I wish it could be summer every day.

I really am amazed at how quickly the dog days of summer go by, and we don't even have a dog! =) The nicer the days got, the busier they became the past few weeks. There has been so much fun and just added activity to our home life that the truth is my blog is the last thing on my to-do list- even though I love documenting our stories and pictures and sharing them this way. I am going to have lots of gaps in the stories, but thankfully we are making some memories that hopefully will last as my kids grow up and reflect back on their childhood.
The memories aren't all fun and perfect and thrilling all the time, but we do have some happiness tucked into our days- often more than we plan or expect. But with a two year old and four year old and extra-special needs 12 yr old, in addition to the 'big kids' {9, almost 11 and 14} it is tricky to have everyone happy at the same time. In fact, I don't even try to have that happen anymore. We just do what we have to do and sometimes that means there are meltdowns and drama happening as we try to make a fun, family memory down by the waterfront. Or out at Chip's club by the pool. Or just playing with the neighbor kids. Or even having popsicles on the front lawn. There was a meltdown over a new 10-pack of underwear at our house tonight, which I still am clueless as to how that can be. But tween girls have their moments too. =)
I grabbed a small snapshot of what life has included the past few weeks, and realize that even on the hot, sticky, fussy days there is still so much to love about summer! The visits to the park and the local carnival that went through here. The times with Daddy- even though we often have to go to the club or Chip brings kids with him to hang out at work. We are lucky that he can do that and the kids can swim and golf now. We have had meals outside with the neighbors and are enjoying the pony they gave us as they prepared for a yard sale this week. There has also been lots of cleaning and organizing and lawn re-doing as we put our house back up for sale and had an open house and a couple of showings too. We would love to be closer to Chip's work- which is about a 30 minute drive right now. If it doesn't sell we are staying put, so there isn't a pressure on us this time. Just a huge desire in our hearts.
There has been scrapping and paper crafting time for me, which I enjoy even when it's summer. Being busy with kids means that I have to plan my time a bit differently, but I still like a bit of space and the chance to scrap and create and have fun with all the goodness that comes in my Cocoa Daisy box each month. This month's kit {which is revealed tomorrow night on the Cocoa Daisy website} is called Cabana. It is bursting with bold colors and summer flair. The Day in the Life kit is a relatively new kit for them and I got one of those this month too and love it! There is a great 3-month subscription special if you have ever thought about scrapping the Project Life style way. I love how quickly the pages come together and yet there are still endless possibilities for how to put your pages together. I am loving it all and so glad to be on the team now for coming up on my one year anniversary there. The girls on the Design Team have been so great and truly are friends. I just want to meet them in person sometime!
Life for the Ferlaaks is full and loud and there is more fussing than I would like, but also more hugs and good food and just hanging out letting summer happen going on too. If I could, I would bottle up the relaxed feeling of life right now- even though there are still mountains of laundry and groceries to buy and things to pick up- and I would save it for when there are going to be quiet days and the kids are all grown and doing their own busy thing for the summer. I am soaking this time up. Every minute of it! I am scrapping some of it to look back on during those future mellow days too. =)

Hello Summertime!

As of yesterday at just before noon, our family is officially on summer vacation! The kids all did SO GREAT in their studies and growth this year. I am proud of each of them. Lots of hard work to get on those A/B honor rolls, but they are proud of their efforts too and hopefully we will find lots of simple ways to enjoy the next 3 months of downtime and break from structured routines. There was a lot of happiness as we collected their last few items from their classrooms, hugged friends goodbye and headed home to start the more relaxed, lazy days of summer.
I love waking up whenever we get up and going, not rushing around making lunches and changing diapers and buttering toast all practically at once. It gets overwhelming so many days in a row with the kids at their different ages and stages. So this mom of 6 kiddos at home is happy to take a breather.
We already went to Chip's workplace- which besides a lovely golf course and clubhouse, happens to have a great pool/kiddie pool and hot tub as well. We are looking forward to turning our kids into little fish for the summer. They have enjoyed their first night poolside and if the summer weather cooperates, I foresee lots more memories made at the pool for sure! I am so glad that I got back into scrapbooking last year, and with the recent Cocoa Daisy Candy Shoppe kit and the Project Life stuff that I have added to my collection of cute papers and embellishments, I am excited to scrap lots of happy memories and summertime events the next few months too! Cocoa Daisy has such a great variety of items in their kits each month. I always have way more than I need and it is a fun thing for me to do and share with my kids too. So we'll be cutting and gluing and stamping, in addition to swimming and splashing this summer too! We will miss being so close to family and friends and all the fun things we did with them last summer. But hopefully we will find ways to stay busy and not think too much about what we're missing.
What do you love about summer? What are your plans for making the most of the months that fly by so quickly? I still miss all the fun and excitement that Teagan had when it came to the fresh air, outdoors, flowers and chasing butterflies. She is always in my heart and mind and I am thankful that I enjoyed so many special moments with her while she was here on earth. Happy summer to all of you!