Final Year of Preschool

This sweet little fella is off to school today for the first day of the last year of preschool.  How did this happen.  We are knocking on the door of ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!  I swear I just watched this little guy learn how to crawl.  I feel like life is moving at warp speed right now and if I could get these little people to just slow down my own life might too.  Oh how I love him.  He still melts my heart when he hugs me or asks me to sing him a song or tells me that he loves something I did for him.  He does his fair share of making me a little crazy but I'd take that any day for all the love that overflows from my heart in just one moment like this where I look at him so proud of who he is and so awed by a God who could form and grow such a sweet little person.

Gymnastics for the Summer

A Visit to the Great (Grandparents)

 What a beautiful thing it is to see people separated by 2 generations interacting with each other.  I love watching this.  I love being an adult and getting to absorb the calm and perspective of someone who has been there and done that and so much more.  I love that my kids are comfortable at the places we grew up being comfortable at, our grandparents house.  That the same yummy food that filled our bellies long before they came along still grace the table.  That the names and stories that very well have been repeated to us are being repeated again.  I love that they are feeling yet another layer of love that exists for them on this earth.  I am so grateful to have so many greats with which to see this occur.    Here was one of our visits this summer with two people I'm so grateful to have know my kids and for my kids to know.

Summer Soccer for Hayden

Listening to instructions from his coach

Summer soccer has gotten up and out of the house early on Saturdays two years in a row and this year we were starting to see Hayden really take to the sport.  He has natural athletic ability that we can see just when he is playing outside (and admittedly in the house with the couch as a casualty occasionally).  This is one of the few sports that is low maintenance as far as equipment and is a natural energy burner.   No wonder mothers all around the world send their kids outside with a ball to play this game. Anyway, Hayden started getting the understanding of the game this year wrapping his head around teamwork.  We'll see where it goes, but its always fun to watch your kids having fun.

Coach lead practice

Our audience, albeit, distracted

Imitating some of the practice moves

Five Months and Counting

 This delicious little morsel of a baby is so much fun to have around.  She is not timid or quiet and has her two cents to share.   She really lets you know what she's thinking when the older siblings aren't around filling the sound waves.  She is very smiley and we believe is slowly turning into our brown eyed girl.  Here she is at five months though we are well on our way to 6 as I write this.  I am so blessed to have another beautiful baby.  Cherishing every moment of her!

Clare Gets Some Wheels

This little blessed girl was gifted a pink barbie jeep from her great grandma and grandpa and I am living my childhood dream vicariously through her.  She is so cute buzzing around in it and listening to its little radio.  She often "runs errands" and has to "stop for gas."  If I see her not using a hands free device for her phone calls in there, I might have to ticket her one package of bunny fruit snacks.  The court of law gets hungry sometimes.

 

Fourth of July Celebrations

 Above are the fourth of July cuties of mine.  They were all decked out in the morning for the neighborhood parade after having red, white and blueberry pancakes for breakfast.  The had their bikes all decorated and the baby was donning her signature patriotic smile.  We had Aunt Michelle with us this morning and she gave us back up on the parade so mommy could assume here "mamarazzi" position with camera while tending the giant stroller.  Its good too, because Aunt Michelle had to go New York City on a 7 year old who took out Clare.  Don't think he'll run a 2 year old over anytime soon again.  In fact he may just skip the parade next year.  After a warm morning we were all ready to head to Grandma's for a visit and a swim!