Lakehouse

Last weekend we enjoyed an amazing, relaxing weekend at the lake house.  This place is very special to our family and never disappoints in fun and memories! 

As soon as we got there the children put on there suits and headed out back.  JP spread out this towel beside me and as he was laying down he said, "I just love days like this."  I said, "Days like this?"  And he replied, "Yeah, just relaxin' and..."  He got distracted by something mid sentence and ran off.  I laughed out loud!  What five year old boy says he likes days just relaxin'???

Even though the rope swing was broken, the children (and adults) had fun swinging on the rope that was left.  Pratt was amazing at it I must say.



Pratt and Gerrit thought it would be great fun to throw the children in the lake with their clothes on.  The children thought it was the best idea ever.  JP is still talking about swimming with his clothes on.  They giggled and laughed and had a ball!

It is hard to believe how much these two girls are growing up.  We have a picture of Shelby and Neely when Shelby was just a few days old and Neely was a few months old.  They are propped up next to each other on our couch.  Now look at them!!!!  Practically adults:(





Sawyer and Sienna

On May 16th, 2012 the Arquez family grew by two.  Pratt's sister Suzy and her husband Patricio along with Sebastian welcomed their newest members into the world.  Sawyer and Sienna were a little early and a little itty bitty but they were healthy and we are so thrilled to have them.  Sawyer weighed in a 3 lbs. 6 ozs. and Sienna was 4 lbs. 5 ozs and every bit of them is precious.

Shelby can't get enough of "Sianna" (a true southern girl always elongates syllables:).  She asks everyday if she can hold her.

JP isn't quite sure what to make of these tiny little beings, but he humored me long enough to capture this pictures.  He is pretty content with a quick glance and then runs off to play boy stuff with Sebastian.



Uncle Pratt and Sawyer getting in some guy time.  I can't even begin to describe how little these sweet babies are.  What a blessing!!!



Selling the House

We are selling our house and hopefully sooner rather than later, as the longer it is on the market the harder it is to stay on top of cleaning and keeping organized.  The children are really into it and so excited about moving to the new neighborhood.  Last month one Saturday morning we got a call from our realtor that he was going to be showing the house so we kicked it into high gear getting things put up and cleaned up.  As I was moving from room to room I found myself in Shelby's room making her bed and putting things away.  She had a small stack of clothes (like 3 things) that needed to be hung up so I just laid them neatly on the edge of her bed so I could hang them up later because we were running out of time.  I moved on and started focusing on getting JP ready for his ball game.  About 3 minutes later Shelby comes flying out of her room with her hands in the air proclaiming, "Nobody is ever gonna buy this house!  My room is a mess and no one is ever gonna buy this house!"  I said, "Shelby, what do you mean your room is a mess?  I was just in there."  She said, "My room is a mess!  There are clothes everywhere!"  Needless to say, I promptly hung up the three items of clothing and she was satisfied.  Pratt and I are still laughing about how into it she is:)

May Days

Let's see, where to begin.  May was a busy month as we wrapped up school, celebrated a wet Mother's day, took a trip to Belize, welcomed our new baby cousins, and did whatever else we did.  Hey, May ended like forever ago and I can barely remember what I did 30 minutes ago so you will have to bear with me:)

I actually think this first picture is from April (oopppss).  Shelby went to a birthday party at some stables and they did pony rides.  She loved it!!!  We recently purchased approximately 2.6 acres of land at auction in a horse community and Shelby decided that we needed to buy a horse.  We are NOT buying a horse, but it will be fun to be close to horses and maybe we can make friends with some of the neighbors that have them.

One of our favorite activities to do around here is go to Lovin' Spoons.  It is one of those fro-yo places and we are all ADDICTED!!!  Can we say "support group"?? 

JP's tball team wrapped up another fun filled season!  It was truly amazing how much he grew and changed from last year to this year.  His confidence on the field was out of this world compared to last year and there wasn't one game that we had to twist his arm to get him to go to.  He truly loved every game!  It is kind of scary to think that next year he will be moving up to coach pitch.  There are some bigger boys on those teams.  Oh my baby is growing up:(

One of the biggest things we did in May that didn't involve the children is take a super fun trip to Belize with two other couple friends of ours.  YIIIPPPPEEEE!!!  It was so amazing and soo much fun!  Here is a girls pic at one of my favorite Belize places, The Palapa Bar. 

The day after we got back from Belize we celebrated Pratt's 34th birthday.  Shelby and JP really got into it and spent time decorating the house for him.  When Pratt pulled into the driveway Shelby had us all hide, she turned out all the lights and when Pratt walked in we all jumped out screaming "Surprise!  Happy Birthday!"  It was so much fun watching Shelby and JP get into celebrating their daddy.

Then we wrapped up school with the end of the year parties.  Here is JP with one of his buddies, Harrison.  They had a blast together.

Shelby and one of her buddies, Lauren.  Shelby, Lauren and Kendall are like the three musketeers; when you see one usually the others aren't far behind:)

We closed out May with a visit from Uncle Matt.  It was so great to see him!!  Hopefully soon we will get to see him more often.  We love you Uncle Matt!!!

And that my friends is the short version of May.  Soon I will post pictures of our new baby cousins.  My sister-in-law delivered twins the morning we left for Belize.  They were teeny-tiny and healthy!

Sandbar Sundays are Back

One of the best things about summer in Bluffton is Sandbar Sundays!  Our whole family loves them and looks forward to spending time out on the water the whole winter and spring.  This past Sunday was the first Sunday we were able to get out there. 

Now, some of you may be wondering what exactly is "Sandbar Sunday"???  Every other Sunday when the tide is low during the late morning/early afternoon time frame there are two sandbars that pop up out of the May River.  People come from all over to hang out, swim, and enjoy the sun.  Our favorite spot is the upper sandbar.  It is a little bit more calm then the lower one and there tends to be less people.

Shelby and Daddy all smiles:)

JP and Daddy all geared up for fun in the sun



My little surfer dude

It was the most beautiful day!  The sun was shining and just when it was about to get too hot the clouds would roll in for a bit.  The water was surprisingly warm for this time of year.  Shelby and JP had tons of fun swimming with their new friends (people are so friendly and someone you may have never met before suddenly becomes your best friend at the sandbar).  We even found a live horseshoe crab!! 

The next available Sunday we will be out of town, but since Pratt has the weekends off now I see a lot of Sandbar Saturdays added to our list:)

Take Me Out To the Ball Game

The 2012 Tball season is in fully swing.  This year we are the Cubs and the boys and girls are just sooo adorable!  I mean, every single child on the team is a joy to be with.  They all listen attentively, are respectful, and are excited to be there.  It makes it so much fun and then to get to hang out with moms and dads that you know is just a cherry on top.  After last year we lost a few boys to coach pitch and I was slightly nervous about how things would shake out and now I find myself wondering how we are going to keep this group together.

JP has come along way since last year and loves being involved in almost every play.  Last year he was a little hesitant to get in front of the ball to stop in and this year he jumps right in. 

I am not sure what these two are talking about but I would like to think that JP is saying, "Hey, nice hit."  And then the other little boy is saying, "Thanks."  Maybe????



One of my favorite memories-I just love that Pratt is involved with the team.  We have the best coaches around.  All of them have put so much into these children.  Everything they do is filled with encouragement and genuine joy.  Thanks coaches and dads!!!

Throw it here.  I am ready

Good game Cubs!!!

We are already at the halfway point in the season.  It is hard to believe how fast the time has flown by!!

Breakfast Discussion

JP-Mom, can God see through things?
Mom-Yes JP, God knows all things and sees all things.
JP-But mom, can God see, like in a box?
Mom-Yes, remember what Mr. Doug talked about at church yesterday.  God can see everything.  He can see inside everything.  He even sees what's in your heart and knows the thoughts in your head.
JP-Yes, I know He can see my heart because He lives in my heart.  But can He see inside things?
Mom-Yes, JP.  God sees everything and knows everything.
JP-So there are like a thousand gods?
Mom-No JP.  There is one God.  The God we serve, the God of the Bible.
JP-Mom, what does God look like?
Mom-Well JP, no one really knows for sure because God is so perfect that....
JP-God is more perfect than our garden?
Mom-Yes, God is more perfect that our garden.

So funny to go through a thought process with a child.  Praise the Lord that JP is thinking through these things and asking questions.  I pray for him and Shelby as they discover and learn more and more about God's love for them.