September 2, 2008
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Heard on the radio that Labor Day is considered the last official weekend of summer…
how sad!
I always hate to see it come to a close…
Summer seems so ALIVE! so fuN and carefreE!!
I love everything about it….
Alot of people enjoy fall – and I do to an extent. The colors. The apples. and pumpkins. and leaves! But it always seems like a sad time too as everything is dying!
*sigh*
Maybe it IS time for us to move to Texas – ! since it seems to be summer year round there.. and everyone else in the world already lives there!!
S. and I were talking about some old friends we’ve reconnected with on facebook – - he asked me where they lived,
“Texas.”
“Well of course they do!” he said. “I think everyone in the world lives there!!”
but in the meantime – before we decide to move anywhere ; ) we decided first to enJOY this last “official” weekend of summer…
( Ben with his hand in the water as we floated along in the boat…)
I told Shayne at the beginning of the summer I had 2 goals – - 1. learn to slalom. 2. lose 10 pounds. ~
This weekend I accomplished the FIRST…
And the SECOND? well.. let’s just say that’s going to have to be a fall goal as well. maybe even a winter one!!
Love this next series of shots of Shayne skiing ~ they’re probably not the most technically perfect pictures, but each one just struck me…! Besides, I rather like the guy too!!
And some fuN on the tube, of course…
These next shots are so great! … you have to know these guys – they’re NUTS!!
We were going about 40 mph ~ so this is a bit more challenging than it looks!
And the whole time her uncles and daddy were yelling and laughing and screaming… and all of us on the boat were yelling and laughing and screaming… little emma girl has fallen fast asleep in big sis’ arms ~
everyone kept saying HOW is she sleeping with all this noise!! I smiled when I looked at these pictures tonight and thought… I want to be JUST.LIKE.THAT. No matter what is happening around – the noise. the chaos. the hardships. the pain. the clamoring of others. to just lay down calmly in my Saviors arms and BE.AT.REST.
just LOVE the mental picture~
enjoyed NOT laboring on Monday…
but having some fuN play time with family. It was extra.extra HOT so water balloons became a fast favorite!
Everyone seemed bent on getting uncle Nate!
Emma was funny with her balloons ~ she would carry it oh so carefully….
but when she finally did decide to throw it at someone she would bust out crying that it was broken!!!
Ben finally ditched the balloons and went for the hose! Everyone scattered then !!
It was also my oldest brother, Scott’s, birthday!
So grateful for the LIFE God has given you, Scott! You’ve been the greatest big brother any girl could wish for – and an even better friend. I’m proud of you. Love you forever! sis~
——— and toDAY was back to laboring once again!
Though we did take some time out to run over to Sonics for free ice cream ~ ! No dressing up like a cow or Sonic burger or anything!!!
Went to a nearby park where the kids watched the ducks while they ate their ice cream…
a sign said, “Do Not Feed the Ducks!” ….
Emma accidently dropped hers and man… did those ducks come RUNning!!! Apparently NO ONE feeds them and they were starving!
Since she didn’t mean to drop it I don’t think technically we were breaking the rule! 
On the way home.. which wasn’t the way I MEANT to go (thought I was taking a short cut – but took me the opposite way) .. pulled up to a stop light and right across the intersection was Shayne!!! I don’t know how it is in YOUR house – but seeing daddy/ husband in the middle of the day is SUPER exciting!
I called him up and asked where he was headed…. “to Lowes!” I spun the van around and followed him there so we could walk around and have some middle of the day time. (spotting his truck!)
He cooled of in our nice air conditioned van before getting back into his hot UNair-conditioned truck!
Grateful for my hard working man~! Really. Just so.so.so grateful for him!!
(and yeah! that’s sweat running down his forehead! what’s that verse about the sweat of his brow??)
- – - Still waiting on materials to come for school! So in the meantime we’re just kinda pretending
to have it!! And I’m pretending this wasn’t just the “official” last weekend of summer either!!!!
“Life is all about perception…. it’s not what is happening that matters most, but how you choose to respond to what is happening. THESE are the choices that determine what kind of life you will have!”
” For with You Lord is the fountain of life: and in your light shall we see light.” Ps. 36:9
Hope you’re having a great 1st week of September!
amber ~.
Comments (25)
I really like your new header and background, I also love looking at your pictures, you do such a nice job.
I normally love fall to come, but this year it just feels like summer went way too fast!
What a grand way to spend the last weekend of summer–it all looks like such fun! God Bless you and yours as you head into the new school year.
It’s so true that our perception can greatly affect the outcome of any given moment. Your always a blessing Amber! ~Dawne
That first picture looks sooo relaxing! Looks like ya’ll had a blast out on the water. I was in the mood to do something like that, but Steve was sick.
I can see why you like the pictures of S. skiiing–the watar spray is awesome. And your favorite picture of your two girls is so, so beautiful!!!
This is funny. I always thought you guys lived in Texas. Not sure where I got that idea.
These are Great pictures! Looks like you celebrated summer’s last weekend well!
LOL. Me either.
You’re not in Texas?! Gasp.
The mental picture of being at REST in Jesus, along with your daughters as a visual aid, is just beautiful! I can REST when I am safe. I am safe when I am loved. I am learning that it is not something that I have to hold onto desperately. I can let go because HE is holding ME.
Blessings!
I love the pictures of the guys tubing. They are crazy. It looks like you guys had a great time at the lake.
The pictures of Emma in Katie’s arms are so sweet, and I love the pictures of her holding her water balloon.
I love all your pictures! You got some really good shots of the skiing!
way fun!!! and good for you slaloming – ! that’s awesome – good for you going for something and making it happen~
It’s one of my fav things to do.~
grass is green syndrome can really be crazy. ~
FUnny about Texas — there isn’t a week that goes by that my husband and I don’t talk about LEAVING it. IN FACT, we’ve talked about it since we moved here 9 years ago! we always say that if it weren’t for fam, we’d have left the minute we arrived !
looks like a good family fun labor day ~ we were on the lake too and had so much fun.
blessings on your week.
I love the sights and smells of fall but at the same time dread it because I know my least favorite season is soon to follow. I’m from OH. Love all the water pictures and the fun you have with your brothers. I have six of them who are out of this world fun…. Don’t even want to think what my life would be like without them. Happy day to you while you still wait on books.
What fun! Glad you had a good Labor Day. And that is THE sweetest pic of Emma sleeping and Katie peering up. Precious! Love the metaphor there, too…
hmmm… wish we had a Sonic near us… but then maybe that wouldn’t be a good thing…
Looks like a fun weekend… hard to get caught up though… can’t believe it’s Wed. already… see ya later!
the first picture looks so relaxing… What fun way to make family memories!!!
Great pictures! Like the last one of you and your son. Your family is beautiful.
Great, expressive pictures – whether or not they are technically correct!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday, I was thinking about the old “fall rule” about not wearing white shoes after Labor Day, since it is a signal summer is over. Living in Oklahoma (just one state ABOVE utopian Texas!!!!), it’s so hot, we can’t possible go without our white sandals until the cooler weather appears! AND, I’m not buying brown sandals for the girls just to be fashionably correct!!!! Besides, I wear ugly corrective BLACK “granny” shoes almost every day of the year.
LOVE your banner!
These photos bring back family memories~ I think they are great of Shayne skiing!!
Love ya, A
I love the new header! You’re so creative! And those skiing pictures of Shayne…wow, their cool! I haven’t ever gone skiing before but it’s on my list
Looks like y’all had a fun Labor Day! 
Texans joke that there’s only two seasons here, summer and almost summer…the only bad part about it is that there’s no snow. 
So what was the occation for Sonic to give out free ice cream cones?
Oh, and BTW you really should move to Texas,
good times! adore the ski photos. a fav sport of mine. your lookin good too. like already a pro! <
What a lovely weekend you enjoyed!!! Happy first week of non-Summer!!! I hate to see it end too, but there are fun things about each season…..I often think about finding the perfect climate all year round somewhere, then I wonder to myself if I wouldn’t grow bored of that season and long for the fluffy coziness of winter, the crisp chill of Fall or the fresh awakening of Spring…. I guess I enjoy living in a State that has all four seasons…..
Daddy in the middle of the day is sheer bliss – We’ve had the same impulsive drop-everything- go-buy-his-favorite-coffee-drink just to have an excuse to “drop in” on him during the day!
Thanks for the reminder to do that again soon!!!
YEAH for you! accomplishing one of your goals! i LOVE the feet chillin’ on the boat! i saw the next pic before i read about it. i studied it and couldn’t figure it out. it looked like ben’s hand wrapped in cellepane.
cool pic! all your pics are just wonderful! i love the wake that shayne is making when he skiis. your children are just adorable, beautiful, and so precious! i also love the pic of you comforting emma! your hair looks amazing…pulled back in a ponytail! WOW! you have a LOT of hair! isn’t sonic the best? somehow i must have missed the FREE ice cream day somehow. 
i guess i always thought you were from TX. so….WHERE are you from? 
OH! and the header is AMAZING! i LOVE it!!
hi amber! i’m finally getting a chance to post after looking at your pics yesterday…i couldn’t get them out of my mind. i LOVED the one you took of your hubby waterskiing..WOW! with the awesome wake behind him…you have to blow that one up and frame it. also good job getting up yourself
would love to try that again. also loved the one of kate holding emma in the boat while she was sleeping. spoke so deeply to me. i want to be like that too 
LOVE your family! looked like you guys had a blast…free icecream and all!! keep enjoying life…Jen p.s. i love the new banner…you are so creative. p.s.s. you look GREAT yourself…don’t stress out about those 10 pounds…never would have known that was one of your goals 
love your new header
Amber… I always enjoy your updates! You are such a kindred spirt. Your new banner is so cute! Looks like you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I don’t enjoy seeing summer end… especially this one because it was so fabulous. But I do LOVE the Fall season. It makes my heart sing! Thank you for your beautiful words! And a great big happy birthday to your brother Scott. My big brother’s name is Scott as well and he’s the BEST big brother I could ever ask for! God bless you and yours always!!! xoxoxo ~ Dawn
Great pictures, Amber…..love the spray! Yahoo on learning to slalom!! That’s great. I used to LOVE L.O.V.E LOVE to slalom every summer…….and I haven’t skiied since I think Haley was a baby. Every summer I say I want to do it again….but then my sister reminds me of my injured back and brings a harsh dose of reality. Ugh. I’m glad to see you enjoying it for me!!
Hey, y’all should come on down here to Birmingham. We have lots of hot, humid weather you would love…..right up until Christmas sometimes….with bursts of cooler weather in between. Never snow…..maybe a dusting to a couple of inches once or twice in winter, and the whole state freaks out like it’s a blizzard. You would love it!
Do you know what stood out to me in this post? Your beautiful, long ponytail in the picture of you holding Emma!
And then you mentioned MY hair in a recent post?! Girl, your hair is about the thickest and prettiest I’ve ever seen on an adult woman. And not many can wear it as long as you do and it still look so healthy and vibrant.
Our baby (finally) arrived – on Labor Day, no less!
