Carpool Book Club {August 2017}

Tomorrow is September 1st... crazy!  We've had a wonderful summer, but I'm ready for fall.  I'm looking forward to the rhythm of the school year, apple and pumpkin everything, cozy sweaters, and everything else this coming season has to offer.  It's also birthday season around here.  We have a birthday each month from September till Decemeber.

Today I'm joining Narci to talk about the books we've read this month.  And by books, I mean book.  Ha!

Steal Away Home: Charles Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson, Unlikely Friends on the Passage to Freedom by Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey is the August read for The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey's summer book club.  And yes, Aaron Ivey is Jamie's husband!  I've really enjoyed participating in this book club this summer.  I loved reading this first person narrative about the lives of these Christian heroes of faith in the mid-1800's.  Since I started reading this book I've heard Charles Spurgeon's name mentioned a few different times.  He was from England and is known as the "Prince of Preachers."  Thomas Johnson was an African-American slave for 28 years in Virginia until he was emancipated at the end of the Civil War.  He went on to become a pastor and a missionary.  The story of Spurgeon and Johnson's sweet friendship and their mutual mission for everyone to receive salvation through Jesus was inspiring and moving to read about.  I also loved the relationship each of them had with their respective wife.  I definitely recommend this book and have already been bugging my husband to read it because I know he'd love it. 😊

With our homeschooling starting next week, these two book are next on my list:

Uncovering The Logic of English: A Common-Sense Approach to Reading, Spelling, and Literacy by Denise Eide

Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt

Final Camping Trip of the Summer

We met some friends for camping at Newton Hills last weekend.  Our cabin was right next to a park, so that was awesome!  We participated in lots of state park organized activities -- roasting marshmallows, outdoor movie, learning about owls, water play, and learning about butterflies.  Most of us also went on a big hike.

Loved catching up with the Dockters!

Lydia and Davey holding hands on the way to the park 💕

Love these friends!

We made s'mores of course.

Emma and Allie hanging out before bed

Outdoor movie time!  Jess spoiled them with popcorn and M&Ms.

Lydia and Clara both brought their Rainbow Dash. 😊

on our way to the owl adventure

These two sweet ones were ready for a hike, princess style.

heading out for a hike 😍

Good thing these two papas were along!

They played some really fun water games!

Clara making her butterfly puzzle.  Unfortunately our weekend got cut short after this because this sweet girl felt increasingly bad as the day went on.  Our other friends ended up leaving a night early as well due to weather.

And that's going to wrap camping season 2017 for the Ellingsons!  We had fun but this mama is ready for a break from the packing and extra laundry! 😉

Life Lately

Another night of T-ball!  They only have one more week to go.

It's been so fun having Davey and his best buddy Brecken on the same team!

So happy to have the Anderson family home visiting from North Carolina!

Mamas' night out!  Love talking and laughing with these favorite life long friends!

We got to have Atika spend the night Thursday.  Loved getting this time with her before she had to go back to Florida.  She's a 5th grader tomorrow!  Crazy!

Batting without the T!

Cousin sleepover!

Summer Happenings

my little first baseman 💙

bike ride to the pool with my three favorites

Michael's company hosted a picnic at the Canaries game July 27th.  Our crew loves baseball!

Our sweet friend Melissa offered to take our kiddos so we could go on an 11th anniversary date.  We had the best time having supper on the patio at Bracco, getting ice cream at Stensland's and going for a walk along the river on the bike trail.

Davey came running up to me super excited and said he knew a great way to make money to help us buy a house... a lemonade stand!  How sweet can he be?!  So the next day we had a lemonade stand and they sold their whole pitcher of lemonade.  (Obviously we put their money in their piggy banks.)

Emma loves going down elephant slide at the pool!

Michael and I led preschool at church the Sunday before last.  I had to snap a picture of this adorable crew.

T-ball is life lately and we are loving it.

We cheered Daddy on for his last regular season game.

Clara playing pitcher

Emma loves all of these "babies."  She says "baby" in the sweetest little voice.

When I was staying with my sweet grandma a few months before she went home to be with the Lord, she asked me if I thought she was going to live to be 100.  I smiled and said, "I won't be surprised if you do."  She laughed and said, "I won't be either."  So wish we could celebrate with you today Grandma!  Happy 100th birthday!  We love and miss you so much!!!

The kids have been doing lots of mixing of various ingredients lately and having an absolute messy blast.  The first day I let them do this Davey said, "this is so much fun!" 😊