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Sunday, May 31, 2015

cyclones & memorial day

One of my summer goals is to go through all the pictures on our computer and save them on an external hard drive, and catch up with this blog!  So I'm getting closer... we're up to Memorial Day!
The weekend before Andrew's cath we met cousins at our favorite restaurant Hickory Park!  It was supposed to be movie night at Jack Trice Football stadium, but rain had been predicted so they moved it inside to Hilton Collesium.  We decided to go anyway and mostly we just had fun with our cousins!
These four... best buddies
Kerigan loves her big cousin Evi!
This is what happens when I try to have the waitress take a group photo of all of us- epic fail!  Ha!  3 of us get points for looking at the camera and smiling!
As you can see, the weather ended up being beautiful!  I was so bummed they moved the event inside!  But they had to plan ahead so they just went by the forecast.  This time the forecast was wrong!
Look at my girl!  She went right up there and stood by Cy!  I was so proud of her!
In our seats ready for Big Hero 6!
Watching Baymax on the scoreboard wasn't quite the same as the jumbotron but it was still fun!  We loved spending time with our cousins the most!
When Andrew was in the hospital for his cath, daddy brought this girl back to finish up her swimming lessons.  She had been doing so great we wanted her to keep up with them!  Plus, she was getting bored in the hospital.  She learned to do the back stroke!
These three girls have been having fun this month watching their brothers play baseball!  This was one of the nicer days we've had- as it's been raining most of the nights!  
Ga Ga came and spent the night and took Andrew home the next day for a sleep over!  Since we would be going to their house on Memorial Day it worked out well for us to pick him up then!
My girl and I went to Walmart and she was so funny, smushed in the cart like this.  She goes "mama, I don't think we can fit anything else in here!"  Ha!
She was so excited to text this picture to her brother and show him what we got!  He is obsessed with watermelon so she thought we could make these cupcakes together this summer!
We had friends over for pizza that evening and 2 deer wandered into our yard from across the street!  The kids were amazed!
The kids are always fighting over Belle, so Kerigan had some alone time with her kitty!  She put this blanket down and Belle loved it!
Memorial Day we headed to Ga G and Papa's and went to pick out some flowers to plant!
Papa always helps me plant flowers.  I don't have a green thumb at all, and my plants only survive each year because of Papa!  The kids love to help.

Andrew had been wanting to try fish because he has a game where you put fish on the grill (the game is called Barbeque party) so Papa got him some fish fillets and they grilled them!  Both kids loved them and gobbled them up!  I was shocked because normally they won't eat anything!  I am not a fish lover, so I admit it isn't something I buy.  Guess I'll have to start!
We had appetizers on the porch and watched rain clouds roll in.  Kerigan found this little umbrella!  Ha!
We decided to eat first and let the rain pass before heading to the cemetery.
It turned out to be a beautiful evening once the rain stopped and the sun came out!  We went to go see Grandpa Bill at the cemetery.
The kids always love seeing his headstone and jumping off it!  I tell them not to jump or step on anyone else's, but I know their Grandpa Bill would love them playing on his!

Andrew was particularly sentimental this day.  He never met my dad in person, but I just know they have a connection.  We have always said that Andrew reminds us so much of dad.  He has lots of questions about him, which I love to answer!  We talk about Heaven, and how he lives with Jesus, and he knows that Jesus and Grandpa Bill sent him (and Kerigan) to us.  I tell him that I feel like he met his grandpa in Heaven before he came to us.  And that his grandpa is his guardian angel and has been with him through all of his surgeries.  I truly believe that.
Then he stood there and started to pray.  It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen.  Then he walked along all the headstones and stood by every one of them and did this.  He said he wanted to pray for all of them.  What a precious, precious boy he is.  I love him so much and his tender heart!
On the way back to Ga Ga's we stopped to see the ponies on the ISU campus.  They were so sweet!
Then we had homemade ice cream and watermelon!
I'd say it was a pretty perfect Memorial Day!


Wednesday, May 27, 2015

wrapping up the school year


Swimming lessons are almost over and we're ready for summer!
Kerigan did amazing in lessons this month.  We switched to lessons though the Y this year instead of a fast week during the summer and it went so much better.  She's pretty independent and learned how to swim with just a floatie all the way across the pool.  She can also do the back stroke! 
This day was so cute, they got out the little boat and practiced with it.
This was taken from far away but I loved her little face!
Ready to swim- this was on her first day of lessons.
I think she's more than ready for summer swimming and lake livin!
This was so cute, my class at school was performing a reader's theater and wanted to perform it for Andrew's class.  He's in front in the blue shirt.  I say this all the time but this year I have loved teaching at Andrew's school.  It has allowed me so many opportunities to be with him and see him during the day!
The other day I had the morning off for an appointment and I got to take Kerigan to preschool.  
I loved hanging out with her and her friends for the morning!
This was her spring picture day at school- this face!  This is usually her mood in the morning as we are trying to rush around and get out the door.  She's obviously not a morning person- just like her mama!  Ha!
I must have bribed her to smile or something!
Andrew brought this writing home from school and it cracked me up!  My sister is a pain because she doesn't get one thing I say.  And she's a pain because she drives me crazy and mom crazy.  Ha!  I'm not sure what to say about it.  But let's just say he's not entirely incorrect!  There is so much truth to terrible 3's.  I don't want to wish away her years but oh my.  I'm looking forward to 4. 
My sweet little second grader had a poetry read the other day and I was so thrilled another teacher covered my class so I could go watch him.  Daddy, Ga Ga and Papa and Kerigan came too and it was so special.
The kids all had sparkly ties and crowns!  
They had been studying poetry all year that was written by a man from our town who comes to the school with his daughter and reads his poems to the kids while they practice with fluency.
This was a poem about Christmas and Andrew got to stand in front and hold the props!
This sweet man is Mr. Johnson, the one who wrote all the poems.  Andrew just loves him.  He has hearing aids too and made a special connection with Andrew right away because of his hearing aids.  He calls him his buddy and he makes Andrew feel so special.  He reminds me of my dad and how his relationship with Andrew would be if he were still here.
Kerigan came to my classroom after the performance and entertained all my students!  She loves writing on my boards so she was showing them how she can write her name!
The 2nd graders are learning about life cycles and this day Andrew and his best friend Gavin came down to my class to show me their frog hats!  I thought they were so cute!
Sweet boy!
The kids had their last Awana a couple weeks ago.  This was Kerigan's first year in Cubbies and she came a long way!
She is always singing the songs at home and loves to learn verses.  She has learned so much and I believe she really knows and loves Jesus.  It has been special to watch her grow in faith.
She got an award and certificate for finishing her first book.
My sweet boy Andrew finished his last year in Sparks.  He will move up to the next age group next year.  He's growing up so much!
Singing about Jesus!
Getting his ribbon for finishing his book.
They had a hot dog supper and popsicles!
Standing by the cross with their ribbons.
They wanted to make a silly face- ha!
Then last week my boy had his music concert.  This was him in the morning before the concert.
The kids are bussed over to the high school for the program and they all get up on the stage.  It's a pretty big deal!
The best part- my 4th graders were in the concert too so I got to be there for their practice and all the performances.  I'm so lucky!
I was so proud of him!  He actually sang and did the actions and he was so cute!

Look at that smile!
The kids love taking baths in my big jet tub.  I usually let them do this on Friday nights and they always look forward to it!  Soon, every night will be like Friday when we are out of school!  I'm going to have to set up a schedule for baths and sleepovers or they will want to do it every night!
We had a big surprise on May Day when our doorbell rang and some of our friends had dropped off baskets for the kids!  How fun!  We can't wait to see more of these friends this summer!
I see this on facebook every year and it always cracks me up!  Couldn't be more true- Ha!

Bring on summer!