Summer 2010

i am really excited about my summer with these 4 sweet kids...

like, REALLY excited.
{and how much do you LOVE that picture??? straight of the bath-hair not even brushed picture that turned out GREAT!}

i have a lot to share in this post...about my goals for myself and my kids this summer...about our plans...about our schedules...

but FIRST, i share this mostly to document it.
also to share ideas that you are welcome to use and enjoy with your kids.
but never, NEVER to make you feel like you should be doing any of these things...or like you aren't doing enough.

i read enough blogs to know those feelings.
those "oh! WHY did she have to think of/do that?? now i feel like i'm not doing enough!" feelings.

NO.
YOU are doing what YOU need to do for YOUR kids and family this summer...and this is our plan!

no guilt.
no pressure.
not here, my friends!

ok, here we go.
i have been planning/thinking/praying about our summer for over a month.
many people look at summer as a time to relax, sleep in, do less.
i look at it as a time to POUR into my kids.
it's MY time with them...i get to plan our days and our schedule and i don't take that lightly.

we ARE going to have a lot of fun.

but that's not the goal.

our family goal this summer is:
"to love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind and all our strength."

as we go through our days, we will frequently stop and ask ourselves if we are doing that, how we are doing that...what that looks like in this situation...i will take the time to point them to that instead of rushing from thing to thing...

each day we will spend time reading the Bible, talking about it and praying together.
there will be no "set" time...just as long as it takes.
we plan on memorizing a verse each week.
but that is not where my kids' hearts will be changed...that is not where they will learn what it looks like to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
they will learn it by watching me.
which means i need to show it.
and kids are smart...really smart...so i've got to be the "real deal."
my desire is to grow closer to Him...to truly love Him and reflect His grace and mercy as i walk through my days...with my kids and with EVERYONE i come in contact with.
i pray that my kids see His love in my choices and actions all day long...not just in my words each morning.

each day we will do "school" {the older 3} - it will be after "rest time" but before sawyer wakes up. we will practice math facts, we will read - alone and to each other, we will write, we will learn how to write letters {like the kind that you mail...if you get a letter from one of my kids, now you know why! this is a lost art and one i hope to teach them}

each day we will practice the piano {the older 3} - i will "teach" them one day a week

we will also go to the pool, the gym, the farm, grocery shop (boo!), go on picnics and walks...i just love being with them...and so far they seem pretty happy to all be together! i know one day soon it will change...

today we made journals for our "school time"
i saw this idea here.
and it was SO fun.

after the pool this morning, we went to the craft store and i let them each pick out 4 pieces of scrapbook paper. they had so much fun! BIG decisions!

then i cut the paper to the correct dimensions and they glued them on (i helped some...)

we had already written in our journals this morning during our Bible time.

i got an extra sheet of scrapbook paper that had "summer" words on it, and they got to pick a couple words to put on their cover.



don't they look so fun??
we will use these journals for lots of things...during Bible time, to write during school time, maybe take on hikes to write down special "treasures" we find (maybe even glue them IN our journals!)

sawyer and i have one, too!
{it kept sawyer busy in his highchair the WHOLE time we were having "Bible time" this morning! we'll see if that continues...}

it was a GREAT first day of summer for us.
i admit to being slightly anxious about it...i don't handle change that well and knew it would be an adjustment...but it wasn't as hard as i thought it would be.

i think it helped that we had a FUN night to look forward to at the end of it!

we have friends that are adopting a little boy from Ethiopia and Chick Fil A did a fundraising night for them! it was PACKED!!! and SO fun!
i'm pretty sure the management had NO idea it would be such a great turnout!


here are the wonderful parents-to-be!
Evan and Stacey have been SO encouraging to us through our process...it was so special to be able to help THEM!

and our kids totally "get" it and loved it, too!
this afternoon Rebekah made a poster for the Chick Fil A door: "Bring Home Baby Snyder" :-)

summer 2010 - welcome :-)
we are loving you so far!