Beach trip with our Best Friends

We started the summer off with a BFF trip. Our first ever with our besties! We are lucky enough to have some amazing friends who are nice enough to share their awesome beach house with all of us! The Hoags and us went down a day earlier than the Steeces. We left SUPER early in the morning...I'm sure it was harder then, but the bad stuff I have already forgotten about. 

We did a little bit of kid swapping...BEST IDEA EVER!

We hit the Beach and the pool as soon as we unloaded. My phone got stolen the week after our trip so unless I facebooked or instagramed, it's gone. :( We decided to hit a restaurant that night...I mean you have to have seafood at the beach!

My Best Friend Ash! 

Kids got restless towards the end so we took in the sights of the restaurant and of course took some photos.

Madelyn, Me and Carter Man

Our little 4 year olds...Can't tell you how many people asked if they were triplets. Our blond haired blue eyed bunch.

My little mini me!

Next day our other friends arrived. It was great to have the rest of our group! Our little ones loved catching the waves!

Our 8 little munchins! 

My ladies! Life wouldn't be the same without them! xoxo

My little beach bums! Their hair is lightening up so much this summer!

One of my twin mama friends Britni saw on facebook that we were close to where they were visiting. We were so excited when they decided to take a little trip down to see us at the beach. They fit right in with our group and helped us have a little fun too!

I somehow talked Sav into letting us bury her.  

Our two sets of girl twinkies!

Our finished mermaid!

Our "little" group out to lunch. Pretty sure everyone that saw 11 kids coming they might have left!

We spent LOTS of time at the pool at the house. So nice to have when you get tired of the sand! Chris had this new camera that he really got to put to good use this trip. Love these pics. 

Madelyn!

Priceless to see this kids enjoying each other, the waves, and sand.  Sweet Memories! 

They are quite the crew. God love em' 

More playing in the sand! 

Dada and Madelyn, who was way more interested in the waves than taking pictures. 

Widdle E and me...such a sweetie!

 Looking a little dirty there Kin!

Sweet Maddie and Baby Sawyer!

Ashley and Carter catching some waves!

Love this pic of kids playing with their shadows...so cute!

more pool fun!

The house we were staying at is on the canal. Good Ole Uncle Joe gave each kid a ride. Even at two at a time that's a lot of rowing!!!

Such a neat pic, all the kids waiting in line for a turn. 

Looking at the water, Waiting for fish!

A little Sunset din din with the besties!

Loving all these sweet memories!

Ok, so the mommies had this great idea to all dress in white and khaki to take a photo of all of us. So the craziness that happened to make this picture was a little intense and nuts our last morning. Finding white for everyone to wear (especially for the moms...white is a rough color), getting a house cleaned so we can leave, getting 8 kids bathed and dressed, keeping them clean in white (Kinley won and got pen on her dress) Packed and in cars, hot sand, and CRAZY hot sun we got our picture...

Our crazy group! Love these peeps more than life!

Ok, so I know that this picture isn't perfect and I know we were all stressed and annoyed. I LOVE it though and will treasure it forever. Our little group isn't perfect we get mad, stressed, angry and a variety of other emotions on a daily basis. We aren't perfect parents or spouses but we all accept one another completely. Our kids fight but they love each other just like we do. They even fight like siblings sometimes...or a lot of times. ;) Friends are truly the family you get to choose!

The Kids minus Sawyer...He wasn't having much of it.

The little chickies

BFF's! 

The dudes!

Our little fam...

The poor Steeces were just starting the whole selling your house drama this weekend. Sorry guys wish we had better timing so you guys could have had less stress this weekend. Fast forward though...they now live in our zip code!!!!! We are super excited to have them closer!

We had a great time and hope this was just the first of many Vacations together!!!

o

Last day of school

SOOOO behind but what else is new...LOL! The girls finished their 1st year of preschool in May. I can't explain how much school has meant to us this year. It has been so great to see them grow and learn. I mean truly amazing. They were so sad to be leaving school this year. I know that won't last long!! 

Our 1st and Last day pics...

Can't BELIEVE how much they have changed...

Kin Kin

Maddie

I had the girls draw pictures for their teachers and tell me what they wanted to say to them. We added them to the teachers presents.

Madelyn to Mrs. Irons. 

 Kinley to Mrs. Melear 

 Madelyn to Mrs. Harris 

They had their last day parties in which I ran back and forth to each girls party...Man it is hard sometimes. The girls don't know any different so that is good. I had an emotional day watching them have their last day. I didn't expect that at ALL It was just weird watching my itty bitties finish their last day of school. It just the beginning of their school days and growing up!

Kinley in her Rainbow class

Since the girls were spilt up it was a little rough on them. They struggled a little at first. We were 100% blessed with their teachers. I mean each girl at least one teacher they were OBSESSED with. I know we will always always have a special place in our hearts for their first teachers. 

Madelyn and her teachers!!! 

Kinley and Her teachers!!!!

This was Mrs. Irons last year and to say that Madelyn loved her teacher was a UNDERSTATEMENT. Pretty sure Mrs. Irons liked Madelyn too. ;) This was Madelyn hugging her for the last time. They were both crying...It totally made this momma cry! heartwarming

The girls together at the end of the parties and ready to head home. Each girl's classmate loved when the two girls are together..."Look Kinley(or Madelyn) its Sissy" Pretty sure they assumed their names were sissy...cracked me up!!!

I struggled with the decision to put them in preschool, but now I wouldn't take them out for ANYTHING. It is wonderful for them and they LOVE it.