END OF AUGUST/ BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER

I know I usually blog about the highlights and photo worthy parts of our lives... however.... just to show I am human and make big, dumb mistakes... here is proof...

I may or may not have put diesel in my car... enough said... now onto other news....

We went up to Mom's the weekend of August 24th to see Lainie, Cory and Trey!  It was a great visit to Emerald Isle that had to be cut short in order for us to get back for Ben's first day of school!

Beach time!

Maaike and Uncle Cory

Dave finally caught a fish that was worthy of keeping!  So did my mom!  

Lexi was really excited about it, too!

Trey was intensely into the fish filet-ing as you can see!

Trey loves his big cousin!

We headed home for Ben to school start on the 27th!  Here's our big first grader!

He was clearly over getting pictures taken when we got to school.  He really didn't want me to walk him in but I told him there are things moms have to do and one of them is coming in the first day of school!  It seemed to work... this year at least!

Ben had a great first week of school!  

Lainie and Cory came down to our house on Thursday and were there to see Ben's first flag football game!  He's loving it!  He can't wait to go to practices and loves playing the games!  It's been fun to watch him... he's scored a few touchdowns and his speed has helped him play some good defense and get lots of flags.  

Look at that face!  Love!  Trey loved watching his big cousin :)

Ben's cheering section.  It was soooooo hot that morning.

Ben loving Buckley!

On Labor Day weekend, we couldn't resist the great weather and getting out on the boat.  Dave, Ben and Maaike went out with our neighbors one morning and I got to spend a few hours with this little gem!  When I took her to a coffee shop and told her she could pick anything she wanted, her eyes nearly popped out of her head!  And then, she wouldn't let me have one little bite!  That's my girl!

The next day we went out on the boat with our good college friends, Brett and Corina and their kids.  Our kids are all roughly a year apart from each other in alternating families!  They LOVE each other and it was a good morning!

Lexi (3), Anna (8), Ben (7), Braden (almost 6), Christian (4), Maaike (almost 5)

Silly time... not sure how bending over constitutes as silly but Lexi had it down pat!

This little girl started preschool!  She had to put together a poster all about her to bring on her first day of school.  She was so excited to do her "homework."  It was cute because Ben came home with an extra sheet from school titled 'All About Me.'  I asked him why he had a blank one to which he responded that he brought it home for Maaike.  Perfect timing!

Maaike started school the day after Labor Day.  She goes 4 mornings a week and can't understand why she can't go on Friday as well.  *sniff, sniff*   She's growing up!

Last week, I took Lexi to try out a dance class (which is what I wanted her to do)...

... and gymnastics (which is what she wants to do).  Well, gymnastics has won out!  I have to figure out when we can do it but it will happen eventually.  I just found out Lexi got into a Mom's Morning Out program on Wednesday mornings!  It's at a church at the beach and the program is run by volunteers.  It's for 3 hours in the morning and they have room for 35 kids. They ask for a donation of $4 each Wednesday... for art supplies and snacks!  I have to volunteer my time to help out 4 times a year also.  So it's a great situation and I really hope to get in Ben's classroom a little bit, too!   Of course, the only mornings Lexi can take gymnastics are Wednesday and Thursday mornings... our only 2 mornings we're not available!  So I'll have to figure something out!

 Random picture of Daddy getting all pretty!  (I really have no idea what was on TV!  Ha ha!) 

Maaike decided she really wanted to try soccer this fall.  So we signed her up and she's on her friend Christian's team, with Brett as the coach.  She had her first game this past weekend and loved it!

Practicing with Brett before the game...

Maaike and Braden....  no action shots I guess... will work on that for the next game! 

So this weekend is Dave's olympic distance triathlon in Kiawah Island, SC!  He's done a ton of training and is feeling ready for this longer distance triathlon!  And I get to go with him!

Where will our kids be?  With their friends!!!  This is a picture of the 4 friends they'll be spending the weekend with...  We're good friends with their parents, Asheley and Doug, and have helped each other out with overnight babysitting a few times.  It's exhausting to have 7 kids but they get along wonderfully and it's nice to get a few nights off!