Preschool Graduation

The graduation went really well this year.  I was completely stressed out leading up to it and I had several people who just came and helped me to make it happen.  They made hats, made refreshements, cleaneThThe kids actually sang the songs this year!  Yeah!!!  I was so happy.  They always freeze up when all the parents arrive and don't sing.  I think it helped that I have a bigger class this year so there were more little singers.  We also had a crowd of parents and grandparents and they were such a supportive audience which I really appreciated!  Afterwards, we passed out certificates and watched a slideshow that John put together for it.  It was a fun celebration of ny cute little preschoolers.  I have loved this class.  It was more kids than I was used to for preschool so it took some adjusting but I have absolutely loved having a bigger class and I have grown to love them all.  Having Carter in my class made this year a little more challenging but we survived it and he has grown up a lot this year. 

 

One of my favorite parts of this year was having Matthew (Carter's 2nd cousin) in the class.  He is adorable and I have loved getting to know him and having Carter get to know him.  They have becompe such cute little buddies who are always together at preschool.  Love this picture of them!

Watching the slideshow :)

Pioneer Trek

Kelsie and I got to go with all the 4th graders on a pioneer trek.  It was one of the neatest things I'd ever been a part of.  The kids were grouped into families of 8 kids and they each had an authentic handcart to push the 2 miles to the camp.  It was very realistic and we had to push the cart up hills and through rugged terrain and then cross a river before finally making it to camp.  It was really neat and I loved getting to go along for the day!  It was especially interesting to watch how different kids reacted to the experience.  Several of the boys in Kelsie's group quit helping as soon as it got hard.  They didn't seem to care if the handcart or the rest of the family made it to their destination.  I was amazed at Kelsie as I watched her.  She was the one who was right there and never stopped to rest.  She just kept pushing even when everyone around was starting to complain or give up.  I saw such perserverance in her and I was so impressed.  Especially since I'm sure I would have been one of the pioneers who just gave up and was left on the side of the trail!  It was so neat to be a part of this 4th grade trek!

 

Pushing the handcart up the rocky hill

At the camp we listened to pioneer stories, had lunch, and then did pioneer games, danced the Virginia Reel, made butter and bread, and learned how to grind wheat. 

Grandma and Great Grandma met us for a bit since our "camp" was just down the street from Grandma's house.

How cute is this?  Love this one!







This is Kelsie's handcart family getting ready to head out. Kelsie's teacher used to teach in AF so we went to his old school and used the pathway he had organized.

Neighborhood Fun



My sister, Angela, came up to join our neighborhood yard sale.  Emily got to have Kylie spend the night and they had a blast playing all weekend. 

 

I bought Kelsie tons of new clothes for school next fall at our neighbors garage sale.  It's my favorite every year.  Kelsie and Brianna did a fashion show to show off some of the new outfits!  Love those two!


Then we had our annual block party.  This year we had 2 huge bounce houses for the kids and all you can eat snow cones and cotton candy.  Our neighbors know how to throw a party.  The kids loved it and we enjoyed visiting with neighbors.

 This is the sign of a fun day.  Carter was completely exhausted, covered in cotton candy, and HAPPY!



Cousins

For Mother's Day we enjoyed visiting with Grandma Durrant and all of our cousins.  This is a picture of all of the older cousins getting ready to sing to Uncle Jared for his birthday.

 The girls--they love getting together to sing and put on shows. 

 Matson and Kenna were SO cute playing together.  They are only 6 weeks apart and Matson thought she was pretty cool!  You can't tell they are related, can you?!?  :)

Where's Kitty?

Matson's new game is searching for the kitty.  He walks around saying "where KI Cat"?  He found her!

Our Kitty

 Introducing our new addition--a cute, playful little kitty that we named Sadie.  She is ADORABLE and the kids all love her and she puts up with us pretty well.  We had been thinking about getting a cat for awhile but didn't really want one more thing to take care of---we are kinda maxed out in that area right now!  But when we went to see my neighbors kittens I fell in love with her and there was no going back.  Aahh!  She is playful and sweet and a lot more work then I imagined.  But, it has been really fun to have a pet!  We all love her and it is a hoot to watch Matson play with her--he giggles at everything she does!  She lives in the garage and is going to be an outside/garage cat.  The only problem is that she's terrified to leave the garage but at least we always know where she is!  And we think Matson might be allergic to her!  Sad!!!!

Vending Machines

We got vending machines at our neighborhood park yesterday.  You wouldn't believe the excitement this has brought around here!  My girls and Brianna could hardly drop their backpacks off before they were headed down on their bikes to buy a drink!  Turns out they weren't the only ones that were thrilled with the new addition to the neighborhood.  Every time I drive by the park there is a steady stream of kids waiting to buy a drink!  It's actually pretty funny to see.  Hopefully the novelty wears off quick!  I still haven't figured out why we need vending machines at the soccer field.  What was wrong with the drinking fountain that's always been there?!?