Weekly Wrap-up ~ It's Summer, Baby!

In our regular life this week…

This has been a very sedentary week with my leg injury. I haven't minded so much. It's been nice to get caught up on episodes of Call the Midwife and to have an excuse to sit and watch Shark Week for hours at a time.

We did do a little bit of celebrating, though! Brynne turned 8 years old on Thursday! Dawson woke her up at midnight to tell her Happy Birthday (he always does that). And in the morning daddy called to wish his girl a happy day. Grandma stopped by first thing in the morning to bring her a card with some money and her favorite gift, a DQ gift card! Then Kyndal arrived to spend the day with her. They walked to the Dairy Queen and then went swimming. After they got home and got showered we went shopping for some birthday gifts. Brynne wanted a new 3DS game (Animal Crossing New Leaf) and her own Xbox 360 controller. I also surprised her with a new Pillow Pet. She requested dinner at grandma and papa's because she wanted papa's fried fish. So, we had a yummy dinner and the kids played a game of Words with Friends (board game edition) that Kyndal bought Brynne for her birthday. Right at bedtime daddy showed up. He took the day off today so he could get here in time to see her on her birthday. She had a pretty good day, I do believe.

In our homeschool this week…

One week of real summer break this week and the kids were bored to death. I guess that's the hazard of being a homeschooling family ... you are always doing something fun and interesting so downtime is kind of a drag. We are actually looking forward to getting back to our full day studies on Wednesday.

Homeschool Tricks and Tips ...

Always be willing to be flexible! Our school year hasn't even started yet and we have already had to alter a couple of things. It's just the way it goes, but we are blessed to have the freedom to make those changes when necessary.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

On Saturday the whole family went to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun in Kansas City. Brynne has wanted to go there since we moved here a year ago, and we had always planned to go on her birthday. The weather did not cooperate on Thursday, so we went on Saturday instead. It was the perfect day! But, because the weather was so perfect, and it was a Saturday, the crowds and lines were outrageous! It took at least an hour to stand in line for any ride, which was disappointing. We did get in a couple of good water rides and roller coasters. It was a lot of fun and Brynne was so happy! Then after 8 hours of walking (ask me how my leg was feeling ... oiy!), we went to Cici's for pizza. It was a great day, and we were so exhausted! Yesterday, we didn't do a thing. We slept late, stayed in our pjs all day, and ate nothing but junk food.

A favorite thing this week was…

Having a picnic lunch as a family while at Worlds/Oceans of Fun. I packed a big lunch of sandwiches, chips, granola bars, crackers, watermelon and grapes and we sat at a shady picnic table and just enjoyed our time together. I loved it!

What's in the kitchen this week ...

I am definitely scrounging through the freezer, fridge and pantry for dinner preparations this week. This was a very expensive weekend and I need to really tighten my belt for the remainder of the week.

What we're reading ...

Mom:  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Trim Healthy Mama by Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst. 

Eli: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. (lots of picture books)

Brynne: New Home for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher. (lots of picture books)

Read-aloud: Poppy and Ereth by Avi.

Things we're working on…

Getting all of our school supplies rounded up, new school clothes purchased, and lesson plans created. It's going to be a great school year! I love Back to School!

I’m grateful for ...

A son who will mow the yard for me when I can't and a daughter who will make her sister's birthday a special day. These big kids aren't so bad!

In the garden…

We are about a couple days away from a ripened spaghetti squash. The cukes, peppers and jalapenos are now in abundance!

What's coming up this week ...

Tonight we are going to have our Cub Scout meeting at the elementary school Open House so that we can, hopefully, get some new kids interested. I'll be leading the boys while my co-leader is at the information booth. The boys will be making emergency preparedness notebooks for their Fitness achievement. I am in the process of putting those together.

On Wednesday ... SCHOOL STARTS! Dawson will head back to high school to begin his junior year, and I will be educating my two 3rd/4th grade students (we advance in January). Kyndal will have another month and half off before she starts cosmetology school. Exciting times!

Next weekend is Brynne's birthday party at the bowling alley. She is having a Minecraft party, so I have lots to do to get ready for that.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

And this about sums up how we felt all day yesterday after our long and fun weekend. Baby Girl had herself a great birthday!

We are happily linking up this week at the following sites: