Our Amazing Summer (part two)

The second part of our summer started with a bang at VBS! One of the many reasons we love our church is that they have an amazing kids program and because of that, their VBS is outstanding every year! So many kids attend they have to split it up for little kids to attend in the morning and then big kids in the evening and each program is different. Same theme, but different activities. VBS is the highlight of our summer! 

Abram's Lime Green Team

Jack and Luke's friends at morning VBS

Right after VBS finished, we loaded up for Family Camp... this is another incredible highlight of our summer. Our family just loves being at White Sulphur Springs and this summer did not disappoint. We love all the activities they have planned, the new friends we make and just the chance to get away and reconnect. This year Abram surprised us by conquering the high ropes course, finishing first in the cardboard canoe race and dancing his heart out at the square dance.  He loves trying new things and just getting in there. Something I admire greatly in him. I think this is the last year we will have the boys with us because next summer they are all excited about attending Camp Caleb. This year we were there on the Fourth of July which was so fun! 

Fourth of July Bonfire

Abram on the high ropes course.

So high!

Chris had a blast doing it with him!

Watching their brave big brother.

With their sweet friends before Family Worship

Competing with Chris in the Water Balloon Toss

I love that smile!

Enjoying some time with Luke 

Jack and Luke loved spending time with Nate

They are so happy while we are at WSS

Abram with his cardboard canoe team.

Off he goes!

He looks like a pro!

Just hanging out on the back porch.

I just love this!

Another yearly celebration we have in our family every July is Abram's Gotcha Day! This year we celebrated nine years with our sweet boy and I just can't believe it! He has grown up so much and he is turning into such a neat kid. 

He just loves taking this picture every year. 

To celebrate his Gotcha Day, we plan an event for our family to do together. This year we went camping at a super fun place called Jellystone at Luray.  The major highlight was the waterpark that our boys loved! We also spent a day hiking a part of the Appalachian Trail. 

It was so fun to watch them paddle boat on their own.

We loved being on the actual AT!

Those views!

Being silly... but I just love how Luke is smiling at Abram. 

Our newest and favorite version of smores! So good!

And this summer we realized that National Watermelon Day is August 3. Our family loves watermelon, so we just had to celebrate. We started the morning with watermelon donuts, made a watermelon volcano, painted beautiful watermelon slices and ended the day with a watermelon dessert. So fun and yummy! 

We had a fun, busy and memory filled summer. We are sad to see it end, but we are also ready to start our new school year. So long summer... it was a good one! 

Our Amazing Summer (part one)

 Our family loves the summer! No schedule, no school work, just trips, adventures and hanging out! We did so much this summer we had to make two blog posts so we didn't overload you with pictures! This summer we celebrated my parents 50th wedding anniversary at the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Because it was a bit of a drive from Virginia, we decided to make some stops along the way.  Our itinerary was as follows: Baltimore to watch the Mariners play the Orioles, The Creation Museum, The Ark Encounter and Mammoth Cave National Park.  We packed it in and had a blast. 

I would say our favorite stop was at The Creation Museum.  Our family learned so much and we left knowing what the Bible says about creation and the 7 C's. (Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation). Knowing what we believe and why really shapes who we are and how are family lives. 

We loved the huge rainbow in front of the ark!

It was huge!

Finally, after five amazing days on the road, we arrived at Gulf Shores to celebrate my parents! The boys had a blast swimming and being with their cousins. It was wonderful to be with everyone at such an amazing location. All three of them got to parasail and Abram went fishing can caught some huge (and delicious) fish. 

I love this picture of the five of us!

And this one of the entire family!

And enjoying enormous ice cream creations after everyone cooperated for family pictures. 

Even the grown ups enjoyed our treat!

Our favorite picture of the five cousins. 

My sweet parents enjoying their anniversary beach trip... 50 years!

Sparklers on our last night

Up they go! They had a blast!

Abram caught the first fish... look at the size of that thing!

Even my mom went up!

Our final stop on our way back home was to see the Natural Bridge. It was way bigger and far more spectacular than I was expecting. So glad we made one last stop on our road trip!

We took two camping trips this summer. Our first one was to the Bluffs at Cedar Creek and it was amazing! This new camping location only has five spots and all are on the creek. There is beautiful landscaping, a pond to swim in and a creek to explore. It was just perfect for our boys. 

 Swim Team was a huge part of our summer. From daily practices, pep rallies and meets... we did it all and we are so proud of our boys. They had great attitudes about practices and meets and they didn't get discouraged just because they didn't get first place. They grew in both confidence and ability... we can't ask for anything more. Now they are gearing up to start winter swim in a few weeks. 

With their year end medals

Luke and Abram at the Dolphin Duel.

Jack

Our boys getting ready to compete in the back stroke.

I love this shot of Abram.

Luke doing the backstroke in a meet.

Enjoying a break with ice cream cones!

Abram competing in the free style.

My little fish!

The obligatory swim team pose. I have so many of these pictures from my childhood. I love having their's now, too!

Jack swimming the breast stroke.

Abram doing the breast stroke.

I love this picture... we were so excited for Luke to decide to compete in the butterfly for his last meet. He did an amazing job!

I have no idea why these pictures ended up at the end, but these are of our final stop on our road trip before the beach. We went to Mammoth National Park in Kentucky. Lets just say it was super interesting to come here after the Creation Museum. But none the less, it was stunning!