Saturday Sculpture

Last Saturday we checked out a local sculpture museum.  It was fun!  They had a large lawn with bigger outdoor pieces and some smaller ones inside.  The traveling piece was a huge net hung over metal arches.  In the middle were thousands of balls bound together by netting that formed a walkway.  As you walked through it it swayed.  Then, downstairs they had a sculptor doing demonstrations of how he creates his work.  He let the kids help him mix the plaster he was using.  We had a great time!

   

 

 

 

 

 

The Pool!

We had the awesome opportunity to swim at 2 pools, 2 days in a row over the weekend.  We were a very happy bunch.  Because my digital camera is also waterproof we got some really fun pictures.  There were so many good ones I've just included all my favorites.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Zoo

We spent a recent Sunday morning at the Zoo.  Thanks to Grandma we have season passes.  We got some good pictures of our outing together.  It was a fun day, but got pretty hot quickly.  Summer in Texas is fast approaching!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.