Summer!

We have all been waiting for nice, warm summer days to arrive!  The days are long...the sun feels nice...and the kids love to be outside!

Filling up the pool for the first time...seems like it might be time for a bigger pool?  :)

Yes...Rookie could lose some weight he gained over the long winter!  :)

Two Wheels!

Finley wants so badly to ride her bike without training wheels...unfortunately, the days aren't long enough for us to put in the time needed to teach her!  :(  

She is patient with us and we know she'll get there!

Extra cheering from Daddy!

Smiles!

She's growing up so fast!

No Caption Needed

John Deere

Can't get enough time on the lawn mower...

...but graciously take turns with one another!

Sing As We Spin!

Singing as they twirl....

....belting it out!  ;)

They all have so much fun together!

She Graduated!

Phew...we all survived our first full year of school!  :)  Finley passed Kindergarten with flying colors.  The year was full of many ups and downs, but she finished out strong.  I was able to volunteer on a few field trips - so much fun to see her interact with her friends and classmates.  Brent and I even ate lunch with her at school during her last week.  

Receiving her certificate.

Great job Finley!

Finley decided about a month before school was out that she REALLY wanted a scooter.  We made her a deal that if she had a good attitude, helped out when asked, and did her best in school, we would buy her a scooter.  After her graduation ceremony, we took her to Wal-Mart and let her choose one.  :)

Singing as she scoots along!

So much fun!

Finley agreed...couldn't leave this guy out!

He prefers the scooter over his bike!

Ha!  Cutie!

Dance

Finley just completed her third year of dance...and once again impressed this mama!  Every week, I would leave practice with her thinking "she sure has fun with her friends, but hasn't learned anything" or "she's just not a dancer, but at least she has fun".  :)  Well...she is really just made to be on the stage I guess.  She got up on that stage this weekend and knew the routine, smiled, and simply impressed!  So proud of her!  It helps that she loved her costume, hair, makeup...and the fact that she had cousins, nana & papa, and great-grandma in the audience watching her!  

The theme this year was "Enchanted"

There were so many cute costumes...and the Disney princesses even made an appearance!  :)

Pretty girl!

Throughout the day she kept saying "I wish I could get flowers...do you think someone will buy me flowers...oh, those flowers are so pretty"  Well her daddy came through and surprised her with flowers after the second show was done.  Her smile was priceless!  :)

She was at the top of a lift...she looks a lot like Baby from Dirty Dancing if you ask me!  :)

Bubbles

After many, many, MANY months inside...we are so happy to be outside enjoying any amount of sunshine we can soak up!

AJ has learned how to blow bubbles...and thinks it's a lot of fun!

Happy Birthday Finley!

She's six...going on sixteen!  It's a wonder what a year in school full-time will do to a girl!  :)  She comes home every day with so many stories.  She has learned so much this year.  I'm amazed at how well she reads, how well she does with math...and just how much she's matured over the year!  

She looks worried to be turning six...

Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Finley learned how to ski this winter and LOVED it!

She could have gone every day...no matter how cold; and we had some cold days this winter!

And this lucky girl got ice cream after every ski session!

She's growing up so fast!  

Her laugh and smile are infectious!

Our cowgirl!  She has enjoyed birthday parties, play dates, etc. this year!

She completed her Awana Sparks book this year.  It was a difficult transition for her initially (they have to know the verse and where it's found in the bible), but she stuck with it and did great!

And He's FOUR!

Ace turned four in March...he was very excited to have friends over to celebrate with him.  He loves to play!  He is very easy going and laid-back.  BUT...he also loves to play tricks and can be very sneaky! :)

It's hard for me to think that he's four...I remember the day he was born so clearly!

This boy loves sweets!

So much so that he needed two crowns!  UFF

Love him!

He is so soft spoken and fun to have one-on-one!

Love this!

He finished his first year of Awana Cubbies a couple weeks ago.  He learned his verses each week with such ease.  He didn't necessarily look forward to going each week, but never complained and always came home stating that he had fun!

We signed him up for PreK too...ah, the time goes too fast!