The End of School

These start arriving in the mailbox and I know that the school year is coming to an end.  Our fridge fills up.

The school year is always so crazy trying to get everyone everywhere.  My calendar looked like this…

I am also exhausted from the huge amounts of laundry.  With uniforms and practice clothes, mixed with regular clothes each day adds up.

The day that school gets out we clean out backpacks and run them through the washer.  All school stuff gets put away until the Fall.

The memory drawers are sorted and organized into a folder to represent the school year.  Each folder is gently placed into it’s box, with the drawer nice and empty for the next year.

Art is voted on to make appearances around the house.  ALWAYS so hard to pick favorites to hang up and never enough room for everything.

The summer basket is carefully filled with goodies to excited the kids for the upcoming summer….  Tickets to the circus, summer treats, new flip flops, summer reads, swimsuits and goggles…

Stress of school dissipates and laughter abounds.,,

Bring Summer on!  We are READYYYYY!!!!!

Hop Scotch

It started out fun.

But then Grandma Brenda and sisters came out to join, and then it was FUN!

Simple games are always so much more, depending on who is playing with you!

Finishing Track

Track is over for my big girls and I need to post all about that.  Actually, I need to post a lot of things.  I am so far behind because life has been crazy busy.

Tonight I want to post about track finishes.  Rebecca was notorious for passing everyone at the end of her 800m.  It was always fun to watch and she would get attention at the following track practice from the coach in front of everyone. 

I love the expression of the “other” runner in these pictures.  This is right at the finish line of a big meet.

I don’t know why but  I love the glare from the girl as Rebecca finishes strong.  I also love that determined expression on my Becca.

Over the weekend in Texas there was another finish that caught my eye.  It was in a relay that was a tight race.  The winner literally dove across the finish line.

He literally left it all and gave his all on the track.  I can’t imagine how bad that hurt to land after diving like that, but how awesome the feeling of winning!  I’m sure he recovered quickly as they put the gold medal around his neck.

“Finish strong” is what we say to the kids whether it’s track, soccer, basketball, or even just doing homework or piano practicing.  If you have put this much time into whatever you are doing, you might as well finish strong so that you can be proud of your effort!

Nest

I was sitting eating breakfast one morning when a big magpie started attacking the bluebird house.  I watched as he would flutter by the hole trying to peck out the eggs inside.  He couldn’t reach them and instead would toss parts of the nest out of the house.  Stephen and I couldn’t believe our eyes as we watched him pull string and twigs from the small hole.  We chased him away and noted all the parts of the nest that were once carefully built.

A little while later the bluebirds came back and commenced rebuilding their home.  I felt sorry for them.  In an instant all of their hard work was destroyed by prey.  They were lucky the eggs deep in the nest were left unharmed. 

As I watched the magpie, I was grateful that I wasn’t a bird that could have her nest destroyed.  Yet thoughout the day as I pondered my home, I realized that there are many ways that my little “nest” for my children can be destroyed from the outside.  How important it is that I am vigilant to keeping my home safe!  I spend forever cleaning, cooking, decorating, teaching, creating a beautiful home for my family to enjoy.  I am constantly trying to enrich my home, but sometimes not so careful about protecting what I have inside my home. 

SO that is my goal this week.  Watching and analyzing how I can protect my sweet family and home from all of the outside influences.  I know that there are already things that I have noticed just in today alone!  Grateful for my magpie / bluebird lesson today!

Happy Mother's Day

Thought this was cute ...

So lucky to have my mother and mother-in-law with us for Mother's Day!

Cinco de Mayo

Super fun dinner!  I put Ashley in charge of the décor and she rocked it!

We picked up a festive vinyl tablecloth, tissue swag, and then decided on a mini cacti for the place settings.  I’m going to need to make a big succulent garden with all of them now.  I have a feeling though that some of the kids won’t relinquish “their” cacti.

Ash made cute place cards for each person with a different picture on each.  LOTS of time was spent on the detail and then I didn’t even get a pic. 

After Ash finished her part and was out the door for an activity, Jerrica came and helped with the dinner.  We made fajitas with lots of add ons.  The poor girl grated cheese, sliced olives, cut peppers and helped get everything on the table. They were REALLY delicious!  So much so that we had to keep trying bites.

All of the kids exclaimed at the fiesta we had going on in the kitchen when they came home.  I then deemed it “speak only Spanish as we eat night”.  The kids have learned quite a bit in school.  Stephen is working on it with his duolingo app and then I try to pretend that I remember every bit from Ecuador.  We were practically fluent.  Nathan even said that he felt he was actually IN Mexico.

We laughed until we cried talking in Spanish and hearing the different accents and conversations bits.  Oh how I love this family of mine!

Nathan’s Birthday

My Nathan turned SIXTEEN!

Doughnuts are a favorite of Nathan.  Stephen ran and got him a box for his breakfast in bed.

Firehouse Sub with dad for lunch.  I’m beginning to think that most of this birthday food was for Stephen rather than Nathan.

He had a game at the complex on his birthday.  At half time it was 3-0, the other team was winning.  I told Stephen how bad it would stink to get blown away on his birthday.  Well right after half, Nathan did his fancy footwork and went down to score in the upper 90.  It was a beautiful goal.  After that the team dominated and ended up winning 5-3.  Such a fun game to watch with FIVE goals in a half.

For his friend party he wants to do a pizza party / play soccer at the indoor center.  Trying to find a good night with sports and school has been a nightmare, so I promised him after school gets out we will celebrate with soccer and friends.

Nathan is very quick witted.  He is constantly making those around him laugh.  Just tonight at dinner we were all rolling with his comments.  I LOVE his sense of humor. 

He is very athletic.  Soccer is a favorite constant past time.  Everyone always comments on his footwork.  I actually enjoy watching soccer when he is playing.

Nathan also plays the piano, listens to music, and of course loves his mom!