We kicked off summertime with a Memorial Day fish fry at our neighborhood pool. Since that day, we've spent lots of time at the pool cooling off with friends and popcicles.
The first week of summer was spent doing some of our favorite local activities like....
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| The Zoo with Lovie and Greer |
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| The movies with friends |
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| Bowling |
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| Strawberry picking |
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| Groovin' & Grillin' |
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| Germantown Charity Horse Show |
and ended with Hayes' second recital at Studio B. She was in two numbers, a ballet one and a tap one, and her stage presence was truly undeniable. I hope she always loves to dance like her momma, but either way, seeing her all dolled up and on stage for now is good enough for me!
The second week of summer the kids attended VBS at our new church. I cannot express how grateful I am to have found this sweet church. It is filled with people who love God, love each other, and love life!
The kids took their first tennis lesson of the summer and are already following in their momma's footsteps....they are almost as obsessed as I am!
Hayes spent the 3rd week in June at theatre camp while Gray enjoyed his 3rd year at sports camp.
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| Hayes and Addison after their "Music Man" performance |
For the fourth week in June, the kids and I headed down to Gulfport to celebrate Father's Day and spend the week at Sea and Sail camp, thanks to my parents. The kids learned to crab, shrimp, and fish while visiting Deer and Cat Islands. They are official Coast rats now! Having their friend Reed, the son of one of my childhood friends, there was also a big bonus. We're already looking forward to doing it again next summer!
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| Snowballs on the beach |
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| Shaggy's for dinner |
After a short weekend of recovery, we dropped the kids off at Camp Hopewell for their first overnight camp experience. It was only 3 nights/4 days but it was really weird to have them gone for so long! Adam and I took advantage of our proximity to Oxford and stayed at The Graduate Hotel for a belated 14th anniversary celebration with dinner at The Ravine. After trying out "Big Bad Breakfast" and walking around the square the next morning, we headed back to Germantown to enjoy a quiet house.
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| Gray and John David at Hopewell |
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| Hayes and Anna at Hopewell |
When the kids came back they were exhausted but happy. I was so proud of them, especially Hayes, for being so brave and adventurous. I pray that camp will be for them as impactful as it was for me and that they learn to love the Lord in new ways with each experience.
We celebrated Hayes' 7th birthday with a trip to the Mud Island River Park, which was a first for us. I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome it was and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as you can see!
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| Mud Island River Park |
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| Paddleboats in the "Gulf of Mexico" |
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| Lunch at Kooky Kanuck's |
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| The splash pad at Beale Street Landing |
The night of her birthday we had all of the fam over for her favorite meal.....pizza and key lime pie! I love that she's easy breezy like that (at least food-wise). Her big gift was a Mary Ellen American Girl Doll with lots of accessories and a table and chairs too. I just can't believe my baby girl is 7! She is tall and skinny like her Aunt Mal was. She is sweet and sensitive like her Daddy. She is feisty and opinionated like her Momma! And she is a beauty all her own! She is so smart, always reading and learning new things. She is a devoted friend, especially to her bestie and neighbor, Addison. She loves and worships her brother even though he hardly deserves it half the time. And she makes us all laugh with her antics. I can't wait see what her 8th year brings for her and how she will grow! I thank God every day for bringing her into our world and making us her parents. Happy 7th birthday, Hazey-bird!
Till next time,
The Pattersons
