Fun with Cousins

We went up to Mom and Dad's for a week during their VBS.  The kids had a blast at VBS and spending time with cousins.  I watched all 8 of the kids in the afternoons.  I had a blast getting to spend time with my nieces and nephews.  They are such awesome kids!

Ellie discovered the rocking chair and didn't want to get out of it.

Getting a ride from Hadyn

Making our attempt at Octopus Cupcakes....

They turned out more like spiders

Coloring

On the Family Night of VBS, while the kids were singing their songs, Apollos fell asleep.  He was wore out after the week!

We went to Six Flags with everyone on Saturday and Sunday.  Both boys had a blast!  Khaliel's first time on any kind of ride like this.  Apollos was also tall enough to go on real roller coasters.  He LOVED them!!!

The kids looking at the map to figure out where to go next.

Ellie was a sport during the whole day.  She was pretty wound up and had no desire to go to sleep that night.

Khaliel was wiped out.

On the way home, Apollos found a gummy, dinosaur shishkabob at a gas station.  He was so excited!

Apollos was pretending to be a dinosaur and need shoes on all his feet.

Ellie is getting red hair!  I always wanted a little red head!  

Ellie is so much shorter than the boys!  We have a picture of Apollos at this age pulling up on the baby gate and his chin is resting on the top.  She is now 10 months old and is 16 1/2 lbs and almost 26 inches.

Zoe and Ellie

Khaliel cooking at Nana's

Bathing Beauty

Swimming in Nana's pool

How many kids can fit in one small pool?

I can pull up now!

Christmas in July!  Making Gingerbread Houses

Ellie started crawling around 9 1/2 months.  I just now was able to get her to do it on camera.

Khaliel was too young to go to VBS, so he enjoyed having the pool all to himself!  He has really improved at swimming this year!  He can swim underwater really well but has trouble coming up on his own.  

The kids practicing their VBS songs

Mom told the kids to sit on the couch while everyone got ready for bed.  Next thing we knew, they were reading to each other and stayed there for about 10 minutes.

Then Hadyn, Khaliel, and Apollos started to color

Alabama fun!

Over the 4th of July, the kids and I went down to Uncle Steven's house in Alabama.  Most of Mom's side of the family came there too.  We had a blast seeing family we haven't seen in awhile.  We also went to the Science Center in Birmingham while there.  That place was AWESOME!  It was like the STL Science Center combined with the Magic House.  The kids had a blast!

Ready for the day!

The boys with a Cretoxyrhina fossil.  This was the shark during the times of the dinosaurs

More dinosaur fossils

Digging for dinosaurs!

Apollos under the sea turtle fossil.  It was HUGE!

Racing dinosaurs

Ellie digging for dinosaurs

Ellie next to a horse skull

Khaliel

Apollos

Looking at the tropical fish

We tried to pet the sting rays and sharks, but they wouldn't come to the top

Looking at the river fish with Uncle Steven

Khaliel painting my toenails

The result..

Ellie hugging on her baby to fall asleep

1st 4th of July!  It was raining, so we didn't have fireworks, but we had fun anyway!  The kids had a blast swimming in the pool despite the rain!  Khaliel got over his fear of the diving board and Apollos learned how to go in the deep end with no floaty.  They are both doing so much better with swimming!