A month in pictures.

It's been a whirlwind of a summer so far, and it's been fun.  Really fun.  We've gone almost nonstop for over a month, and so here it is, in a nutshell.

We started with a trip to Elkhart.  We knew we wouldn't see the grandparents for about a month and wanted to fit in some good quality time up there.

Peek-a-boo!

Marley, Layla, and Blakey Potter

I fit in the Sunburst 10K while I was there.  It was great!  Awesome cool temps and the finish line was the 50-yard line at the Notre Dame football stadium.

We returned home, did laundry, repacked, and headed to a friend's cabin in Tennessee.  The cabin was fantastic.  We had plenty of room, there was a pool, and it was right on Douglas Lake.  And we always have a good time with our friends!



Alexis with her friends

Alexis loooooves the water!  And her Daddy.

We fit in a trip to Gatlinburg.  My only must: stopping by Cooter's.  Ahhh, the memories.  Bo Duke was, after all, my first love.

Jason and the guys.  They always have so much fun together.  We've done many vacations with these guys over the years and it's so nice finding families with whom you are compatible on vacations.

Blake and Nick on Scott's boat.



After a great week of boating and the General Lee, we headed home.  We were able to relax a bit and the boys attended Vacation Bible School.  Alexis wasn't old enough to attend, but was able to be in the childcare room since I was volunteering.  It was the same room as her Parent's Day Out program, so she felt right at home.  At the end of each day, I'd get her out of class in time to go hear the kids rehearse all the music.  She loved it and is still singing and doing the dances to this day.



The boys got into the dances too.  Even when no one else was dancing.

We finished up VBS, packed once again and headed to Branson, MO.  I hadn't been there before and didn't realize how much it was like Gatlinburg.  But what made it great was that we took this vacation with our family.  Jason's parents rented 2 houses and 16 of us made the trip:  Jason's folks, our 5, Jason's sister and her family of 6, and Jason's brother and his wife and baby boy made the trip from New York.  Only Josh was missing.  Boo.



The village where we stayed was adorable.  They looked like a bunch of dollhouses and were as cute inside as out.

Our houses were right across the street from each other so the older kids could go back and forth as they pleased.  They altered sleeping at each others houses the first several nights.  By the last night, we had about 6 kids in 2 beds.  So fun!

The temps were sweltering.  But we spent 2 days as Silver Dollar City which offered ample opportunity to cool off.  Let's hear it for water sprayers, sprinklers, and water rides!

Blake and Caylee.  Inseparable.

Did I mention it was hot?  Blake and Nick both rode their first roller coasters, but Nick sat out for a lot.  He was uncertain and a bit anxious.  His mother's son.

Although I did manage to fit in a refreshing log ride.  Sans Nick.  :(

5 crazy cousins.

When we weren't at Silver Dollar City, we were lounging poolside.  Lovely.

And when we returned from Branson, our dear friends had already arrived from Florida.  We drive to visit the Gera's almost every New Year's and they make the pilgrimage to Indiana most summers.

I didn't think it could get hotter than it had been in Branson.  I was wrong.  It was in the 100's all week and it got so hot that the reservoir was too warm to be refreshing.  Not that it stopped the kids from tubing and a host of other water activities.

Alexis fell in love with Trisha all over again.  Trisha would dance with her, Ring Posey with her, sing, read, play with her.  And now Alexis points out any young girl with blonde hair, hoping it's her Trisha.  I may have to fly Trisha back here.

Pooped.



 And so now, all is quiet at our house.  No more vacations for a while.  Instead, Blake gets his tonsils and adenoids taken out on Thursday.  The popsicles are purchased.  Prayers appreciated!