Summer Days

While we love getting to be in the States and visit family and friends for weeks at a time during the summer, we also love being back home relaxing and enjoying "summer" - the time where we have no real schedules, sleep in a bit, swim at the pool, meet Daddy for lunch at work and enjoy puzzles and board games and playing "house".  We're thankful we have had the last month of "summer" here in Kuwait - with blistering heat (it's 117F as I type this) and this last week we've had some crazy un-Kuwait-like humidity (which I love, because it feels like we really live at the beach - but coupled with 118F heat, it makes the heat index something like 136F!).  We came back to Kuwait in the middle of Ramadan, so it meant a couple of weeks not drinking or eating or chewing gum in public - our house was fine, but all restaurants were closed for the Holy Month until sundown.  School starts next week - which I'm not ready for, but it should be good.  Here are some snapshots of our lives the last couple of weeks...

Lunch with Daddy at work

Grocery Shopping during Ramadan at Lulu's!  Such a fun front of the store :)

We completed a puzzle...and learned some great lessons about cooperation and teamwork, namely that if we all want to do our own parts and put pieces together, it will never make the whole picture unless we share with each other and are willing to put our pieces together to complete it!

Crazy puzzle that glows in the dark :)

The first day after Ramadan - during Eid Al-fitr - we can eat and drink in public during the day, so we went out to brunch at Applebee's for yummy huevos rancheros!  

Night swimming at the pool!

Visiting the Aquarium and getting to pet a hedgehog!

Watching the big leopard stingrays and sharks!

Being silly at the Discovery Center - showing off Jack's muscles...

 New Friends!

 Date night out at Stone Grill with my Tweeter - yummy yummy raw steaks you cut up bit by bit and cook on the 425F hot stone they bring out!  

 Don't I look cute with my bib?

 Our table setup prior to starting to eat

 So fun!

 Picnic lunch with Daddy!!! 

And swimming and sharing pretzels with our friends - Kylie looked like the Pied Piper with kids trailing her as she portioned out pretzels to all our friends!  She enjoyed being the gatekeeper :)

Summer Tour Stop 20 - Final Days in States

 Kylie got sealant on her 6 year molars - and wasn't thrilled with the idea, so she brought blankie in to keep her company (you know, along with Mommy right at her feet rubbing her legs, holding her hand and patting her).  She did great!

 Our home we'll move back into in a year!

 3 boy cousins out to dinner at Anita's :)

 Uncle Mark, Kylie and Hannah

 Mary Kate and Meggie - they decided on matching (or closely matching) striped dresses...

 and matching bracelets!

 Such yummy food!

 

 

Last picture with Mom Mom and Pappy!

 

 Last picture with Grammy and Grandad before they drove us to the airport!  Praise the Lord, we upgraded to business with our frequent flyer miles!  It was well worth it and great that we had a baggage allowance of 8 bags at 70lbs each...we only used 5 all less than 50lbs, but it made me feel better!

And the kiddos chillin in the Business Lounge before we flew back to Kuwait!

Summer Tour Stop 19 - Washington, DC

  

We went to Colleen's house in Washington, DC to visit her and her kiddos!  We had a great time and had never been to her house, so it was great to see it!  Thankfully, it takes about 5 minutes for our kids to warm up to each other, and then they are off playing!  The girls had fun together while Jack had fun with Thomas :)  And I had fun catching up with Colleen! 

 Sarah and Kylie down the slide

 Mary, Jack and Megan making some sort of leaf/flower concoction outiside

 Jack, Sarah and Kylie sliding all down the slide together

 This sweet boy, Thomas, in his sisters soccer jersey :)

 Colleen, Mary and Sarah with the yummy oj popsicles they shared with us!

 Jack and Thomas had fun blowing bubbles together...well, really Jack blew a whole bunch and Thomas would try to catch them and pop them!  And they may have dumped a whole bunch of bubbles out all over the patio (by accident at first...) :)

 Me and Colleen

Kylie and Mary

Who had fun playing together and agreed they were alike in the fact that they were both scared to loose teeth and didn't want to get their ears pierced because it will hurt :)  Mary gave Kylie a necklace that says "best" and she kept the necklace that says "friends"...so cute!

Summer Tour Stop 18 - Malone, NY

The kids and I drove up to Malone, NY for Carl and Sarah's Wedding!  It was a whirlwind trip - we drove up Friday, left at 10am and got into Malone at 10pm, spent the night at the newish Holiday Inn Express (which was great), attended the wedding, spent the night again and drove back to Virginia on Sunday!  We had a great time, got to swim in the pool at the hotel, catch up with cousins and family, have lunch at Gram's with Aunt Sheri and attend the beautiful wedding!  We are so thankful we were in the States to be able to be a witness to their marriage and take part in the festivities! 

It was GORGEOUS!!!  Kris always does a wonderful job in whatever she is doing and they all (because it was a family effort on everyone's part - including Sarah's) did an amazing job transforming the barn into a beautiful reception hall!  They haven't had calves in the barn for a couple of years, but they cleaned out and fixed up the hay mow to hold the reception!  They cut doors upstairs, the boys built the sliding barn doors to have an opening and they built the deck and stairs to go up to it!  Before, you had to climb up a tiny ladder in the barn to get to it!  They power washed it, had it painted outside, planted flowers, decorated it, strung lights, had boutique porta potties, yummy food, beautiful decorations and so much fun!  It was so neat to sit at the ceremony before it started and see all these people there who love Dave, Kris and their family!!!  Guys who have worked for Dave for years, Kris's family from all over the South, Dave's family from all over the North, friends from church and friends from Malone...they are well loved and everyone was so excited to be a part of Carl and Sarah's start to their marriage! 

 Our kiddos after swimming in the pool!  We got to swim with Dan's cousin's little kids - which was so fun!  We hadn't seen his cousin and her husband in 10 years - since Megan was 3 months old!  Now she has 3 little boys!

 Aunt Sheri took the kiddos behind Gram's place to hunt for blackberries - which was so nice of her!  We ate them for lunch and even took some with us!

 My 3 dressed for the wedding in their summer wedding attire :)

The beautiful alter made out of white birch, under the tent for the ceremony

 Megan, Gram and Aunt Sheri - 3 beautiful Seaman ladies

Me and Bugga

 Anissa

 Everyone standing for Sarah to walk down the aisle

 About to be given away to Carl

 Dave praying for Carl and Sarah with Kris by his side

Exchanging of the vows

 The amazing barn that was transformed into a reception hall!!!  It was SOOOO beautiful!

 Kiddos on a really cute swing!

 Cousins!!!

Megan, Kylie, Amelia, Aaron, Charlie and Jack

 Fun old windows sectioned out by tables and marked by flower packets!

 We were the Black Eyed Susan table!

 Inside the gorgeous barn!  All lit up with twinkle lights and paper lanterns and Ball jars with candles lining the walls!

 Me and Sis

 Homemade strawberry jam to take home!

 The happy couple!!!

Carl and Sarah

 Their first dance

 Beautiful sunset

 The tent where the wedding was...they built this road just for the wedding - it wasn't there in June!  

 Anissa brought out a harrow and placed it in the corner of the garden - for beans to grow up around it!

 Paper lanterns hanging from the trees

 Me and my kiddos

 Bob (Dan's cousin's husband) took our kids on a golf cart ride through the fields!  They loved it!  Every minute or so, he would stop the golf cart, beep the horn and everyone would have to switch seats!  They LOVED it!

 The Barn at night

 Kylie and Anissa

 Me and Kris

 The Satellite dish Jack ran full force into - we thought he might have broken his upper arm. Thankfully, he just had a nasty bruise and scrape!

 

 The following pictures were taken by Judy Genaway, a friend of ours in Malone!

Kris before the ceremony pinning a corsage on Dave!

 The wedding party!

 The ladies

 Beautiful newel posts, as well as gorgeous flowers!!!

 Dave, Kris, Carl, Sarah, Anissa, Sam and Aaron

 The Grooms Cake and Wedding Cake

Sam and Bridgette

 And Carl and Sarah!!!