Back from the brink...

In the last few days, I've begun to think I might have replied to this ad. I can't, in one short blog even tell you what the last week or so has been like for us. So here's just a little snapshot.

We started VBS on Sunday night. Each year I cook meals for all the workers and their families. We usually serve around 150 each night. The difference this year is that I'm working now. So, I went to work around 6am and worked till 11am. I ran home, honked for the boys and ran like a crazy woman to the church to start cooking. The boys were amazing! They put salads together, made the banana pudding, wrapped potato's, hauled ice....I could go on an on. I also had help from a few members of our church too. Thank God, or I might have given up after the first night! We served things like homemade yeast rolls, chicken & noodle, soft tacos, chicken & veggie fettuccine... we got done around 10pm...headed home....fell into bed and did it all again the next day!
Speaking of that first night...after everyone left for the night (around 10:30pm) 2 teens broke into the church and stole Bran's newest and most precious guitar. They took Ron's and Jo's too, as well as part of the drums. Needless to say, the theft really took a little of the joy out of VBS for everyone.

Thanks to my sweetie finding the first piece of pawned equipment himself, the police were able to recover everything but Bran's guitar. On Wednesday night a boy drove up and handed our youth pastor a guitar case. He said he was trying to keep his friends out of trouble by returning the last and most valuable guitar. It was a happy reunion for Bran, even if the guitar had some minor damage. Blue Moon Music fixed it up, and it's as good as new again!

What an awesome church family we have. They were all so supportive of the guys when they heard the bad news...and rejoiced with them equally when everything was returned.

On Friday, I took a friend out to meet Trav's family. She may start as their nanny soon & I wanted to introduce her to my sweet nephew and nieces myself. Little Will is changing SO SO MUCH. He's totally lost that preemie look.

Of course Nat was her same adorable self...

Will's mowhawk

Last week I got the boys a slip-n-slide to help beat the summer heat...

as they usually do, things went downhill quickly!

One other note, the boys spent a few days with Jeanne and Dennis on the weekend of the 4th. They earned some "fireworks" money by cleaning out the chicken coop.

Of course it's never all work an no play when you spend time with mema & papa! They did some fishing & Riley made out like a bandit.

These last few pics are totally out of order...but hey, it's been that kind of week!

and of course there was swimming.

That's it from our neck of the woods. I will have alot more to post about these next two weeks. Bran leaves for KC for a week, the little guys will spend the week with mema & papa, Boston has football camp, we are spending 4 days at the cabin, Cade goes to camp for his first time and I'm gonna try to spend a little time with Emily this week too!