Labor Day Weekend Fun

We had a great labor day just hanging out with the family.  Even though I somehow turned the pool a nasty shade of green. 

This is how Gracie mows the yard.  And fertilizes it.

Although sometimes it causes a little more trouble than planned.

Back to School

It has been a whirlwind August getting ready for school.  I forgot how much of the summer was sucked away by volleyball two a days.  And then of course there was my class room to make ready.

 

Then, all of a sudden out of no where, it was the first day of school.  Super-fast cut out letters were made on the way out the door for the traditional Ayers family back to school portrait. 

This one is into Instagram, so she lets me take the pictures, even if she is just a little too cool to hold the double digits. 

Mostly, they whined and made goofy faces in protest of the pictures.  And SOMEHOW I didn't even get Gracie and Daniel by themselves!  Oh well, it was a dash to the car kind of a back to school morning.  Everyone seemed to be happy with their teachers and classes.  This is the last year with us all spread out into 3 schools.  Next year, we will all be in one building.  AND - next year Ally will drive.  Crazy thoughts!  But, mostly, a very exciting and busy time of life.  Actually, for some reason fall is the busiest of all.  Pee Wee Football, volleyball games 2x a week, constant practices, and a lot of student ministry stuff going on.  I'm so thankful all of our kids have refused to play basketball.  God knew we needed the downtown in the middle of the year. 

August dreaded August

The summer just flies to August, doesn't it?  We have had a really great summer, though.  Nobody I know likes August in Texas.  August is miserable.  Electric bills through the roof.  Pool is boiling hot.  Grass is dry, brown, and scratchy.  Horses have to have hay, and we worry about one of them hurting a leg falling in a crack in the ground.  No mowing because even the weeds become precious.

My creative-ness has just been flowing around here.  I am decorating my Spanish I classroom.  That's a post for another day.  Yep.  I'm returning to public school teaching.  With a lot of prayer.  I offered to teach art and go all day and left it to God, but the school just need me 1/2 day for Spanish.  God knows best, and I am thinking a 1/2 day transition is going to be wonderful for our family.  I'll still be able to do all that I do to keep this family rolling - and to keep my husband sane too.  So project #2, after the classroom was this Pinterest inspired skirt.  LOVE me some Pinterest.  It was really easy and fun to make, I am already planning to make another one. 

I got these great, and extremely comfortable cowboy boots, and I am thinking I need some shorter skirts to show them off.  Side note - my first mirror selfie!  Am I hip or what? 

The countdown begins.  Just 4 months till Ally turns 16.  Daddy has been fixing up his old jeep, which will become her vehicle.  It's a standard, so she still has to master that skill, but she's getting there.  Ally made the varsity volleyball team, and she is loving it.  She may not admit it, but she will enjoy having me at the school with her - although she's kinda bummed she can't wear my clothes as much.  "Hey, Ally, didn't your mom wear that a few days ago?"  Not cool.

 

I'm not sure what Gracie will do without her daily 4-5 hour horseback rides.  I suppose she'll be rushing home to ride right after school.  Daniel and Daddy have started pee-wee football and they are both really excited about that season of the year.  It's such a crazy season - so much going on.  One of those seasons we have to check the calendar to plan a family meal where we all sit down together. 

Camp season 2013 - done

Preteen camp was fabulous!  We had a great time!  Our speaker was an artist/ ventriloquist.  I taught arts and crafts and we had pretty decent weather. 

It is always interesting to me to see the food choices they make when Mama isn't looking.  He ate like 10 pieces of sausage every morning (I never fix sausage cause it smells).  And.. he only had a tummy ache a couple of days :).

No pictures of Ally.  She did her second round of back to back camps.  She went to camp with our old church and then came directly to preteen camp to help with Rec and to help me with ministry and lovin' on kids.  She was only there for 2 1/2  days but she was a wonderful help to me.

 

So now we are back home to whip the farm back in shape.  Chores have been greatly neglected, the animals are needy, the pool is a pale shade of nasty, the laundry is piled to the moon, and we are all pretty worn out too.

Those crazy ball sports

We spent a LONG week consumed with ball.  Softball season 2013 is officially over.  The verdict is still out on whether or not Ally is done with the sport.  We shall see.  She doesn't want to pitch anymore though.  She loves centerfield, so maybe she'll be back.  She will be too old for little league.

Daniel and his best bud have the most interesting mound convos.  Apparently, they pretty much are just breaking the tension by making fun of the base-runners. 

He had his first tournament for travel ball and it was a doosey.  I won't give you the play-by-play, but it was a crazy day 6am to 11 at night.  Exhausting.

Rainy July?

We NEVER have rain around here in July!  Not this year, we have had softball games cancelled and pastures too wet to ride horses in.  Craziness!  Last summer, we spent 60 days straight with no rain, so this was really a blessing.  We were just talking about getting some hay for the horses, and now, suddenly we have green grass again.

 

Gracie has literally been riding 4-5 days a week.  With all that training, that Lucy will do anything she asks.  That horse hates the rest of us, but when she looks at Gracie, you can just see the love.  She would do anything to please Gracie Pearl.  She rides bareback a lot, jumping, galloping and going everywhere.  Most days Gracie and Lucy are out riding before 7:00 in the morning so they can beat the heat.  Sometimes Ally, Daniel, or Elana come along on Saxie.  The girls go down to a neighbor's land and on the day of this picture, they went exploring in a nearby abandoned pasture.  I love that they have places they can go and explore on horseback.

We Interrupt This Crazy Summer

Summer is always kinda crazy for youth pastors, and especially for youth pastors who build schools that have to be finished by August.  And their wives who love planning preteen camp, and decorating vbs, and their crazy kids who play too many summer sports and go to too many activities.  VBS was a fun and crazy week.  But we haven't had too much of a summer break, it seems. 

 

Camps are just.  plain.  exhausting.  But so fun.  We had a great time at Super Summer this year.  This week - our kids camp!  Always the highlight of my summer!  I LOVE kid's camp!