First Day of 1st Grade

It's hard to believe that summer is over and we now have a FIRST GRADER in our house!!!

Parker woke up so excited to start school today.  He had a great time at Meet the Teacher last week when he met his new teacher, Mrs. Brightwell.  He was most excited about having a locker to put his backpack in.

He didn't talk much about the first day of school this past weekend but when he came out of his room this morning, he was jumping up and down saying "I can't wait for my first day of school!!".

He showed no signs of nervousness as he waited in the cafeteria to go to his classroom.  After we walked him to his room, he put his things in his locker and got right to work.  

After school, I treated him to a first day of school ice cream and he told me all about his day.  He actually talked a lot about what he did which is very uncharacteristic of him.  And at bedtime, he said, "I can't wait to go back to school tomorrow!". 

I'm so glad he had a great first day!  Mrs. Brightwell is a great teacher and I know he is going to have a great year! 

Parker was thrilled to find out that three of his best friends (Alexis, Jolea, and Cole) are also in Mrs. Brightwell's class this year.  It's going to be such a fun year!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Ryan

Today my sweet nephew, Ryan, turns 2!  It's hard to believe that two years have already come and gone.  He's growing up way too fast!

Yesterday, we had a party/cookout at my parent's house to celebrate his birthday.  My mom and I were honored to get to make his tractor cake this year.  I thought it turned out cute and I think Ryan loved it, which is all that really matters! 

 Our boys!

(I promise Parker isn't naked...he was just about to jump in the pool! 

 The kids all had a great time swimming with Granstan, Craig, and their daddies.

 

 

 Addison's new trick- the cartwheel flip 

After swimming, we enjoyed a cookout with hamburgers and hot dogs.  The weather was great and we were able to enjoy eating outside- a rare treat for the middle of August.

Then it was time to give Ryan his present- a new tractor four wheeler with a trailer.  He loved it but wasn't quite ready to drive it himself.  He was more content riding in the trailer while Aubrey drove him around.  

Cake and ice cream were a perfect ending to this fun-filled family day. 

Ryan- you are such a blessing to our family and we love you very much!  Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

Happy 38th Birthday, Daddy!

Today we helped Cory celebrate his 38th birthday!  Unfortunately, it was my first day back to school and I had to spend all day in meetings rather than hanging out with Cory and the kids.  We did get to enjoy dinner as a family after I got off of work.

I am so thankful that I have been able to celebrate 22 birthdays with Cory.  I couldn't have asked for a better husband and father to our kiddos.  We are very lucky to have him in our lives and I pray that this year would be a great one for him!  

Happy Birthday, Cory!  We love you very much! 

Reagan's Birthday Party

Today we got to help Reagan (one of Eden's preschool friends) celebrate her 4th birthday.  She had a princess party and Eden was excited to get to dress up like Snow White.

Eden wasn't sure what to think when we arrived but soon decided to join in and make a princess necklace and bracelet with her friends.

I never could convince her to take a turn hitting the piñata, but she did enjoy getting some of the candy that fell out of it!

 As usual, another one of Eden's favorite things was the cake and ice cream!

Eden has made some very sweet friends through preschool.  I know she is excited for preschool to start again soon so she can see them more often. 

Happy Birthday, Reagan!  We hope you had a very special day!

This...

This... is what happens when you are waiting for mommy to put your siblings in bed and you have been swimming twice in one day!

This... is what mommy does to kill time before bedtime when it's too hot outside- a trip to the local pet store to look at the kittens, bunnies, and birds.

 This... is what three bored kids do to kill time on a long summer day- wash their "cars"!

This... is our new friend- the turtle that lives in the pond behind our house and often takes walks around the neighborhood.

This... is the only movie we've been to see this summer (Monster's University) and I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so we can see it again!

This... is Parker's tball trophy for his team earning 2nd place this spring and his end of the year gift from Coach Joe.  He had such a great season and can't wait to get started back up again in the fall.

 This... is one of Eden's favorite things right now- bubbles!

This... is Eden helping her friend Sara celebrate her birthday last month.  Don't let the smile fool you- she spent most of the party in my lap crying because she was a little overwhelmed by the crowd.  The cupcakes were the one thing that finally got her to smile! (And don't you love the little tiara cupcake topper in her hair!)

This... is the night that Parker finally agreed to have a sleepover in Eden's room.  She begs him every night but he doesn't like to share a bed with anyone so he usually says no.  She was beyond excited!

This... is what showed up on our steps bright and early one Tuesday morning.  No one was home to help me dispose of him.  I was finally able to find a neighbor's teenage son who was home and willing to help me.  Eeeeek!  I hope that is the last one I see for a very long time!

This... is a very proud Lily who slept in Granna's big girl bed without any problems one night when Ryan needed the crib.  It won't be long before her crib is gone and she is sleeping in her own big girl bed every night.  Where has my baby gone? *sniff, sniff*

This... is one of our picnic lunches that we've had in the living room this summer.  Too hot to picnic outside?  No problem!  Just bring the picnic inside!  The kids are just as excited, plus I let them watch a video during lunch which is a treat for them too!

This... is what my kids do when they haven't seen rain all summer. We had a wonderful week during July when it rained almost every day.  The cooler temperatures were great and the kids smiles were priceless!



This... is what happens to Eden's curls when it is rainy and humid outside for several days in a row.  I don't think I've ever seen her hair so curly with such tight ringlets.  I love it!!!

This... is Lily's new obsession- a stroller.  We haven't used a stroller with her in a while but we pulled it out for one of our staycation outings and she fell in love with riding in it.  She now sits in it while she watches TV or eats her snack.  She also puts her baby dolls in it and pushes them around the house.

 

And this... is what we've been up to the past few weeks!!!  I hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer as much as we are!