed VBS too. Of course he is too young to be part of the program but there was childcare for those of us helping run it. VBS for Wyatt was riding around in the six seater stroller, eating watermelon outside and playing with bubbles on the church lawn. The following weekend was the church's Jr. High lake trip for which Greg and I have somehow become the waterfront coordinators. We trailered a church member's boat out to Highland Lakes Camp, launched, drove the boat across the lake to Greg's boss' dock in Point Venure, tied off, paddled a canoe to shore (the lake was so high the dock's walkway didn't reach shore) and jumped in the back of Papa G's pickup for a ride to his house. By a chain of crazy coincidences, Greg's parents, his boss' weekend house and our church lake trip are all in Point Venture. That was an amazing weekend for the boys. All the different modes of transport, grandparents, the 'big kids', lots of boat riding, snow cones, homemade ice cream, trailers, jet skis- they had a blast. Greg and I spent Saturday driving boats. I drove the tubing boat (I got every kid airborn on the tube! Grandpa Bob would be proud!) and Greg drove the wake/knee board boat. The first two hours of the morning it poured down rain off and on yet I still managed to get a really painful sunburn before putting on sunscreen at lunch. Mama G took care of the boys for us. For the first time ever, I think the boys actually wore her out. Granted, she did have a long week at work, but still, she usually seems to have more energy than the kids. As you can see we somehow ended up jumping rope in the driveway. We all tried it and it is hard workout. How did we do that for so long when we were only eight? The following week Mom, Dori and the kids visited for a couple days. Those visits are always such a whirlwind I don't really remember all we do. I'm sure there was some hectic shopping with toddlers and mexican food involved. I do remember the worst tantrum Noah has ever had. He had a total and complete melt down that lasted hours and ended with an unheard of- and heavily protested- afternoon nap. The prior busy weeks finally caught up to him and it was not pretty. He came out of it okay but it shook me up. After mom and Dori left we did nothing for a few days- that is until we had more company. Brandon, Greg's closest friend from high school, visited us all the way from Alabama. Greg took off the Mon. and Tues. before the fourth and spent five solids days just playing with Brandon. That was during all the crazy rain and flooding in Central Texas. So they spent most of their time paddling every flooded river within two hours of us. The boys and I went along on most of the trips to take pictures and play in the water. It was five days of boating bliss for Wyatt. Boats are his most favorite thing in the world and watching his dad in one is even better. While they surfed and played in a wave Wyatt watched intently. He utters manly grunts when they do something impressive and exclaims "Uh-Oh!" when they flip over. Noah watches some but he really likes to splash around in the water, swim and explore the shoreline. The picture is of Greg running Graduation Falls on the San Marcos. There are lots more pictures of all this stuff on my Flickr. I think Brandon had fun. Hopefully he left still wanting kids some day. I know the boys loved having him around and Wyatt even named his kayak action figure after him. It was also a much needed break for Greg. He is the only person I know who relaxes by paddling and riding until he can hardly move. I thought I could make it all the way through this tonight, but I'm getting weak. This is going to have to be continued...