WOW--What a CRAZY Summer

To say that we had a busy summer is the understatement of the century!

It all started when Daddy got a new job at Sam's Club, so Mommy got to sell the house in Dallas, pack up the house in Dallas, load the entirety of the house (well technically the movers did) onto a truck, and drive the kiddos up to Arkansas.

Goodbye Dallas house!

Hello new Arkansas house! Allen fell in love with this house at first sight (literally) and so did I. But, we have NEVER had to do so much to a house to make it ready! It had cracks in the brick, overgrown flowerbeds, needed paint, carpentry, SO MUCH cleaning EVERYWHERE, new furniture, stain, putty, you name it--it needed it. With that said, all the work is slowly coming to a close, and it is by far my most favorite home we have ever had. I love every inch of it!
And, since coordinating the endless contractors wasn't enough to put me in the looney bin, I decided to push myself over the edge with my least favorite mommy job--POTTY TRAINING! But, after a week of the nudie-bootie method, Braedyn had it all down. Of course, his favorite place to pee is outside!

When I thought I just couldn't take it for one more second, summer school started. Thank you Jesus! The kids had so much fun with their new teachers and friends. Here they are on their first day!

Of course the kids kept things interesting this summer, as the Bates' kids always manage to do. Braedyn had a terrible bout of Croup which landed us in the pediatrician's office for THREE hours. And, introduced us to one of Braedyn's least favorite things in the world, breathing treatments! (The sunglasses were not a stylish accessory--they kept the mist out of his eyes.)

And, of course there was the Chick-fil-A black eye I blogged about previously, which brings me to Braedyn's lovely gashed forehead. He managed to do this while Allen was out of town in New York. Brookelyn was being a kitty cat in the bathroom when he decided to sit on her back. After I told her to get up, he managed to fall forward right into the corner of the tile. Thank goodness Melinda rushed right over and helped me triage!

Not to be outdone by her brother that night, Brookelyn scared me TO DEATH by having what I now know to be a night-terror, but what I thought to be a seizure later that night. She screamed my name and then was totally unresponsive, shaking, and glaring around with glassy eyes. Terrifying! What a night. Needless to say, Allen has not gone on another business trip.

On a happier note, we got to take the kids to their first Broadway play, Beauty and the Beast! They loved it! Braedyn even cried the whole way home because he wanted to see the Beast again! Here is my little princess all dressed up ready for the show.
One of the most exciting events of the summer, was the birth of my new niece, Lily Kate! She is just perfect in every way--except that she lives 10 hours away! We had such an amazing time with everyone celebrating her arrival!
Whew! Seriously, a jam-packed summer. But, as summer ends, we know what that brings...Daddy's favorite 8 letter word--FOOTBALL! So I had to start the kids' education by taking them to a Razorback practice!

Tonight we had our end of summer dinner (a new Bates' tradition). While summer isn't technically over yet, the kids start school tomorrow so it feels as if it is. We are so thankful for all of our family and friends who have helped us through this crazy time, and we are looking forward to an amazing fall! Woooooo Pig Sooie!