Even in the summertime...

...P practices piano and manages to squeeze in a lesson or two!

fun at the library

The local library is one of our favorite places to go.  We all love to read, so of course we enjoy a chance to look for something new to borrow.  An added bonus is the sweet librarians in our children's department.  All of them have gotten to know our kids {C can't let a trip to the library go by without stopping at the desk with one or thirty seven questions}, and Mary knows them outside of the library as well from church and youth group.  Luckily, C found some ways to have fun without raising his voice to a level inappropriate for the library!

date night

Tae Kwon Do camp

Independence Day

This year, our Fourth of July had a special twist. Pastor Michael participated in a pulpit swap with a pastor from Scotland. Pastor Sarah and her family joined us for fun and fireworks. Grandma Paige and Poppa Fred also came to town, so we were doubly blessed with family and friends for the festivities.

The boys decorated a patriotic dessert for everyone to enjoy.

P and C quickly became good friends with Kieran and Jess, Pastor Sarah's children. I didn't get many pictures of the Red, White, and Bluegrass Festival because it was raining, plus my fireworks pictures didn't turn out that well, but I did get this photo of Kieran and P eating their candy apples.

Let freedom ring!

the tail end of our beach vacation

We enjoyed one last day of sun, sand, and swimming at DeBordieu before returning home.  As usual, the boys' number one activity was the pool.

We got dressed up for a night out, and tried this local restaurant based on the recommendation of another family at the pool.  It was a definite win.

Despite the delicious dinner, P and C both found room for ice cream.

We had an amazing time at the beach!  It was a great kick off to summer.

Pirates' Voyage

When the boys found out we were going to be about an hour from Myrtle Beach, they asked if we could please go to Pirates' Voyage one day during our vacation.  We have been to Pirates' Voyage before and it was a hit, but we were surprised by how much both boys wanted to return.  When we found out that there were lunch shows, we decided to spend one day on inside adventures and got tickets.

C wanted to be transformed into a mermaid during the pre-show activities.

P elected to skip the pirate make up in favor of a souvenir after the show.

All five of us enjoyed the show and the food, and the boys were even willing to pose for some photos together.

We closed our day with an after dinner swim.  C was relieved to see his mermaid getup survived some time in the water, "just like a real mermaid".  :)

Both of my kids have loved this show all three times we've been. If you're in the area and looking for family entertainment, this is a good bet! {Pirates' Voyage didn't pay me to say that. This is just my opinion.}

Beach fun!

FJ was ready to head to the beach for some fun in the sun.  The boys were ready for some fun with the "Son"!  {See what I did there?}

P, quite the boogie board enthusiast, helped Flat Jesus go for a ride.

Flat Jesus was called away from his surfing lessons to help prepare for a beach wedding.

Eventually, all of us were able to settle in for some work-free time in the sand and surf.  It was a great morning!

Along came Jesus, walkin' on the water...

When the boys brought their creations to the pool, they demonstrated their Flat Jesus' abilities when it came to walking on pool water.  :)

We took a break from the sun in the afternoon to watch Inside Out at the closest movie theater.  This was a hit with our entire group.  It is such a good movie!

By the end of the day, I was ready to permanently move to Debordieu!

days at Debordieu

Our church decided to offer a "Flat Jesus" this summer for young {and young at heart} church members.  The idea parallels "Flat Stanley" - color and cut out your Flat Jesus, and take him places with you.  You can also photograph Flat Jesus on his adventures.

When everyone got up, the boys made their Flat Jesus friends.

When we headed to the beach, our Flat Jesus friends cane along.

When we got back to the house for lunch, I had the boys go ahead and shower before eating.  This what the tub looked like after they were done.  {Yes, they had already rinsed off sand at the beach prior to coming home.  Even so, it seems we were trying to bring the beach home with us!}

In the afternoon, P, Daddy A, and I went gator spotting.  Flat Jesus came along.

We even saw this alligator sunning himself!

P thought he might like to drive us home from our hunt.  {This did not come to fruition.}

We had another wonderful day of vacation!

Debordieu, day two

I couldn't wait to get to the beach on our first full day of vacation!  The boys indulged me for a while.

Secretly, though, they wanted to spend their time in more chlorinated waters.

Lounging by the pool with treats from the snack bar was a popular way to spend some time, also.  :)

We usually took the golf cart to the water.  The golf cart rides gave us time to go gator spotting.  P became particularly adept at spotting our reptilian friends.  He even wrote a gator spotting guide!

By the end of the day, we were thrilled with our vacation spot!

Debordieu

Our friend Amanda went to the beach with us again this summer. Her aunt and uncle generously shared their house with our family, and we had a wonderful time relaxing at the beach, the pool, and around the community. We were ready for a vacation after a very full school year!