Hangin' with the Callicott Clan

The Friday before the big Adams Family Reunion, so July 1, the rest of the Callicott Clan showed up. Uncle Doug and Aunt (well, future Aunt) Ashley flew in from Michigan, and Aunt Amy and Lottie and Adam came in from their travels all over the continental US. We had a lot of fun just hanging out as a family.

Of course, we had to go to the lake near Gram and Bapa's house. It was rather warm outside (upper 90's), so my kids were running Nani to the lake.

All the smart people were walking.

Adam, Logan, and Lottie through rocks in the lake. We had to get on to Logan for throwing boulders into the lake - fishermen do not like boulders/chalks on the boat ramp when they are launching. Also, please note the wet pants - not a teetee accident, but a throwing and slipping accident.

Afterwards, we came back to the house for some yummy popsicles! See, you are never too old to enjoy a Flavorice.

Since Daddy was in Houston working, Kayleigh really took to Uncle Doug. I think she figured he was the closest thing to Daddy around. So she was surprisingly clingy to Doug.

While they were at Gram and Bapa's Adam lost his first tooth! Apparently his daddy had been trying to pull it all the week before, but to no avail. So Gram somehow wiggled it out! Keepin' it in the family!

Gram and Bapa were so great to us - they let us stay in a house about 1 mile from their house. It was great - each family had their own room. In our bathroom, there was a HUGE jacuzzi tub. So one morning, we piled all four kids in to take a bath. They had fun! There was much water on the floor when they were finished...

On the boat with Gram and Bapa

June 29th, Gram, Bapa, the kids, and I went to Lake Balboa to go to the beach and then out on Bapa's boat. After swimming at the beach and eating lunch, we went to the pier to wait for Gram to back up the boat. And while we were there, we saw them stocking the lake with bass. They were such cute little fishies...

Logan loves being on the water in the boat!

Bapa let Logan drive the boat - we went in circles, and pretty close to shore. It's nice to be on a lake where you can actually let him drive, instead of the bayou.

Kayleigh and Mommy say, "Whee!"

By the end, Kayleigh was wiped out from all the excitement.

Logan's swim lessons

Monday through Friday, Logan had swim lessons. Of course, on Tuesday there was lightning in the area, so he didn't get to go to class. He wasn't really game to try to make it up either, since he would have to stay for 2 hours at the pool. Logan was the youngest kid in the class, since Gram and Bapa had to get special dispensation for him to go to the 4-6 year old class. But he did just as good as the older kids!

Here he is on the last day swimming with his teacher, Ms. Dorthea. He was blowing bubbles and kicking really well.

Here he blows bubbles and kicks with his other teacher, Ms Melissa.

The first day of class, I had to bribe Logan with candy to get him to jump in the pool. Thursday they did a session on jumping in with a lifevest (which he does all the time from the boat), so on Friday he was ready to do it again - this time, without the lifevest! Look at him laid out in the air!

My water baby in (almost) over his head.

Logan got his passing certificate from Ms Dorthea at the end. Exciting!

Shane and I can already (2 weeks later) tell that he is more confident in the water. When we stopped at a hotel on our way home, after a little trepidation, he was jumping in the deep end (5ft) and swimming to the other side of the pool. He even did a few freestyle strokes! Swim lessons were worth it!

Vacation Bible School - Mountainside Methodist

Monday through Friday, Logan, Kayleigh, and Gram went to Mountainside Methodist (Gram and Bapa's old church right up the road) for Vacation Bible School. They were having a special session for just young preschoolers. Kayleigh was still the youngest there at 2 years old, and Logan was one of the younger kids as well. They had fun, because they came home from VBS revved up!

Logan makes his snack on Monday. Notice that this face has hair and a goatee - just like Daddy!

Logan's friend, Dalton. He came home from VBS telling me that Dalton was his best friend. Gram said they hugged on each other, would line up together, and hold each other's hands. But the next day, Dalton wanted to be Kayleigh's best friend - she was not so into that.

Pastor Chris tells the kids about the Passover. He is holding a plate of unleavened bread. Logan got into a theological discussion with Chris the first day of VBS. Logan was telling him how Jesus died on the cross in very serious tones (a conversation he likes to have at least once a week). Chris said it was the deepest conversation he'd had all day - with a three year old!

The theme of VBS was "Shake It Up Cafe", so the kids got chef's hats and aprons. Kayleigh actually wore a hat!

They even wore their aprons at craft time (smart teachers, huh?). Logan is so serious about his coloring.

Kayleigh colors everything - including her face!

Kayleigh loved learning the choreography to the songs. They danced to "Shake It Up", "This is the Day", and "Give Thanks".

Here are the kids doing their dance on Sunday morning at church. Lottie and Adam (who was on the other side) got to go to VBS on Friday night and picked up the dance steps pretty fast. I was impressed. So here are the three cousins "dancing". Kayleigh seemed to steal the show as she jumped around on stage with great gusto. I had many people come up to me afterwards saying how she was the "cutest thing". Logan was not so excited about it - which greatly amused one man in the congregation, Mr. Charles. He was proud that a little boy didn't want to dance.

However, Logan did like to do the actions to the "Give Thanks" song. After Gram told him that the sign of touching your fingers to your palms showed the nails that Jesus took for us on the cross, he thought the song was amazing! He would sign it when we sang it in the car - and Kayleigh would help us sing.

The kids had a good time at VBS, but though they were a little tired every night, since it ended at 8pm and my early birds get up at 6am. I'm so thankful for the different instruction that they received at VBS. And I'm thankful that Gram and Bapa invited us to come up for it!

Arkansas - Fishing with Gram and Bapa

On June 26, the kids and I started our big trip this year. Here was our itinerary (oh, and don't forget, the week before we were in Dallas for two days):
June 26: Fly SWA to Hot Springs Village, AR
July 5: Drive to Peru, IN by way of Memphis, TN
July 11: Drive from Peru, IN to Chicago, IL
July 12: Drive from Chicago, IL to Houston, TX
July 13: Arrive Houston, TX
We were gone from home for 2.5 weeks!

We went up to Arkansas first for a week - Logan was going to swim lessons in the morning, and then Logan and Kayleigh were going to VBS at night. Then at the end of that week, we were having an Adams family reunion (cue the snapping) and a bridal shower for Ashley (and Doug).

When we got to HSV on Sunday, Logan and Bapa went to the store to get some golden crickets. They were golden because they cost about 100x what Bapa thought they would cost! Luckily, those lucky crickets caught some fish.

Here, Bapa and Kayleigh try their luck on Ms. Linda's pier. She was a much more patient fisher than Logan.

Logan and Gram try to catch some fish at the other end of the pier.

A FISH! A FISH!! And there was much rejoicing, and jumping, and screaming...

Logan was not a big fan of the flopping fish - he thought it would be better if it were dead. But the next time we went out, he wanted to hold the fish, but Bapa had forgotten the gloves, so he didn't get to hold it.

See, even Mommy can catch a fish sometimes...

Try number two. Not that we're all fishing the same spot, but...

Since Bapa didn't have his gloves, he washed his fishy hands off in the lake. Monkey-see, monkey-do!

We had a great time fishing with Gram and Bapa, even if it was a little warm.

Our toady frog

The day before we left for Arkansas (June 25), Logan caught a frog/toad. Instead of putting it back in the yard, he put it in my mopping bucket, along with some rocks and grass and leaves, oh, and a little water. He was very proud of himself for taking such good care of it. Thus the reason he was SO upset when his Daddy told him to let it go in the garden. He boohoo'd for a good 5 minutes about it. Then Daddy soothed him saying he could look for the frog again when he got back. That cheered him up!

Walking in Mommy's shoes

After we went up to Dallas for Shane's 10 year anniversary with SWA, I had my black heels out. Kayleigh wanted to look nice, too. There's just something about a little fashionista in a gorilla shirt and heels...

Daddy's little helpers

We went to Lowe's in June, and for some reason, I had my camera with me. Kayleigh and Logan wanted to help Daddy.

Logan helps Daddy push the cart with bags of mulch on it. So heavy!


Kayleigh, "Daddy, I heppin' you! Ugh! Too hebby!"

Ashlynn's birthday party

On June 11, the kids and I went to our next door neighbor's house for their daughter's first birthday party. There was a kiddie pool, a slip and slide (more like sit and row), and Pepsi Max (yay!). We had a great time!

Baby Ashlynn - the birthday girl! She really enjoyed the chocolate cake, but was not so keen on the other flavors of cupcakes.

Sadie - the (obviously) big sister! The kids just love Sadie - she is one of their favorite people! And she is a super sweet kid, so we like her too.

My little pumpkins - with icing ALL over their faces. I think they liked the cupcakes.