Monday, July 13, 2015

Seabrook 2015

Happy July 4th, 2015
The children wasted little time getting their suits on and heading to the beach to enjoy the surf and sand!
And it is medicine for my soul to sit back and watch my five children as happy as clams playing together!
There were evenings spent on the beach fishing - lots of fish caught as well as a baby shark!  The shark story is a funny one.  Pryce caught the shark and Ryan had gone back to the house for a moment.  We didn't know how to take it off of the hook so we asked the neighboring family for their assistance.  The dad and 11ish year old daughter came over and the DAUGHTER took the shark off of the hook!  Our mouths hit the floor as she handled the shark and then asked if Pryce would like to throw it back in.  What boy would have the nerve to say no???!!!
Maddox has always been our child that can sleep anywhere and she loves to sleep on the beach. What a gift!
MK is our monkey in the middle.  She will be the glue between the boys and the girls as they meander through life.  I love that she can hang with them and then dote on her sisters all in a good day's time.
And the laughter.....music to my ears.
Sweet girl was all dressed up and she was running all over the beach a mile a minute!  Admittedly so, I could not keep up!
MK was much more cooperative :)
Maddox, not so much!  She was on her own time, in her own world!  
This pretty much sums up the evening of photography on the beach!
Sassy and sweet....
The boys are often not photographed anymore....it is a rare event when I am able to convince them that a picture is good for their health!  Or at least it is good for mine!  
Ryan's parents joined us for a long weekend....we enjoyed our time with them, watching fireworks and watching the parade!  
They really are the sweetest! 

KNOB HILL BARRACUDAS 2015

Boy, were we glad to be back to our summer swim team grind with "our people!"
"Our people" aka our old neighborhood peeps!
They welcomed us with open arms and we could not have been more happy!
This year, the Drafts family swimmers consisted of every big kiddo in our family....
our boys helped to carry the team and endured intense practices each morning.  Hard work always pays off and our guys spent their season aiming higher each week - we have consistently told our swimmers that success is within yourself first.  With that in mind, the boys decreased their times each week in every event they swam.  So much so that Pryce even won himself a spot on the All Star swim team in freestyle and backstroke.  We were busting with pride!  All Stars consists of the top 20 swimmers with the best times in their age group out of 22 teams in our area.  It is a  true honor to be selected!
MK 
Our MK is amazing in the water.
She is determined.
She is fierce.
She is confident.
And she is FAST.  
But she loathes the attention.  
This season she conquered the Individual Medley.  It is tough with a capital T.  Butterfly, Back, Breast, and Free 100 yards.  She was our little All Star too and one best believe this momma was acting all kinds of crazy cheering for this kiddo!
Maddox
Our wee little swimmer.
Our mighty little fish.
She never once blinked an eye at practice or during the meets.
Staying true to her nature, she was fearless in the water.  
The coaches adored her and deemed her "the entertainer."
And she swam her heart out winning herself the title of the fastest 5 year old backstroker out of 22 teams of kiddos....and she also got to experience her first All Star meet in the pool as well! 
She claims that swimming backstroke is awesome because you just flip on your back and relax!  
Part of the fun of swim team is the relationships you develop with your teammates.  In my humble opinion, swimming seems to be the one sport that everyone walks away happy doing.  Watching the older children cheer for the little ones, and vice versa, makes for a good night!  There isn't a loser.  Though everyone does not receive first place, everyone does typically decrease their times each week.  And then the exercise part is phenomenal.  Swimming is a life skill and one that I love knowing my children will carry with them through life as well as the memories of their summers with their friends doing something they love!
Our swim team crew plus one swim team wannabe.  
It won't be long until Maryn joins the team too!  Her two big sisters have her in the pool daily teaching her to float on her back and do the four different strokes!