Levi’s first venture into business came today in the form of a lemonade stand. Oh, such fun! He and I worked on it for several days before. We measured and painted a big sign…
…we squeezed lemons…
…we colored a smaller sign…
We bought a big cooler with a cool spout and other supplies and then sat up at Dothan Powersports right inside their front door. Everyone had to pass by us to enter or leave. Pretty smart location, huh? Don brought us the ice, we got our sign hung and set up our table…we were ready for business.
Our favorite customer…Papa Clyde!
What a great day! The threatened rain never came…and folks were mighty thirsty!.
Suzanne and Levi had learned the day before that she had a child in her class unable to afford school supplies. She led Levi to think about a solution. So, after taking out his tithe….and purchasing school supplies…he still had money for the Legos he had his eye on! Isn’t God so good like that? Obey Him…help others…and enjoy the fruits of your labor! What a mighty lesson for a boy of 6 to learn!
Every situation has a learning component to it. This little project could have all been about fun and making money. Instead, it became a life lesson about what God will do for us when we are obedient, work hard and are willing to share!
And after all was said and done…the Suzanne, Levi and I ended up here…Ahhhhhhh!
Beaches are for sunshine and warm breezes and cool drinks and playing in the water…and sunshine. But, when God sees fit to water his creation, there’s still lots of fun to be had.
First thing…sit in the only spot of sun on the porch and watch as the clouds roll in…
Ask your Mom to go get doughnuts for breakfast…cause doughnuts can make any disappointment so much easier to bear!
While you wait for your Mom and your Lulu to get ready…why not rearrange the toy shelf? Everything out…and everything back in again. But better suited to my liking! Good job, Levi!
Mom… Where would you like to go?
Levi...Wal Mart! Wal Mart!
Mom…But we are not buying any toys…
Levi…I just want to look and see all the things they have in there!
Mom…OK…here we go!
Lulu...Oh, My! Wal Mart? Really?
Thank goodness for umbrellas!
First we look at all the toys…ALL the toys. Then we find a cooler for our lemonade stand (Coming soon).
Lulu...I need some keys!
And, so we get an up close and personal lesson in key making!
5 keys later..we set off to find something else interesting…Look at this! A bicycle just for Lulu!
Here and there we go…all over the store. Suzanne found a great way to keep Levi under control!
Levi and I decide we need some white cheddar popcorn and chocolate chip cookies…you know…rainy day food!
So, we check out and head to the car…popcorn, cookies, m&m’s, and cooler in tow!
Levi...Look! It’s not raining now!
Suzanne…I think it’s time for a smoothie!
Levi...I think it’s time for McDonald’s.
And, so we go to both. Suze and I have a smoothie and Levi has a Happy Meal!
We stopped at the paint store and Suzanne did a little touch up painting in the house! Thanks, Suze!
Back to the Sandcastle to wait for Pa and Uncle Ian…they are dropping in to spend the night on the way to Las Vegas. Pa likes to fly out of PCB.
And, once we visit a few minutes…it’s off to Boondocks for a great meal! Levi managed to get Pa’s hat from him and proceeded to wear it all night! Levi and Uncle Ian having too much fun!
Levi and Pa and Uncle Ian decide to stop at Pier Park and let Levi ride some of the fun rides there…but Suze and Lulu sit it out in the car. We’ve had a busy day. We get tired…but Levi never does!
To tie up the night, we stop for ice cream and sno cones! YUMMY!
Up the next morning, we wash sheets and towels, tidy up, and hurry home for an important meeting .
BACK UP A DAY…
A few pics from our first day. First we went to the Frank Brown Water Park and soaked up lots of sun and fun! The day was perfect! Not too hot…cool breeze…a little cloudy. Just like we ordered.
After a quick shower back at the Sandcastle, we set out on a search for supper. Every place was crowded. Somehow…and I’m still not sure how…we ended up at a little local place. There was live music, folks dancing and having a ball! There was even a pool the kids could swim in during dinner! We sat outside…and laughed and laughed and laughed! We decided that even though the place was not crowded…and we had to wait over an hour for our food…we’d make the best of it and enjoy being together! And, we did! When we finally got out food…it was delicious!
And, since no one likes to go to bed on time at the beach…Suze and Levi took a few spins on the go-carts. Me? I was safer just watching from the sidelines!
Sweet fun on a quick 45 hours at the beach! A huge amount of fun in a short amount of time! Hey…you just gotta cram that fun in in the time you have! And, we did!
It’s our country…our land. The place we were born. Or the place we hurried to get to. It’s where we owe our allegiance. We honor those who fought for our freedom…who gave their all…so we can enjoy the lives we lead. We support those who are serving still. It’s where we till the soil, or work in a building brushing the sky. Perhaps we serve in a medical position, or teach little ones. We may be the merchant of vehicles for fun and relaxation or we may simply serve by being kind and gentle and accepting of our position. We share our lives together…perhaps worshipping together, or watching tv together or cooking out in the backyard together….it just has to be together! Because we grow and learn and become stronger by our mutual interests. One shares with one…who shares with one…who shares with another. It’s in this place we put down roots, and grow our families…new generations who come to understand why we can proudly say “Glory to God! I live in America! ”
And…once again Boogaloo Camp is history… for this year. Oh, but the memories will keep us happy until it’s time to do it again!
***Lots of pics here, but it’s all about the documentation***
Joy and I arrived at The Sandcastle on Monday and spent two days watching the rain pour and pour and pour! Which wasn’t too bad. Gave us a great chance to catch up and just spend time together. We did manage to get to the grocery store. I had chicken salad to make…which is a tradition at BC….and Joy wanted Potato Salad, too…so we did that, too! The girls and boys arrived on Wednesday! Fun was just waiting to happen.
We started off with me explaining to the boys what a Scavenger Hunt was. And, then I gave them a list of things to be looking for all week…such as a red straw, a throw away cup with writing, a rectangle shaped napkin, a smooth rock, a lea with two colors, a ticket stub, etc. They did great. They stayed busy everywhere we went looking for those 12 items!
Another continuing project we did was weaving. I tore up an old canvas and used just the frame. We tied jute on tip and bottom . Then we learned about weaving…under, over, under, over….then over, under, over, under. They caught on pretty quickly. We even used some palm fronds and drift wood and finished off by tying on some shells they found with holes in them!
That tropical storm didn’t bother us…we saw a break in the weather and made a beeline for the Panama City Beach Pier! One of our little campers wasn’t sure if it would be sturdy enough for us to walk on, but soon those fears gave way to fun! This was probably not the best time to go walking on a pier. Winds, we found out later were at 40-45 mph! We were blown sideways by that mighty wind! The boys had a ball! But, us girls, had mighty tangles in our hair! Oh my!
We stopped at a restaurant just outside the pier, Hook’d, and had delicious fish tacos! The rain held off, but the wind continued to blow!
Up early the next morning and an art project to start. We tried to do tie dye last year, but, ran out of time. But, we got it in this year! The boys designed their own shirts. They decided on the design they wanted and picked their own colors. Us girls all made us one, too. We had to let them set overnight…so we began another project…String Art. We had previously hammered nails into a circle on a slab of wood. The boys then used all different color string to wrap the nails and come up with their version of a beach ball! Looks pretty good!
And, here’s how the shirt making turned out…
We took a little trip over to Destin, because I wanted the boys to experience the fun of eating at LuLu’s. (In case you don’t know, this is a restaurant owned by Jimmy Buffett’s sister. It’s on the water, and all open air. Their is a big sandy playground for the children complete with water play, and bungee jumping . The boys loved it! We all did, actually!
We stopped and did some very minor shopping…you know…two little boys…not what they wanted to do…whines and “let’s go!”. Back home the girls took the boys for a walk out on the beach…almost dark.
Then they stopped for ice cream. Joy and I stayed home and rested!
Bright and early the next morning…we started another art project…this time we made candles. We decided on color…and scent…and containers. John Thomas was the instigator of this fun idea! The boys were amazed that they could actually make their own candles. They measured and leveled, added wicks, and leveled again! And, boy did they ever smell good.
The sun was out in full force and it would have been terrible not to have enjoyed some sunshine and swimming! So off we went to the PC Water Park…which has a wonderful facility for younger children! It’s the boy’s favorite place to go. We spent several hours there. And, SURPRISE !!!!…our Lori showed up! We had missed her, but her work wouldn’t allow her to be with us all week. But, there were 2 happy boys when she showed up! She lightens up all our lives!
And, after showers, we all went out to BoonDocks for a delicious meal!
And with that, we had to begin gathering up supplies…cleaning up…
…and preparing to leave the next morning!
A FEW MORE PICS…
The boys had a pillow to color and went about their work diligently.
Levi made a very interesting color choice on his and I complimented him and said, “Levi, I like how you are using your artistic eye!” He turned and look at me…did this…
and said, “Actually, Lulu, I have 2 artistic eyes, don’t you know!” So you do, my Little Man…so you do!
I taught them to play Old Maid…that was lots of fun!
John Thomas looking cute in his new outfit…
I bought the boys some cute shorts and painted them a shirt to match…
Another fun project was a little tedious…on my part. I made pics of the boys in the same location. We then had them printed. I taped the picture to a stack of 6 square Duplo Blocks, then carefully cut apart the picture between each block with an exacto knife. Then I handed the boys a jumble of pieces and they had to put themselves and their cousin together. Then is was so funny to put the wrong legs or the wrong arms on the other person! Picture Blocks!
They each have a set, and can take each other home and play together whenever they like! We used one rectangular block on the bottom so they would stand side by side.
John Thomas designed, painted and lettered the Boogaloo Camp sign at top of this post!
PaPa Clyde…we were thinking of you while we were gone…
Scavenger Hunt went well…they found all on their list and both won prizes!
And, of course, Thomas’ Doughnuts was visited quite often!
I could go on and on here about the blessings we have and the memories we made on this trip! But, I’m going to leave it here with just this thought. Every good thing…every happy thought…every burst of laughter…every sweet hug…every goodnight kiss…and every Good Morning…is a gift from Almighty God. He causes His favor to rest on us all. He gives us more than we deserve. He sends His love to us in so many ways. I praise Him and honor Him and thank Him for this beautiful week!
“It is God who has given us these times of joy.” Psalms 81:4
I am a Christian woman who has survived many years on the planet. God has blessed me with a wonderful family: husband, 3 sons, a dear DIL, and a precious grandson. I also have dear friends to keep me inspired. I am an artist of sorts and am finding my way through the great blessing of retirement. I recently retired after 20 years as a music teacher. Life is good!
My Boys
"All your sons will be taught by the Lord; and great will be their peace." Isaiah 54:13
Read their stories... Adam Alex Ian
Hello, my name is Everly. I am a blogger living in New York. This is my blog, where I post about interior design and decoration. Never miss out on new stuff.
Hello, my name is Everly. I am a blogger living in New York. This is my blog, where I post about interior design and decoration. Never miss out on new stuff.