The Park

Living where we do there is a plethora of great parks close to our home.  I think we could literally visit a different one each week & it would take months to see them all.  It's one of our family's favorite things to do together.  It works out some bottled up energy in the kiddos & gives us a change of scenery.  Bonus: it's free!  Joel brought his camera along last week when we tried out a new park with the kids.  It was one of the more unique ones we've been to.  It had some very cool climbing structures.  Here are my favorite photos from our evening outing:

Preschool Grad

Jonathan graduated his preschool last Friday evening.  As I drove away after dropping him off for his last school day I admit that I teared up.  It just hit me all of the sudden that he would be going to Kindergarten next year 5 days a week & that he was getting so much bigger so quickly.

His graduation was very entertaining.  He came out on stage & immediately started looking around to see where we were seated.  Once he spied us all he began waving enthusiastically...a lot.  He even pointed us out to the girl next to him.  They sang several songs complete with hand movements, played a song with handbells, and each one got to say what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Jonathan's choice?  A builder (an architect, just an easier way to say it).  He did a great job & knew all the words to the songs & exactly what he was to do throughout.  There was a small reception in his classroom afterwards too.

He has come a long way from his first day of preschool.  He's learned how to follow directions, sit still when being taught, all his ABCs, some math, and how to write.  Here are some photos from the program:

 

 

 

 

A Great Day

This year Mother's Day was the same day as our anniversary.  Lucky Joel!  He did a fantastic job though & really went above & beyond.  The day before he took the older kids out to a Starbucks where they had a strategizing meeting about what they were going to do for me.  Here's the outline they came up with:

 

I got to sleep in until 9am.  Then they brought me breakfast in bed.  After lunch when Kat was napping I was treated to an in-house day spa.  It was awesome!  Joel even made name tags for them all to wear:

 

First was a head massage (from Emily) & hand massage (from Jonathan).  I also received a facial (from Joel).  Then a pedicure while I was brought 2 of my favorite indulgences that I rarely get: Milano cookies & Izze Sparkling Clementine soda.  After that I got a massage & was drawn a hot bath to relax in, after which I laid down & took a cat nap on the couch.  It was wonderfully relaxing!

Here's a photo of all the great crafts the kids made for me this year either in school or at church:

 

Joel made steaks for dinner and then we went to play Putt Putt as a family.  Once the kids were in bed we celebrated our 12th anniversary by opening up a very special bottle of wine vinted by the talented Dan Neumeister.  We enjoyed it out in the back yard by our fire pit.  It was a great day!

Egg Hunt

Every Good Friday for the past 6 years I have taken the kids (who weren't in school) to an Easter egg hunt organized by a friend from our church. This year there were no school bad weather make-up days so Emily could come AND Joel also had off from work for a holiday...so we all got to go! The weather was perfect. It was a very fun time with good friends. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day thanks to Joel.

Group shot before the hunt began

Mrs. Kellie giving instructions.

And their off! Jon's on the move!

Emily is ready for candy!

Kat found her fair share too.

Emily had a sweet follower, Joelle, on the playground.

Neighborhood Walks

We take little walks around our neighborhood a lot. Have been doing so since Em was in a stroller. Then she got bigger & Jon was in the stroller. Then Jon got bigger & it was Kat's turn. The other day we had our first walk where all 3 kids actually walked the whole way. It was quite monumental actually. So yesterday I told the kids in the van on the way back from getting Em from school that we should take a walk. They all got excited. When we got home Kat looked at me & said "help you!" which, in baby speak, means she wanted me to help her with something. So I followed her to her room. She wanted me to get the little toy stroller out of the closet so she could...wait for it...push her beloved "Joy bear" in her stroller on the walk. It was too incredibly cute not to take pictures & share. She pushed that bear with pep in her step the whole way. She had so much fun that when we got back to the house & she realized the walk was over she cried. Until next walk...

(Jon got a ride in a stroller too, thanks to big sis Em. He was still getting over a bit of a cold & I decided to let him rest for our outing.)

These photos also remind me of a previous post with the same little toy stroller in it. The little tyke pushing it then (at almost the exact same age as Kat now) was Jon & he wasn't using it for it's usual purpose. You can read about that one here: "Smell" the Grass.

Daddy Daughter Night

Joel took Emily to the Daddy Daughter dance for our city this year. I thought it would be fun for a few of her friends her age to go along with their dads too. One of the dads found out that Chick fil A was also having a Daddy Daughter date night the same evening. Everyone met up at our house & we took a few pictures before they headed out. The daddies even had flowers for their little ladies. Emily cried and buried herself in Joel when he gave her the bouquet. It was a very sweet moment.

Chick fil A went all out for their event. They had a red carpet, balloons, tablecloths, flowers & candles on the tables & fancy menus. They even had waiters take orders and bring everything to the table. They took photos & framed them for the girls to take home and sent a goody bag full of candy with them too. Pretty amazing!

Joel said they had a great time at the dance too. All the daddies got on the dance floor with their daughters. The girls also had fun dancing together.

It was a really memorable evening for them all. Emily is still talking about how much fun she had & thanking Joel for taking her. Joel told me that it was one of the best evenings of his life too.

At home before the evening began.
Lynen, Em & Hailey with their Daddies

I think her expression says it all. She was crazy excited!

Joel being Joel for Em's photo of him.

The dinner menu at Chick fil A. They really went all out!
Three pretty little ladies at the dance.

Crib Photos

Something big happened in our house the other day. We got rid of a piece of furniture that has been in the same nursery for 8 years. The crib came down. All 3 of our kiddos have slept and napped in it. It was an emotional thing for Joel & I. I put off doing it for over a week while I mentally & emotionally prepared for it. The day we decided to do it we both would occasionally glance at the other with sad eyes knowing symbolically what it meant. Our babies were growing up & with each passing milestone with Katherine we are permanently exiting a baby stage & entering other "bigger" things. Don't get me wrong...it's also exciting to be leaving some of this stuff behind. There are new freedoms as a family that we will be able to experience, but we also realize that some very precious days are behind us. That is just plain sad any way you look at it. In honor of this huge step as a family I found some photos of each of our little ones in this precious piece of furniture. After all, it is the thing I trusted to let my kiddos spend a great majority of thier time each day as they peacefully (most of the time) slept, dreamt & grew.

One of my all time favorite baby photos of Emily. Love her happy eyes smiling for daddy just outside the crib rails.
Emily fast asleep with her favorite thing at the time...her precious paci.

Baby Jonathan. Love how sweet & cuddly he looks here.

Even though this photo is out of focus it is still a favorite of mine. I love his little, chubby toes poking out from between the rails.

Sleeping toddler Jonathan.

Baby Katherine fast asleep with her comfort object of choice: the burp rag.

Katherine snuggling with her "Joy Bear"