slip n slide

We can't go and see grandma and grandpa in summer without a few trips down the hill on the slip n slide. Bridget even got into it this year and loved it! We were able to get a cast cover so Allison could join in on the fun!

Happy times!

friends

Besides spending my birthday with my family, I was able to spend the evening with these incredible women and their families! What a treat. These ladies have influenced my life more than just about anyone. I lived with them all through college and we have some GREAT memories. Each of them are phenomenal! They have overcome trials, endured hardship in various ways and remain optimistic and grounded. Besides all that, they are raising some darling, brilliant and kind children. They are the type of people I wished I lived in a circle with so our kids could play all the time together and you would never have to worry!

Thank you dear friends for such a wonderful visit and hike the next day!

Activities

We had such a fun time with our cousins! They invited us to join them on many of the cool things they do daily. One of which was go to Tracy Aviary. It has changed dramatically from what I remember as a kid. It was incredible, maybe it helped having a personal bird expert with us, my niece Emily is amazing!

She taught us all sorts of facts and sounds to listen for. She influenced David so much he now wakes up every morning and runs to sit on our deck with binoculars and watch for birds checking them off in his bird book, looking up the sounds they make and identifying them that way.

We were able to feed birds from our hands, give a dollar to a crow and it put it in a box, and go to some bird shows to see some amazing birds in action. Like the above Emu.

Bridget had more fun playing and running around with her new buddy Garrett.

They also let us join them for horse lessons. David was excited for his ride on the horse to the stable. Em didn't convince him that horses were as great as birds though.

We also had to stop by and get hair cuts. For some reason Allison will only go to this shop to get her haircut. Bridget had her first cut done this trip. Here she is before.

and after!

Trip to Utah: a homemade parade

We were so excited to be able to go to Utah for the fourth of July, one of my favorite holidays especially in my home town. I LOVE the parade, with the jets flying over to start it off, the wonderful floats, bands and of course the CANDY! We were distraught when we found out that they had changed it to July 2 and we flew in the 3rd. We still were able to get to a parade, which was a pretty great one. When we left to go to it we thought there wouldn't be candy and my kids about died. So I asked my parents to run to the store while we went to the parade and buy some candy and we would have our own parade up and down the street.

Well the parade we went to threw tons of candy, toys, balls, even ice cream samples. I guess being towards the beginning had its perks. We were trying to find my brother and his family and never connected. They were at the other end and didn't come home with the stuff we did!

After the parade, some lunch we started our own celebration. We had sparklers and smoke bombs and we had ourselves a parade with three whole cars!

The kids sat on the curb and waited for the quickly decorated cars to go up and down the street throwing taffy.

My mom was really excited, she is practicing so in a few years she can be in the city parade in her old caddy. She has the wave down, but the candy throwing proved tricky. She was kind and included the little boys across the street too.

Bridget thoroughly enjoyed the candy and the sparklers! I don't think her mouth was empty all afternoon.

A fun summer

The summer has only been going a week or so, but Allison has already been our first casualty. She fell off some equipment at the park and ended up with a broken arm.
She's been a trooper despite the pain and discomfort.

Preschool Graduation

What a happy and sad day!

I can't believe Allison is old enough to go to Kindergarten.
Allison has loved preschool and so have we. She had amazing teachers that were so creative, caring, loving and knew how to individually help each child become their best.

I shouldn't have been surprised when they had an incredible graduation celebration for them either. They had wrote a poem with lines for each child, made an amazing slide show of all the field trips and activities and had plenty of tissues for us as we were all crying.

Allison has some great little friends that have made her days at school so much happier. Hopefully some of them will be in Kindergarten together.

last day of school

The last day of school was yesterday. What a fun year. David LOVED his teacher, loved learning and going every day. is sad to be done.
The first day of school all in yellow. Not too much change physically besides a few new teeth and a couple inches. But boy has he become a lover of reading, math and learning.

We went in for a last day little party and had to snap a final picture. He didn't want to come home with us because they could be as loud as they wanted on the bus since it was the last day...and the bus driver Pat was giving them a prize.

So we met him at the bus stop on the drizzly wet afternoon. Welcome to summer vacation it hasn't stopped raining yet! Hopefully soon, please.

swinging

Bridget is really quick to run out the door to play. The other day I couldn't find her inside and found that she had slipped outside with the older kids to swing. She has perfected her own way and then gracefully slides off head first.

Spring Concert

David had a fun concert at school. We were sitting far enough away that with the lighting we couldn't get a very good picture. and even worse video with a little one on my lap and her little friend sitting in front of us.

David loved singing the 5 or so songs that his class sang. We were lucky enough to hear them often at home!

another belt test

David has been busy! He tested last week for the next belt level (green) and did awesome!

It is tough for Bridget to sit still that long and not be able to jump in and try her own kicks.

I guess for Allison too. It is always fun to see the creative photos she takes when she is using the camera to keep her quite.

David had to break a board with a flying side kick. Here it is!

Field trip fun

Allison had a fun field trip the other day. Bridget and I were patiently waiting outside

We waited and waited, blew some bubbles and then...

Allison came by on her first school bus ride.
Just like it will be next year!
She was so excited!

Literacy Parade

Yesterday at David's school (which is only grades K-2) they had a literacy parade. Each child was asked to read a book and decorate a hat to wear as they carried the book. The middles school band was out playing as the kids walked holding on to their hats as it was a VERY windy day. It was a comical event as they walked out one door around the front of the school and in another door.

All I can say is boy can that band play some tunes!

A puppet showcase

One of the things David has been working on in school is learning about famous Americans. They were asked to research one and then come ready to create a puppet.

He choose Davey Crockett
of course because he has the same first name.

When he came home from school after making his puppet he said they didn't have stuff to make a coonskin cap, so he doesn't really look like Davey Crockett. They had me make him in his church clothes. I was interested to see what that would look like.

We got to find out at his "Puppet Showcase".
All the kids families were invited to come and see what they had made and ask questions.

We were so glad Grandma had gotten released from the hospital a few days before and was able to come and visit David's classroom too!

a little artisit

Bridget loves to draw, write, color anything she can do with paper and making a mess. That includes covering her head up with blankets to mess up her hair as well!

She discovered David's art box and had a great time stamping and creating!

I love to watch her little face, she gets so into it and concentrates so hard. It is amazing to watch her hold the pencil and draw little perfect circles.

Turning 7

David has been counting the days until his birthday!
He has been so excited that he would turn 7 on the 7th (his golden birthday he was told)
and have a birthday party on his birthday with Grandma and Grandpa there.
Well...sometimes a few little kinks get in the way. Such as:

Emergency room.

ICU for almost a week.

My parents flew in a few days ahead of the party, but the morning after they came My mom went to the emergency room and then that night was transferred to ICU. Unfortunately, my parents missed the party, but we were able to sneak (okay the nurse let us in) David into my mom's ICU room so she could at least see him after the party and wish him a "Happy Birthday" on his birthday.

The day was busy, fun and stressful (especially just dropping my dad at the hospital and running home to have a party not knowing fully what was going on with my mom!)

Bridget didn't want to miss out on any of the action. She was right in the center of it all, especially watching and waiting to grab David's presents.
David LOVES legos.
All he wanted was legos and a lego party. That is what he got!

Well and some cool Aussie clothes.

A lego watch.

The lego cargo train he has been DYING for! They all kept him busy for days!


I was so caught up in everything I only took a few pictures of the birthday party. We had 10 boys and lots of energy. We played lego relays, built legos, dropped legos in jars, hunted for legos and played Brickmaster says.

Each boy got some chocolate bricks, lego men crayons, a creation of legos they built and a t-shirt. They were like David's yellow one, but red.


We had lego head pops, lego drinks, cupcakes and ice cream.

We had a great celebration!

Almost as big as the one we had when my mom got out of the hospital and was able to stay with us an additional week! Yippe!