Summer Summary

I have been so lazy about blogging this summer, and have realized I need to catch up for "memory" purposes.

Whew, I'd forgotten how completely exhausting it is to grow a person and have used the precious time Trace has been sleeping (which is usually when I blog) to nap myself.

So hold on to your hat because I'm going to do a "Summer Snapshot" which, I must warn you, contains mostly pictures of Trace in various water related activities. When the heat index is 105, where else would you be??? And yes, I only bought him 1 bathing suit for this swimming season (poor boy), but I promise it was washed often. ha!

Early this summer, we spent a couple of days at Jimmy's grandmothers in Alabama with the cousins and they had a blast. Notice... no water wings in the shallow end!

Trace and Sara Kathryn praying before dinner at Mimmies... pure sweetness.
I can't write a proper "summary" of our summer without mentioning the fact that we have spent the majority of it in prayer...

I can honestly say, Trace has not put a morsel of food to his lips without first reciting...

God is Great, God is Good
Let us thank Him for our food
(then it gets a little garbly...)
Amen

He caught me the other day munching away on an apple and quickly said, "Oh Mommy, you need to say your prayers." Yes, sir.

If there is the slightest pause while eating whether it be to retrieve the ketchup from the fridge or between dinner and dessert, we must re-pray.

The other day, after he put Ginger's food in her bowl, I saw him down on the kitchen floor sitting eye-to-eye with her saying the prayer before she ate. She looked up at me with this, "Seriously, what is this kid doing, does he know how old and ornery I am?" look on her face... it was precious!! Nothing is quite as heartwarming as seeing your toddler and nearly 14-year-old dog bowed in prayer over dog food.


Sara Kathryn finally convinced Trace to be her "prince" after much pleading and chasing. She would look at me and say (after he'd run down the hall for the 20th time)... "But who will take me to the ball?" Baby brother Nelson behind them was just glad he didn't have to wear the tiara for once.

We went to a dear friend of mine son's 3rd birthday party the other night and Trace discovered the diving board for the first time. Needless to say, we never went back to the shallow end and Jimmy spent the rest of the evening treading water.

Jack (the birthday boy) and Trace... cutie pies!

Gettin fancy...
Sadly, as pleasant as the evening began, Trace made some poor, very 3-year-old choices when he was told to get out of the water when the party ended. He got his first taste of the "long car ride home" and dreaded walk up the stairs to his room before mom and dad came a callin. They weren't kidding when they said, "this is gonna hurt us son, more than it hurts you."

The next morning we had my cousin Abram's 5th birthday party at the zoo. I CAN'T believe he's 5 and starting Kindergarten... where has the time gone?
Afterwards all the cousin's went back to my aunt's house to swim.

Less than 24 hours after he jumped off a diving board for the first time, here he is going off without swimmies... fearless.
This picture absolutely makes me laugh out loud! It looks like my Aunt Gail is about to do a very painfully executed dive off the board and/or about to be pushed in head first. But due to my lack of photography skills, you fail to see the little cutie pie that she was "dropping" off the diving board. She had my cousin Lucas by the arms and dropped him in to his daddy but all you can see of him is the splash.


All summer I have been meaning to take Trace downtown and do all the fun stuff like the Passage, Aquarium fountains, Splash and Play, and Coolidge Park. Frankly, my plans were much bigger than my energy level. We finally went the other day and had a Mommy and Trace date... complete with a carousel ride and all.


At Riverpark loving his bicycle... thanks Aunt Penny and Aunt Lynda! That was one exhausting trip. I grossly underestimated the speed in which a 3-year-old can pedal.
On the pontoon boat with our friends the Ramseys and their kiddos Elle and Mac...

This "tube" is MUCH more child friendly than the last!!

It has been a wonderful summer full of great memories!

We find out on August 24th if I will be buying loads of pink or re-washing all of Trace's hand-me-downs in Dreft. Let's hope the Lil' Squirt (or Lil' Squirette as Jane has renamed it) cooperates and lets us see all the important parts.

Most importantly, we are just wanting and praying to see a healthy baby!! I need to work that into Trace's prayer regime!