Even though we went and played in the water twice a day, there were also plenty of other things that kept all of us busy. Papa Dude made some way cool games. He made a corn-hole game as well as a game called Yard Ninja. He created this game and built it for all of us to play. There were wooden blocks each team set up as well as a King ninja. The other team tried to knock the ninjas down without hitting the King. We all thought the game was a lot of fun. The snow cone machine was also a HUGE hit! It was really nice to have a cold treat!
Papa Dude made some awesome and fun games that everyone loved playing.
Damon and Radley got pretty good at corn-hole.
Kyler wasn't quite as dedicated to getting better, but he had fun too.
Georgie had fun 'playing' by climbing up on the game and kept everyone from throwing the beanbags.
Shandi and Chris brought a snow cone machine that everyone enjoyed.
Damon had fun mixing all the flavors.
Oh, Kyler's smile!!
The other game Papa Dude made was Yard Ninja. It was SOOO fun. We all loved it.
Bentley just loved picking up all the game pieces thinking she was playing too, while she was really messing it up.
Radley on Papa Dude's team trying to knock down some ninjas.
He loved playing with Papa Dude.
Kyler and Damon would talk smack the entire time! It was really funny to hear all the different things they would say.
We had a great time at the beach. Having a beach house was fantastic!! It was so nice to not load things up and drive to a beach, get the car all sandy and have to stick it out all day to make it worth the trip. We were at the beach two times each day! It was brilliant!! All of the kids loved it and wanted to be in the water the entire time. They loved swimming in the water, playing in the waves, boogie boarding, looking for shells, throwing sand, etc. I think we are without a doubt a beach family!
Bentley wanted to take a ride on the whale.
Radley flying a kite with Papa Dude.
Bentley hanging out with Sara and listening to music.
Damon running along the beach with the kit flying.
Georgie playing in the sand.
Bentley was not afraid of the water but wanted to be in it constantly. Daddy made sure she got splashed enough that she knew what a real ocean experience was like, and she loved it!! We couldn't keep her out of the water.
Kyler liked to float around like a dead person in the water. He would just lay flat with his face in the water. I hated it!
The water seriously didn't phase this girl! She would wipe her face with her hand and wait for the next wave, never wanting to go back to the shore.
Radley had fun jumping in, over, and under the waves.
She usually talked someone in to taking her in the water.
Hanging out on the 'Chillbo Bagins' that Shandi and Chris brought. It was pretty cool and really comfortable.
The boogie board was a huge hit with all the boys. These weren't the best waves for it, but it was fun none the less.
There were always fights over this particular boogie board.
Radley and Papa Dude flying the kite.
She wanted to be in the water not just being held while someone was standing there but actually submerged in the water.
Chris relaxing
He really was much happier than this picture shows.
Radley catching a wave.
There wasn't a lot of sand castle building, but they found a lot of sea shells.
Our first summer trip was with the Lively side of the family to Dauphin Island, Alabama. I remember always loving the beach and spending countless hours there. Our kids had never even seen the ocean, so I was really excited to take them! We were able to stay in a beach house right on the water. It was perfection! We all loved it and can't wait to do another beach trip!
We stopped at Wendy's and got frosties. Kyler complained that he didn't get as much as Damon, but look at Damon's bite and look at Kyler's bite!! Nope, Damon definitely got more! Haha
Running to the ocean to get in the first time.
She didn't know what to think, but she wasn't scared!
Love at first sight!
They wouldn't stay out of the water.
Getting warmed up.
We have some beach lovers for sure!!
Our view from the house.
This is video of the boys playing in the waves for the first time. I told them to just get their feet wet, but it didn't take long before all of them were completely submerged. They had an absolute blast!
Our cheerful, full of life, lovable, little boy is now 4!! I feel like he's been the same age since he was 2. It's like he doesn't change. He still as adorable as ever. This year we decided to go to a movie as a family for his birthday and get candy. He was super excited, and so was Damon because we got to see Cars 3. It was fun to see them get excited about seeing a movie and spending time together. The next day we did cake and ice cream with the extended family which he loved too!
Radley has been talking about this birthday for a long time. He was super excited!
It's not a party without the cousins!
Blow those candles out!
Pretending to cut the cake with his new sword.
We also went to a birthday party for a man that goes to church with us that turned 90 the same day Radley turned 4! Here are the two birthday boys together.
Radley requested the same birthday cake that Kyler had when he turned 6.
This was the birthday boy's outfit of choice. I have learned to pick my battles!!
Once the reunion ended and all the extra kids left our house, our lives seemed pretty dull and boring!! Damon can now ride a bike all by himself. It's been a big month for him now that he can swim and ride a bike. He hasn't been all that into riding a bike, but Kenney asked him to try the other day, and he was determined after that. It took him 3 days of trying before he got the hang of it. He was extremely excited!
Bentley is quite the character these days. She is one sassy little girl. She doesn't communicate with words all that well, but she gets her point across without them!! There are a few videos of her at the end.
Damon is fully confident in his riding skills now!
The boys really like going to the parking lot at the hospital because it is nice and smooth to ride on, unlike the rock and gravel by our house.
These clouds were super cool. We could seem them growing and getting bigger by the second.
They were seriously huge and so fluffy and pretty!
This girl loves her babies! She wants them to be wrapped in blankets constantly.
Kyler made this cool bow with Legos one day. We were pretty impressed.
He definitely has the hang of it now!
Radley is hilarious in this video. He tires so hard to keep up with the big boys, but his bike just doesn't go as fast! He's screaming, "Full speed!"
Watching Bentley clean her face in the bath is pretty funny. She just wipes her hand all over her face. Listen to Damon say 'bath' at the end of the video; it's pretty hick sounding.
Bentley's talking is getting better, but she really doesn't say many coherent words.
She is also getting more brave and trying out things she sees her brother do like jumping off the couch. She really just steps off, but she's getting there.
