June

Long story short: Some friends of ours planned an impromptu camping trip to bogart park the first Friday in June. I worked allll day cleaning the house so it wouldn't be chaos to try and pack around it and also to have it clean when we got home. We got up to our campsite about 5 without josh. He was still on his way home and I figured I'd let kids play a little before he got there. Katie, Russell and their kids got there about 10minutes before us and our kids set out to play in the dirt as happy as can be. I was starting to unpack when a fire broke out right by our campsite. Russell tried putting it out by kicking dirt on it but there was way too much dry leaves and brush around. I wish I had his reaction time and instinct. I didn't know what to do! He jumped right into action, as did Katie.  Katie and russel  took all 4 of my kids and i FLEW down the hill in my van to the entrance honking and screamed to the lady working that there was big fire spreading fast. In all I think 22engines, a tractor, 4planes, 2 helicopters and 241 firemen assigned to this. it burned about 30 acres, no structures and no one injured. It was VERY scary to see a BIG, out of control fire that close to me and my kids. I wanted nothing more then to get my kids in my car and get far away from it. SO glad that it ended as good as it did!

     Josh got some tickets from a guy he was working with for a demolition derby so we all went the very next night. 

     We caravaned to the fair grounds and stopped for pizza and tail gated with it before the show started. 3 families....3 white vans...we each have 4 kids! (Katie does have one on the way too)

We had SO much fun!!!!! The kids were hardly into it which shocked me but it was a lot of sitting. 

   I loved that it all started out with a prayer and the national anthem...then out drove the AWESOME cars! They were so banged up and all spray painted. We each picked out our favorites and which ones we thought win. The first race of the night were some figure 8 races in which the racers sped around the dirt track in a figure 8 and had tons of near misses in the middle and a few crashes which had everyone shouting on the edge kntheir seats! They played lots of awesome music to get the crowd going and stomping in the stands. 

     Here is the group right before the races started. Reese was there just hiding behind Russell. 

After the figure 8 races they had the "trailer race".  Every car had to have a trailer attached and in order to win you had to come in first, second or third but you also had to have your trailer attached still-in any condition but attached. People had all sorts of things on their trailer, sea doos, boats, power wheel, a BBQ. As the race began all those items fell all over the slippery muddy track. (they had a water truck come out and spray the track a couple times) so tires started popping as the cars were sliding around the corners. The best part was probably when the suburban got stuck on the trailer of a car in front of him and they hda to drive together!!!

   The last race of the night was the absolute best. It was sooo funny to watch and had everyone in the stands going nuts. They had about 10 cars out on the slippery muddy track, but tractors placed huge tractor tires on the track, plus all the boats and sea doos. No rules to win, you could hit other cars out of the way, what're got your 20laps done the fastest.  Right off cars were driving through the boats sending broken peices flying. Tires started popping and rolling off into the distance. Cars were banging into each other. There was no way you could tell who was in the lead. The suburban's back right tire rolled away and he continues to drive on his rim, soon after he ran over a sea doo and still continued to drive with it lodged under its front wheel!  Another car had the hood fly up, I have no clue how he continued to drive around the track! Toward the end he crashed and his trunk opened too it was so funny to see him stuck like that. 

A lot of the cars were smoking toward the end too. 

   It was good clean fun and i love the families we spent the night with :)

Riley started piano lessons this month.

 My cousin katie is her teacher. Right now we do just twice a month for 30minutes each lesson but I'm hoping to get a job and then I can bump her up to 4 times a month! Riley has been so excited and had a good first lesson, she has to practice minimum of ten minutes each day right now since the songs are very simple. 

I hope she wants to stick with it, would love to have a pianist in the house!

This month was a BIG one for Reese. She started doing so many new things. 

    -She started giving kisses. Josh was kissing her over and over and then asked for one and she leaned in with a big slobbery open mouth.

    -Reese started crawling. And she gets faster and faster every day! She is starting to get into everything but it's still cute so I don't care...yet!

     -Reese started clapping as well. She is so proud of herself and loves to do it. At church she smiled at my friends husnab and then blew some raspberries and then clapped for herself hahah. 

      

    -Next, Reese learned how to wave "bye-bye". She opens and closes her little fist and does it toward herself and it's just the cutest thing (i think everything she does is cute but this really is!) my favorite is when she concentrates so hard to wave and then claps for herself after. 

    -Reese loves to blow raspberries and laughs after or claps for herself. She is always blowing raspberries to her brothers to get them to laugh. 

   -One day after she turned 8mths old she started sleeping in her crib. It was definitely time but I loved having her right next to me in her bassinet. She did just fine transitioning to her crib and soon learned how to pull up and stand holding onto the rails. 

    My kids got Mollusum this month. It was never diagnosed by a dr but I had seen it on a friends' kid so I knew what it was. As soon as i realized Braden had it and they weren't just little pimples on his legs I (flipped out) googled information on Molluscum for 3days straight. (really) I learned what it was, how it's spread, how it's treated, what doctors recommend, what other moms have tried on their kids, what worked, what didn't work etc. Come to find out its a virus that affects the skin, HIGHLY contagious. NOT harmful at all luckily. Ones own immune system should take care of it. So after I gathered all my information I went off my mommy instinct and made a regime to do each day and happy to report it worked incredibly well! Most people "suffer" from these Molluscum "bumps" all over her there body (people have hundreds sometimes!) for up 2years! Braden had 15bumps at its worst and Max got 3 total and Reese 2. Riley survived! Braden only has one left and Max has one stubborn one as well. Reese has been free and clear for 3 weeks!

I treated it like the plague! I washed the kids sheets every. single. day. If they wore pajamas that covered all their bumps, I would stretch that to every other day sometimes. I changed their clothes 2x a day and put them directly into the washing machine. I used paper towels in the bathroom. Cleaned toilet seat right after braden sat on it (sincehe has some bumps on his thighs)Gave them vitamins every day. A green smoothie once a day. Showers only-no baths. Each and every spot is covered with a water tight band aid if we go swimming to prevent spread. I kept Braden in clothes that covered all his spots. Which meant long sleeves (in summer!) for awhile.  And i treated each bump with a seperate clean q-tip soaked in Tea Tree Oil 3xday. 

   Consistency was key for us. Since they started getting better (and within days) after a couple weeks i started getting more relaxed...Braden started getting a couple more. So in back on track now to get this over with! Can you say nightmare?!

     Josh went to big bear with his brother and met up with my step dad and step brother for the annual bow fishing tournament. Josh shot 3!

Sounds like they had a ton of fun and he is planning to go back on the 4th of July. 

We decided to start having a half birthday for ma each since it's hard to celebrate on Christmas. I kept it just family (and a family friend that is like family now) 

It was fun and very low key. Pizzas, blow up pool, slip and slide and water balloon fight. 

My dad made this incredible paper mâché shark to take pictures in. 

My mom made this cool shark watermelon

    I heard about a baby in the next city over born with out any openings for her girl parts or to have a bowel movements. Also a few organs fused together. Poor baby! She is 8mths old and needs a surgery that her insurance won't cover. About $150,000. Riley has been wanting to do a lemonade stand for a long time now and I thought this was more then worthy of the prophet! I asked two friends and their kids to join us and a third friend that is more involved with this baby offered to join in too. Good thing because she put up fliers and got the word out. The girls worked hard selling lemonade, water bottles, cookies and donuts (5dozen were donated from a local donut shop!) they yelled and waved signs for two hours and made $3,786!!!!!

One proud momma right here!

Now, for all the fun random pictures of June. 

She is getting way too big! I'm loving every second. 

Lots of fun days in the pool with friends. 

Love my silly sweet boys

            Goofy kids

Riley was invited for her first non family sleep over and had a great time. Ava and Anabelle invited her and madylin and Morgan.  

Riley made a friend in kindergarten named Phoenix and they were also in first grade together. She invited Riley to the city pool one day :)

Ready early for church while josh was out of town-had to take a picture to capture that!

The kids are getting more into board games. 

Max had a hearing text this month. It didn't go too well. Waiting to see the ENT to get full results and waiting to hear from the county to set a speak evaluation. (He was approved just waiting for the appointment now)

Max is doing great with potty training...IF...he is naked haha he has had ZERO accidents. But as soon as he wears a diaper or underwear he pees/poops in them. 

Ava nd Riley

That is Reese in the middle of chaos at a splash pad having a great time!

Riley spent the night at my moms finally (she hasnt in awhile and has been wanting to) she worked hard on her fairy garden. 

josh and I took the boys and Reese bowling while Riley was at my moms with the Ingrams. Braden LOVED bowling. It was his second time and he was in to it!! He was giggling, and cheering the whole time! Passing out high fives and kisses. So cute. 

Max loves his weapons and has taken to stashing them in his clothes and diaper. 

Buddies

I realized I don't take enough pictures of Braden!

They sure LOVE each other!

Went out to dinner to celebrate two friends having babies soon. It was fun as usual, surprised we didn't get kicked out. We were loud I'm sure!

June was fantastic!! I LOVE my life. There are things I would like to change or be different, sure. But I do realize all the blessings i have and it's not too hard at all to let those be enough.