Farris family blog: July 2017

May and June have been a blur and here we are now a week and a half into July. In May we found a house in the Woodlands and closed in the middle of June. We love the house and have been here a little over 3 weeks now.

Backtracking a little, the first weekend in May my sister had a baby shower for Channing. So my friend Amelia and I drove down to Houston to spend it with her, while Bret hung out with the kiddos all weekend and his mom came to help as well. Amelia and I had a great time over the weekend going to the waterway to get tacos, going to the shower, and then just hanging out with some friends around here. Bret and the poor kiddos got a stomach bug so thankfully it was short lived for them.

The next weekend was Mother's Day and Bret and the kids took me a hotel after we went to the closing of my school I used to teach at in San Antonio. So sad it was closing, but so good to see so many people. The kids loved swimming in the pool at the hotel, and we went shopping at the outlet malls for a little while and then got our favorite breakfast tacos and had ice cream for dinner. Perfect Mother's Day weekend.

We also had one of my dear friends wedding that we went to on Friday night. It was such a joy to see Jess get married when she was apart of our wedding day. Carter got to spend the day with his friend Gibson at the Smithville air show. We had our last CG party with our community group, tuck had his last day of pre school and his sweet play and performance. Which he sang so loudly and proudly as the muscles. I love how that kid loves the stage. Tuck was also awarded class leader and question answerer in class. We are so proud of that kid. He's such a sweet kiddo.

The next weekend we went down to Houston for my aunt's birthday party and the kids loved seeing everyone and hanging out with Chris. My kids made me super proud the next weekend when they ran after an ice cream truck barefoot and chased it down. Tuck has been loving to work out with me and do the workout videos again lately. I love watching our kiddos workout with us. Lately the boys have been doing weight workout with John Michael and Bret. It is so fun to watch Rylie do a lunge and jump around trying to work out. Carter had an end of the year economics fair at school and he loved getting to learn how to spend money and Rylie and Tucker got to be apart as well. Carter man was so sweet making sure his brother and sister got to be apart. We had end of year awards for C and a great last day of school. Very bittersweet and teary leaving Mina. We loved that school and all the people there and were so thankful to be apart of such a wonderful school and pre school with our time in Bastrop.

Right after school finished out, Carter had the opportunity to go to camp this year when they asked me to be the camp mom! He was the youngest camper and the smallest, but he had a great time and had a blast playing gaga ball, basketball, dressing up for theme nights, blobbing and just playing with all his cabin mates. I was so proud of him. I would of never sent him had I not been there, but he did great and got perseverance for pushing through the week. He asks me all the time to go back.

Our school gave away free passes to splashway this year and so at the end of school we went with friends a few times and our kids LOVED it. They played and played. Went down a million slides and played so hard in the wave pool and lazy river. We can't wait to go back next summer. I love watching them just go and go and have the best time.
Next week we went with the Clardy's for our third annual beach trip to Port Aransas. We had another great trip this year. We stayed at our favorite place yet, with a pool right next to the house and walking distance to the beach. We would go to the beach in the morning and the afternoons and then would swim in between. I loved watching all our kids this year, especially Tuck. He was so brave in the waves and would swim and jump all over them. Rylie loved to play with buckets and sand and swim swim swim, while Carter was about boogie boarding and swimming in the pool. They loved their bunk room at this place and we did a lot of family puzzles over the weekend.

The next week was our last week in Bastrop. So that was a tough one. We spend time with Bella and Cheri before we left, Quincy and Lisa, and Amelia and her kiddos, and on the last night all the sweet neighborhood kids played and played and had a baseball game. I sure will miss many things about Bastrop and hate the leaving part of anything. We dropped our kiddos off with my mom that Friday when we closed and I got to spend some time with all four other of our tim team girls. We had not all been together since our wedding and it was the best time with them. I am so thankful for an afternoon at Nat's house in Austin, and then dinner at Chuy's. The kids had a great time with my mom and got to see Cars 3 and loved that. I was so grateful to have help that weekend with our kids. Friends showed up at 9am to help us and we were all done and loaded by 11am and left Bastrop around noon on Saturday. Our sweet dear friends Zac and Amelia drove with us and helped us all day. At five pm, we had friends all come here in Houston and help us unload everything. We were so wiped by the end of the day, but felt so incredibly loved by them all and everyone who helped us.

Sunday was Father's Day so we went down to my dad's house to spend the day there with them. That was a fun day for all of us and we even got to see baby Channing that morning as well. The best part of these past few weeks here in Houston is that we have family coming over all the time. My sisters, parents, friends, it has been so great to have so many people in and out of our house. I am so grateful for that during this transition. We have loved getting to swim in our new pool and play basketball, and ride bikes to the new parks around here as a family.

Last week, Bret's sweet parents took the kids with them to Gainesville so Bret and I could have some time to get the house in order here. I got to see my dear friend Anna in NB over the week and I loved that. Bret and I got a lot of projects done around the house here and it was nice to have a break for the week. The kids had the best time up there just being with their grandparents. They did fun fourth of July crafts, swam at Aunt Pat's pool, rode in the golf cart, and as Carter said he just had the best time playing with Grams and Pops. They had an amazing time and can't wait to go back.

This weekend it was good to just be all back together. We took Tuck to get his haircut and let the kids ride the carousel at the mall. They tried out daddy's new blower and that was fun to watch that. It poured rain the past few days and they played in the torrential down pour. Bret had to head back to Bastrop this week and so Amelia and her kiddos are going to come and play this week. I am so excited to see them and hang out all week. Next week my sisters, mom and I are going to Waco and then our annual NB trip. Summer is flying by and we are having a great summer. I am thankful to see all the fun our kiddos are having. They love their new bunk beds in the house. Rylie still talks about yesternight and yestermorning, she loves to dance crazy and she is a firecracker. Carter man is still sweet as ever, He talks about how "we are a hard working family, not a fancy family." I love that he sees that already in us. Rylie still talks all the time about the dancy daughter dance. I was helping C color a pic tonight and he said "I love you mommy, everyday is Mother's day to me". He has the kindest heart and always is telling me how lucky he is to have me as his mom. I love these stages they are in. They are so fun and love to play. I can't wait to watch them this year at school.