July was jam-packed with birthday celebrations, camp, training, and vacation. Jeff also completed the bathroom remodel while the kids wrapped up another summer of swim team.
The girls wrapped up a great week of Vacation Bible School to start the month. They learned about God's amazing creation and what an awesome God we serve. Eden loved the singing, Marie loved the crafts, Anna loved making new friends. The program they did at the end was especially precious!
July always starts off with Thad's birthday celebration and this year was no different. For his birthday, he requested a 2 night sleepover with his bestie, Moses. The kids also jumped, ran, and climbed to their hearts content at Spartan Adventure Challenge. I was getting tired just watching them! We enjoyed 2 homemade dessert pizzas, a bonfire, and time with Nana and Papa to complete the birthday weekend.
Jeff also wrapped up a week of training at AP Chemistry Bootcamp in Little Rock. He really enjoyed getting to introduce the students to new content, fun labs, and share his love of and excitement for Chemistry. We thoroughly missed having him home and couldn't wait for his return. Being apart definitely makes us realize how much we love to be together!
Jeff and I decided to try something new that we have been talking about for years...swing dance lessons. We have had two lessons and are definitely starting to get a feel for it. We, along with about 10 other couples, are learning East Coast Swing. The great thing is that no one takes themselves too seriously. We end up laughing at ourselves fairly regularly during the course of the lesson. I can't say that professional dancing will be in our future but at least we will have a few moves to show off at the next wedding!
We had a great time cooling off at a local waterpark one particularly hot day. The kids showed off on the climbing wall, diving board, and pool. Marie was super excited to be tall enough to go down all the waterslides. Moses came along for the day and the three stooges did their best to do everything in the park multiple times.
The middle of the month found Thad, Marie, and Anna attending church camp. This year, our church, brought in an outside camp. The camp provided everything and brought it to our church...counselors, bible lessons, go-karts, laser tag, climbing wall, and much more. The camp ran during the day and then they kids came home to sleep in their own beds at night. It was really a great way to "camp". The kids got to experience camp but still get good rest! They all thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can't wait to do it again next year.
While the middles were at camp, the rest of us found ways to have fun. We enjoyed several rousing games of bowling. That was good for a few laughs. We also treated ourselves to ice cream after working so hard to knock over all those pins!
At the end of the month, we packed clothes, food, and games and headed to Myra's Mountain House. This is the same vacation rental house we stayed in last year. It is a great location for us being just a little over a mile from Cove Lake and a little over 10 minutes from the top of Mt. Magazine. We spent the better part of two days at the lake. The weather was gorgeous. We swam, boated, played in the sand, and worked hard at doing nothing. It was perfect. We also did a short hike to the highest point in Arkansas at the top of the mountain. Some other highlights of our trip included the kids conquering an escape room, playing family games, and seeing a variety of wildlife. We are so thankful for the time and resources to get away for a few days and just be together.
As our summer wraps up and week look forward to the start of another school-year, we are so grateful for the Lord's blessings and for all we have been able to do this summer.
Sorry for the LOOOONG slideshow. I started the process with almost 1,200 pictures to choose from!
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