Mommy Rambling {Summer Stress}

Any one else feeling the summer stress?  I feel extra stressed today and not sure why...

Oh yeah three kids, SDK, a cheer program...and a bunch of administrative staff for WCSD not giving me a complete copy of my application packet to complete my fingerprints.  BIG breath...

Then of course there is this little issue of it being summer!  Ethan has really enjoyed his time at Boys & Girls Club, I'm sad they don't offer Billinghurst as a site for the entire summer.  But at the same time he is really looking forward to hanging out with Grandpa Fred!

Speaking of time with Grandpa...they were supposed to be going camping, but with all the rain the place they were intending to go in the next few weeks is right in a flood zone!  Yikes!!!  More to come on that!

I have been trying super hard to keep the kids out of the sun.  That's easier said than done.  I keep a SPF 55 in my travel bag that lives in my car, and I've been trying to get the kids to wear hats.  Ugghh the things we go through.

I have yet to decorate my house for summer.  I guess tomorrow I will pull out all of my fun beach decorations.  The kids truly love that our house has rotating decor.

I love the family aspect of summer, and dread the material keeping up with the Joneses aspect of it.  We're trying to keep it simple this year and focus on the stuff that matters.  Something about summer makes me so happy; the afternoon rainstorms, the BBQing, patio sitting and fresh flowers.  But at the same time it can be so stressful.

Homemade fun is the best kind of fun, especially when we have been having such crazy rain this week.  We've been keeping ourselves busy with a little abstract art, colorful handprints and new movies.  The kids really love the 1960's Babes in Toyland and Howard the Duck right now.

We are just soaking it all in, trying to enjoy everything and not let things be entirely too stressful.  Trying to fill picture frames with special memories.

In the Blink of An Eye

There are four families that we have become close with over the past school year, and just as summer was beginning the five of us were just gearing up to make it a summer to remember.

On Saturday Ethan's friend Grace's family was in a major car accident just outside of Seattle, Washington.  Last night, Heavenly Father called home Grace's 8 year old brother, Owen.  Our hearts are broken for this amazing family.  We truly are blessed to have known this sweet boy and have his family part of our lives.

I struggled with how to tell Ethan.  He got very quiet and pale, I thought he was going to cry but he asked to just go to his room.  I think he needed to process alone.  Trevor and I were crying and here is our 6 year old going to have a moment to himself.  When he came out of his room he said, "Gracie must be so sad. When will she be home, I want to see her as soon as she comes home."  It took all of my strength to not grab him and cry.

I write this because Tami, Harold & Gracie are in our thoughts and prayers, and we are here for them in any capacity they need.  We love them and have been truly touched by their involvement in our lives.  We love you guys.

Please keep this amazing family in your thoughts and prayers.

xo - The Bradshaws

Weekend Ramblings

Our weekend in Vegas was certainly one for the books, I was really sad to leave...

Many thanks to Tara for coming up with lots of fun things for us to do during our stay.  I loved spending time with you and those two darling littles of yours!

And another big THANK YOU to Sarah, Bob, Devin & the girls for making the trek to Vegas to spend the weekend with us.  It was truly fun to watch y'all reconnect and to create new memories for the years to come.

I am a girly girl and I loved getting to spend time with my niece putting on lip gloss and being mermaids in the pool.

I'm a girls girl (do not confuse with the above statement).  I love having girl friends and am SO glad to have a sister like Tara.  I truly enjoyed getting to eat out, gossip, drink and laugh with you.

I learned or re-learned the following:

1.  Having boys is more fun and fits me better than I ever thought it would...playing catch, inspecting firetrucks, looking for treasures, and just being a bit wild and totally carefree.  All things I never thought I would be spending my days doing.

2.  Trevor is the best husband and father in the world.  I marvel at how truly lucky I am to have him.  And I thank my lucky stars and how sweetly and silently he lets me spend money on decorating the house, clothes for the kids and shoes.

A weekend for the books.

xo

Annual 4th Celebration

After a long morning in Boulder City enjoying the parade, eating too much candy and running around the park, we celebrated the 4th of July with our annual Potter/Bradshaw BBQ  and Dave Bradshaw Fireworks Show!  With the heat being nearly unbearable we were just along for the ride...good food, cold drinks, kids running amok, and the best friends and family a girl can ask for!!

Happy Birthday America!!!

xo

Decades in the Making

I have been awaiting for this day with bated breath...20+ years of not seeing each other and it's true what they say family is forever (military family that is)!! I'm going to give as much detail of the Bradshaw/Daily Kids Reunion as I can. These kids grew up together starting in Albuquerque, NM before Tara was even born (so early 1980's) and then were stationed together in England after than. They were each others family for the mid 80's to early 90's. Then the Bradshaws went to Sacramento, CA and the Dailys ended up in Florida. Between the 4 (Devin doesn't have kids...yet) of them 7 beautiful pipsqueaks became thick as thieves.

Sarah, Bob and their 2 daughters, Rachel & Emma, had never been to Vegas before so we needed to really do something touristy to get their feet wet. We decided on The Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy and the Dolphin Exhibit at the Mirage.

We couldn't have been more excited to be spending one of our favorite holidays with people who were such a huge part of Trevor & Taras' childhood.  I definitely think many many memories were made and there was an instant reconnection!

We love you guys!!  And we CANNOT wait for our next adventure with y'all!

xo

Cousin Time

Nothing is more important to me than family. Even though there are miles between them, our kids and their cousins seem to be able to pick up right were they left off the visit before.

Trevor and his parents were angels on Thursday night, watching all 5 kids so Tara and I could go out and celebrate her friend Jackie's 27th birthday!!

There is nothing like a party to set things in high gear!

xo

Red, White & Pool Party

Vegas in July is mighty hot, and telling little boys they can't go swimming is a joke. Forget wanting to play inside with cars or do festive crafts...it was pool time from the moment we woke up on Wednesday.

Please excuse the no make-up look and the messy hair...we drove all night and these kids weren't going to be corralled long enough for me to make myself presentable!

After swimming for about an hour our cousins showed up and the party really got started.

The pipsqueaks spent a total of 5 straight hours in that swimming pool...we went from white to red in no time!

xo