Happy Anniversary!

For our anniversary my mom and dad gave us some money to buy something for our patio. We found this set at Walmart and just love it. It really fills the empty spot on our deck and we have been spending a lot of time here. Mark has been playing poker on line out here. My spot is the couch, of course.

Thanks mom and dad!

Baby Brianna

Yesterday morning we went down to visit my in laws and meet Brianna our 1 week old niece. I got to hold her all morning and just enjoyed sitting with her. She weighs absolutely nothing. Dylan also wanted to hold his new cousin. Alex took a peek at her and was done. Typical boy.

She is such a beautiful baby and is destined to be spoiled since she is the first girl in the family.

A busy June

How is it possible that June is almost over? It's just flown by. Here are a couple of VBS pictures. Last week was Crocodile Dock and the boys and I had a great week. Although we were all pooped by the end of the week. We had nearly 200 kids this year at VBS and over 100 volunteers, mostly teens from 7th grade to high school. They really do a fabulous job leading all of the groups and keeping the kids under control. All in all it was a fabulous, if exhausting week.

The week before VBS the boys and I went strawberry picking. I made them both wear a red shirt although they didn't get a whole lot on them. Not for lack of berry eating, we just got lucky I think.

HEre they are on the wagon riding out to the strawberry fields.

Dylan's concentrating quite hard on what he's doing.

Dylan in mom's hat. Doesn't he look cute?

WE also celebrated father's day with a quiet day at home, since VBS started on Monday. The boys made dad some great cards at school. Alex wrote dad a poem, and Dylan made him a cute paperweight.

I also totally glossed over the fact that we had an anniversary this month. Mark and I celebrated 10 years on June 12. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. I don't have any wedding or early pictures of us on the computer, therefore I can't post any. We didn't celebrate much (being as how we just got back from Hawaii), but I bought us a hammock for the back yard and mom and dad gave us some money which we used for some new patio furniture. It looks great. I was going to take pictures, but it's raining so I'll have to post them another time.

Tomorrow we're going to meet our new niece Brianna and tomorrow night my friend Kristi is coming for a visit with her 2 boys. We can't wait to see them.

Heat wave

Well now it's JUne 23rd and I haven't posted in 0ver a week now. I had a bunch of things I wantd to post, but life with two boys home has gotten in the way. Of course now I havea little time and my camera with all of my picutes is at church, but hey I can tell you all about the fun we're having. It's over 100 degrees around here right now, I"m sitting on the deck cooking while the boys play in the pool. What they don't know is how short lived the pool time is going to be today. VBS started yesterday and is going extremely well. Unless you count that it's a million degrees and the air conditioner in the sanctuary is broken and I do all of my music with 200 kids over 3 hours in that room. Oh, and did I mention how many times I get to jump up and down. I am so sweaty and sticky right now, but I decided not to shower since I get to go back and do it all again in about 45 minutes. I really do love VBS , but I could really d with out the heat. It seems to always get hot and humid this week of the summer. Oh well, at least I"ll work off the pounds I gained on vacation. Tomorrow maybe I'll manage to get some pictures on.

First day of summer vacation

I am loving the great things I'm hearing coming from the other room with my kids. Alex made breakfast for both of them while I was working on some stuff in the basement. They have a list of chores that they have to do before they can play WII. So they are doing their schoolwork together.

Alex was even helping Dylan with his schoolwork. They have to do one page from the bridge book each day. As well as the reading for the school summer reading program. (or the library program).

They then have to brush teeth, wash faces, make beds, and pick up their room.

Here Dylan is checking off his completed chores.

Each of them will then have 2 chores from the list that they have to do each week. Everything from the typical setting and clearing the table to wiping out the sinks and helping with laundry.

The key this summer is I am not in charge! If they want to play WII or swim they have to do the chores. And I'm not going to remind them. I decided this year I didn't want to be in charge, nor do I want to have to police them all summer long to keep on a schedule and do their chores. I even sat down last week and made all of the chore charts so I don't have to remember that each week either. Now they need to learn to follow through. Here's hoping.

First Communion!

Alex was so excited to get his first communion last night. It was nice to be outside for the Thursday night worship. Although the kids were a little cool. Then the kids got to help act out the Gospel. Then, when it came time to do communion, we were doing it by intinction (dipping the wafer into the wine). But, Alex had his special cup so Pastor D. poured the wine into his cup (over the bushes). Of course the cup holds quite a bit of wine. Alex said the wine was "pretty good".

It is so nice that we belong to a church where the pastors are willing to customize things for individual kids and families. Alex was just so ready to take communion and is so excited that he's a part of God's family in a whole new way.

Alex and Pastor M.

Last Day of School for Alex

Look at how this kid has grown this year. I can't believe it's the last day of school. He has shot up several inches and outgrown most of his clothes. Not to mention how much he's grown as a young man. He's so grown up now.

But of course we still like to have a little fun. Yesterday in between crying over the end of 4K I helped with Alex's end of year picnic (no tears here).

Here he is doing the pizza box relay. This years head class mom had fabulous game ideas.

Water balloons, however we couldn't use balloons (latex) so, latex free gloves. It was absolutely hysterical to see them throw "hands" to each other. And they were much harder to break so the game lasted a long time and by the end they were trying to break them.


And last but not least, fishing for donuts. "Here fishy, fishy, fishy, Alex"

The kids laughed so hard and had so much fun with this game.

What a great way to end the year. Now I'll go back to my piles of papers that have come home this week. Wish me luck.

Last Day of School for Dylan

I can't believe that it's finally here, the last day of school. Dylan has mixed feelings, he's excited for summer vacation, but very sad about not seeing his friends. AFter school he went to his friends house, so I stopped to say goodbye to his teacher after school. There were lots of kids and moms crying, including me. Mrs. S said that the kids were doing a lot of crying, and hugging all morning this morning. She spent some time talking about Hasta Luega, see you soon. And that they'd see each other around school next fall.

Here's how Dylan feels about saying goodbye to his friends.

It's really hard for me because Mrs. S figured out that something was going on and supported us and dylan through the whole process. She's been so great with dylan, just loving on him and working to build his confidence all year long. I just hope he gets a good teacher next year. One of the disadvantages to a big school, there are 6 Kindergarten classes next year so we won't know for sure until August who he has. Very hard for a little guy like Dylan who doesn't take change well.

Look at how he's changed since last fall. I can't believe how little he was.

Saturday Soccer

Yesterday soccer was a crazy day. It was so cold and was raining a little. Dylan really tried hard yesterday. It was good to see him following directions and paying attention.

There was a little boy on the other team who really out matched our kids, but Dylan stuck with it and continued trying.

Here Dylan not only scored a goal, but I managed to catch him on film. A major feat for both of us. He was so proud of himself for finally scoring a goal.

In this picture Dylan was stealing the ball away from the other team. He really did a good job of staying with the ball.

Dylan is number 5, just look at him go after the ball.

Here he got to kick the ball off after the other team scored.

Farm Fun

Yesterday Dylan's class went to Glacier Rock Farms for a field trip. The kids had a fabulous time. Once we got there. It seems that none of the bus drivers knew how to get there, so we drove around quite a bit before the mom I was with took the lead. GPS is a wonderful thing!

Here Dylan is holding a baby chicken. Doesn't he look like he's having fun.

This picture is of a hedgehog. Dylan didn't want to touch it. I think he was a little afraid of the prickles.

Here he got to pet an alpaca. They also had sheep and llamas.

Our leader had the kids run down this hill. We all got great pics of the kids running.

This calf slept through the first set of kids loving on her. But Dylan got to pet her after she woke up.

Dylan also got to milk the cow. He did a great job and really enjoyed the experience.

They also had pony rides. The kids loved it! The parents also got to ride a horse and Dylan rode with me. ONe of the other moms got a pic. I really hope it turns out.


And here we are on the hayride. Dylan is sitting next to his buddy L. They have great fun together.

Dylan, L., and C. hanging out on the hayride. They've all become such good friends. It'll be hard next year when they some of them get split up.

And last a couple of class pitures. They all had such a good day. It was a really great farm and a neat day.

Of course with all of my allergies I had a very sneezy day, but it was worth it to see Dylan having so much fun with his friends.

Ziplines!

On Wednesday Brian, Marcella, Mark and I went on a zipline course. There were 9 different ziplines. I can't say that I was excited about it, terrified would be the better choice of words. But, I knew I would regret it if I didn't go. So, I went. I was so very terrified.

Here we are in the truck heading out to the course.

Here I am getting strapped onto the first zip line.

And there I go, hanging on for dear life. Good thing I have on sunglasses or you'd see that my eyes were squeezed very, did I say very tightly closed.

Mark on the other hand had no fear. Check out this self portrait.

I think this suspension bridge was the worst part. You had to look down, since the boards wern't evenly spaced. It was also just a little wiggly. Yikes!

After 8 ziplines, we went to a little swimming hole with a waterfall. I actually jumped off the cliff into the water. Another major hurdle. It took me quite a while to work up the courage. Then I was quick to get out. Brian, Marcella and Mark enjoyed the water for a little bit longer.

The last zipline was the highest, hardest to get to and 1200 feet long. It was also a double one so we went as couples.

This picture is Brian and Marcella on their way down.

It seems so far to the landing platform. Oh, and I beat Mark to the platform.

We also had to climb up. It was a challenging climb and we had to go quite high.

It was quite a day, full of firsts for all of us. I don't know if I could say that I had fun, but I'm proud of myself for doing it and not letting my fear stop me.

So now I think I've covered most of our trip. It was a great time and we loved every moment of it. Especially getting to spend some wonderful time with family.