Last Days of School

Archie is so full of energy and CRAZY RUNNING EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME,  so it was perfect when he discovered how fun soccer is. I think we have a budding star on the rise!!

One of my favorite things about summer is summer storms: lightening, thunder, rain, wind and hail!! This is NOT Elliott's favorite part of summer though. During these storms, he gets very nervous. But, we found a solution for him: his happy place. He goes into the pantry and watches a video wrapped in a snuggly blanket with the door closed...problem solved!

 This is how Archie rolls :)

In May, we were able to go to Pocatello, ID for my niece's wedding!! Look how beautiful Breana looks! Lucy's not looking so bad either!

Archie was looking pretty dapper too...until he found a mud puddle to slip around in! Luckily, his 8 month old cousin had an extra pair of pants he could slip on; poor little Archie, will he never grow out of those 6-12 month old pants!!

Elliott was the star of the show with his little boy cousins, as usual!!! He loves, them, and who wouldn't?!?! They're so cute!

First ice-cream truck of the year, and Archie's first ice-cream truck EVER!! Luckily, a Bullet Pop is dairy free, and if I remember right, it is Gramma Karen's favorite treat too! Archie approves!

This summer I had big dreams of our family running, walking or biking 100 miles. We would gather together as a family, Mike and I in our running shoes, Archie in his stroller, and Lucy and Elliott on their bikes, and we would hit the green belt together! That was before my back went out again, but we are still pushing through! If we make it, we will get to go to the local water park, a treat the kids have never gotten to do!

We started out with a 5 mile roundtrip walk to McDonald's to celebrate Memorial Day weekend, a tradition I used to do with my family when I was younger.

All this fun, and school wasn't even out yet!!! This is the kids on their last day of school. How they've grown!

The kids have always wanted me to bring them lunch at school and join them in the cafeteria, and finally, on the last day of school, it happened!! Even better, Aunt Juliet was visiting and she joined us!!! BEST LAST OF SCHOOL SURPRISE EVER!!!

 All right, that about covers it...now onto summer break!!! Fun runs, water plays, marathons and road trips!!

February Through May Catchup!!

I have been slow-poking it through this year's blog posts!! I have been jumping around and taking my time, and I have been missing things!! So, this is my catch-up post....get ready....it'll be a bit of a whirlwind!!

Elliott has fun in the Spring weather at our park!

Lucy bought supplies and made her own dancing balloon lady!

Hockey game with the cousins!

It was free hat day; YES!

Archie and Lucy enjoying Spring time at the parks too.

Awe, no words for how much I love brotherly love.

YAY picnics at the park during spring break!

Never let it be said that Archie doesn't know how to lounge in style.

St Patrick's Day leprechaun trap...sweet believing.

Hee Hee, Archie big-legs, a trick I used to do with my sisters when I was younger

Elliott is my determined little man. He decided he wanted a Wii-U, Dad said he would pay for half if Elliott saved for half, and 3 months later...

HE DID IT!!!!

Archie is such a cute little sleeper.

Kids' school pictures

I cut bangs and Mike and I celebrated with a very rare DATE!!!

Lucy helped Harmony make some yaki mondu.

YAY, YIPPEE, HOORAY!!!

NowI don't have to feel guilty about jumping around, I'm all caught up!! Now I can post freely about CURRENT events!! Look what neat things you have to look forward to :)

BLACK BELT LADY!!!!

3YEARS

312 CLASSES

12,480 MINUTES

12 TESTS WITH:

1200 JUMPING JACKS

400 PUSH-UPS

1400 FRONT-KICKS

600 BACK-KICKS

1000 ROUNDHOUSE-KICKS

400 SPIN KICKS

AND FINALLY....

BLACKBELT LUCY!!!!

When Lucy started, she was 6 years old, she couldn't kick (it looked like she was shaking dog-doodie off her foot!:), and she had the best little "hi-yah" yell in the class. Now, 3 years later, she still has the best "hi-yah", her spin kick is the highest in the class, and she is an amazing, committed, confident young lady!!

Here she is waiting for the big test at the Junior High across the street.

The testing gang!!

Getting her beautiful and official certificate and Blackbelt card.

So proud. What 9 year old EVER commits to something for 3 years and achieves such an amazing goal!! Today, at the end of class, when the kids all "bow to blackbelt", they all turned to Lucy, the only blackbelt there, and bowed to her. She was beaming. It was beautiful.