Welcome Summer/Memorial Day Weekend

 Summer is here! 

This weekend of course was our official kick-off to the season. 

We are new to the lakes area but it was very surprising to see the changes in the area with the arrival of Memorial Day Weekend: traffic, people, and so much to do!

We got to open our birthday presents from Papa and Grammy a little early, and had our first visit of the season to Arnold's Park. 

Marie and Bennett love it of course and are enjoying trying out all the rides, and even Brooks has a taste for the thrill rides - he loves to drive the boats the best!

The temperature is rising and we are already indulging in the ice cream truck and sweet treats from the area shops.

 A rainy morning allowed us time to visit the nature center. The kids love exploring inside and outside. We even got to watch the big osprey leave the nest today!

 Even though the water was chilly, we enjoyed our first swim in the lake, tube ride, and battle on the paradise pad.

 Brooks is exploring more and more and he is still trying to decide if he likes the sand or not.

 Uncle Nate came to visit and he read everyone a story to wrap up our busy days!

 

These kiddos are so sweet and I love their adventurous sides. 

Living at the lakes has been so much fun this past year..we are anxious for what this summer brings!

Last Days of School

Just like that another school year has come and gone.

It is scary how fast time can fly by us.

Bennett wrapped up his 3 year old preschool with a superhero and princess party.

His teachers gave each boy a cape and each girl a wand. 

His experience at Joyful Journeys was such a great one. 

Bennett has become more confident in himself and his abilities and really learned so many new things. He has also made some really sweet friends. This group of kiddos became very close and all the moms did as well. We are looking forward to summer play dates!

 We are very thankful for Ms. Carol and Ms. Grace for all their hard work with him this year. 

Next year Bennett will be attending a preschool that is held in the elementary school building. He is excited to be in the same school as his big sister!

Marie is officially a first grader!

Her kindergarten year was fantastic! She is a bright student who loves to read, wants to be a scientist, and really enjoys figuring out math problems. 

She has made some sweet friends as well and has really had some great experiences with field trips and class visitors. 

Her teacher, Mrs. Bower, was top notch. I enjoyed volunteering in her classroom on occasions and I always walked out feeling so thankful for the kind and positive energy. She had a unique way to make every minute very enriching for her students.

 

 

The birthday celebrations begin!

The month of May 23-June 23 is very busy in our house with 4 birthdays and 1 anniversary to celebrate. 

We started off the month last week with Andy's 33rd birthday.

The kids and I made him his requested dinner: grilled steak, potatoes, veggies, and banana cream pie. 

The kids were not as impressed with the banana cream pie but did enjoy eating the whipped cream!

 Happy Birthday - we love you!

Spring Concerts

A sure sign of the end of the school year is when the calendar fills up with programs, field trips, and special days at school.

This year both Marie and Bennett had spring concerts.

Marie's program was held in the Sami Performing Arts Center. This is such a beautiful facility for our school to use and we are so thankful for the arts programming our kids will be exposed to in school.

Marie loves music and has really enjoyed her teacher this year. 

 Marie loves to sing and dance so this concert was right up her alley!

 Bennett had to dress up as Johnny Appleseed for his school program. 

He even helped make his hat.

 When it came time for his actual song, he wasn't too impressed with whole event. 

However, when he was singing in the back row - nice and enthusiastic!

"supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" Tumbling Recital

 This pretty little lady had her tumbling recital this weekend. 

It has been a big commitment for her this year and she has done such a great job!

Her teacher claims she is the most improved tumbler in the class from start to finish.

Grandma Nel, Grammy, and Papa came to watch her, too. 

We enjoyed cake and ice cream to celebrate following the show!

Mothers Day Moments

To start my mother's day off right, I attended a "Moms and Muffins" brunch at Bennett's school.
He and his classmates dressed up in costumes showing the moms what they wanted to be when they grow up. Bennett chose a fireman.

After a song called, "I am a Promise," the kids got to pick a book and to read with their moms.
Bennett chose a book so fitting for us - it was about a boy who was feeling kind of sad because his mom was busy. No matter what his mom did, she couldn't make him smile. So she decided to do a bunch of silly things to try to find the smile.

Finally, at the end of the book, they both fell down in some mud and got dirty on accident - both the mom and the boy giggled and giggled. That same day, Bennett and I decided to make cookies - this is how he looked in the middle of our baking experience!

After the story, Bennett made me a beaded bracelet and then we enjoyed our muffins.
It was such a special morning!


Our mothers day weekend was full of family time. 

On Saturday the whole family helped out at Chris and Mindy's farm with tree cutting and yard clean-up. 

To say that we were tired and dirty is a huge understatement. Everyone helped - even Brooks was busy picking up sticks and supervising the site.

The kids had so much fun riding in the rangers, playing on the farm, seeing Alissa's 4-H cow, and running free. Once they were all clean it was a quiet ride home. 

***

On Sunday we spent time in Spencer.

Liz and Andrew were back in town with Allie and Ryan.

We enjoyed a nice meal, time at the park, and cuddle time with those sweet babies!

After a busy few days, we headed home. It was such a windy day, we decided to fly a few kites, mow the lawn, and enjoy shake from one of our favorite drive-ins. 

Being a mother is such a blessing...and I continue to be ever so thankful for my 3 children, my husband and partner in raising them, and the ability to go to my 2 mothers for guidance whenever I need it. 

This year, Marie wrote her own card and shared a sweet moment with me that I will always hold onto...especially when she is in her teenage years and not liking me all the time ;)