Last Year at Twilight Camp

Sadly, this was Nate's last year to Cub Scout Twilight Camp. This boy is just getting too big too fast. He had a great week swimming, doing archery, building campfires, etc.. but was so disappointed because on the last night of camp, Family Night, camp was shut down 2 hours in to it due to inclement weather. Everyone had to pack up and leave immediately. We were able to complete the egg drop, since our pack had that first. Not one of our family's eggs broke. Yay!

But... we missed the water slides, wrist rockets, & campfire. Nate was pretty sad, but I bet he'll love going to Boy Scout camp even more. (They get to do the more grown up camping! Just what Nate likes!)

Does he have the right?

So I had this situation come up at the pool on Tuesday. We were swimming with some friends and there was a man smoking out by the kiddie pool. After a few moments I hear, "That's gross. That man is smoking cigarettes and it's gross. That really stinks!..." I not so quickly realized it was William. I immediately tried to get him to stop because he was not being very quiet at all. First I told him it was not nice to talk about others. "It really stinks, mom. Cigarettes are bad for you," was his reply. I told him he was being rude. "He is smoking and I don't want to smell it anymore!" he tells me. I finally told him I was going to wash his mouth out with soap if he did not stop. So he did. After we went home and I had a spare moment to think about it, I realized, maybe I should not have stopped him from voicing his opinion about something that bothered him so badly. Not to mention something that could potentially harm him. This is my son who has gone through 2 years of being connected to a nebulizer for breathing issues. His lungs are just now beginning to function somewhat normally. Does he have the right to be so vocal at four? In my opinion, I am going to apologize to my son because I feel in this situation he does. He does have the right! I am so sorry William!

Toy Story 3 Adventure

To add to the chaos of the day, we had a baptism today, a soccer party, and then because Sam has been out of town and the kids have been at camps, we all wanted to squeeze in going to see Toy Story 3 in 3-D. Somehow we managed to pull it off and boy was it worth it! Well worth the wait and months of hearing, "When does Toy Story 3 come out again?" The entire family sat virtually motionless the entire movie. Even Alex. He just slept the whole time :) I'd have to say it is a must see! Be warned there are some intense moments. At one point William tells me, "I don't want to watch this part anymore!" but by that point it was pretty much over. All of us loved it, and I loved all of us being together to do it. (Even with our extra buddy :))

The End of Soccer

This soccer season has been crazy to say the least. Having Alex right at the beginning of it just added to all the excitement of the sport. However, I have to say that I think Natalie has got the best team around! The families that comprise the team are just incredible, the girls all love each other, and her coaches make it so worth the effort on our part. They have all be so kind and accepting with us missing practices, being late, and just plain being scatter-brained. I hate being late anywhere, but we are just a circus full of laughs right now around our house. We are hoping it will get better soon, before next season, because Natalie LOVES soccer and she loves her team. One of the team's families always opens their home to team parties. They did again this time for our end of season get together. As always, everyone had a blast!

"Nat" (as they call her) and Coach Angie

Coach Lorenzo, Coach Angie, Coach Rich, & the girls

Coach Angie & the girls with their cake

Saying Goodbye Can Be SO Hard To Do!

One of our closest family of friends has moved away to Washington DC. This has been quite hard for my family, especially me, because we have been through a lot of challenging times with them. William and their youngest son went through their dysphaegia with aspiration together, along with breathing scares, being housebound for months, and constant illnesses. Without their love and support, I do not think I would have ever made it through those years. Then, when we decided to have another baby, they were trying also. It seemed like a bad omen but several of us lost multiple pregnancies around the same times. Many times I just wanted to give up and say, "Never mind! Our feelings that we were suppose to have another one were obviously WRONG!" Now I look at the grand picture, I realize that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us so much that he places special people in our lives to help us make it through our challenges. Now that we are both holding such beautiful babies in our arms, because we had such great friends to encourage us never to give up, and now that are sons are doing so well, it is time for their family to move on to other areas of need. Heavenly Father has bigger plans in store for them. We would never exchange all those memories and experiences with them. We have grown so much and learned so much from them all! I am just grateful that part of their life's journey included our neck of the woods. This family is incredible! We will miss them dearly, but never forget them!

Hatching Butterflies

Our family has been very privileged this year to have butterfly eggs around our home. Brianna and her friend Bailee have gotten quite good at finding them and caring for them through their phases. Our whole family has been amazed at the process. What a miracle life is!

Getting Ready to turn into a Chrysalis

A few minutes later. (Literally)

About a week later.

Butterfly Releases

Swimming with Friends

We are so blessed to have so many friends to share pools with. It makes our summer exciting without having to go very far from home.

The babies at the Pool

Missing the family

Hi everyone, this is Sam ... .I'm out of town this week working in Charlotte, NC, helping Wells Fargo bank get some software installed and tested. We are working through some issues, which is making the trip a little stressful, since it makes us look bad when we struggle to get things working. But hopefully things will take a better turn tomorrow and we'll make some progress. Any time I get a moment to think of something else other than work, I get to thinking of Raechal and the kids, of course. I am missing them so much, and I've only been gone two days. I miss Alex, and keep feeling like I'm going to miss him doing something - like laughing or something cute like that. I'll be home Friday night, so it isn't really that far away, just seems like it when the day goes on and then at the end of the day you don't get to come home. Just back to a lonely hotel room :-( And there's really not even time to do anything like see any sites, since we don't finish working until late.

Anyway, at least I don't have to travel too often these days. This is actually the first time all year, so I can't complain to much. It's rainy here, which I wish would make its way over to Dallas, but doesn't seem like it will.

Well, just wanted to check in. I'll be home soon!

-Sam

The Hardy Family