Ending May

We had a wonderful Memorial Day.  It was a beautiful morning visiting old cemeteries around the county.  We found one stone dating back to 1819.  This one was just really cool.  And I thought about those who sacrificed for our country.  And my grandparents.  I miss them.  We also enjoyed a traditional Memorial Day dinner with burgers and chips and all that good stuff.  

 Ethan and Madeline performed in the school patriotic program.  I love hearing kids sing.

 Cooper finished his last day of preschool.  He loved school so much.  He was always happy to go and happy when he came out.  He learned a lot too.  And made a really good friend.  An all-around success.  What a cutie.  He's growing up fast.

 And I have been LOVING having flowers on my table from my yard.  So fresh and pretty.

Goodbye May.  Time is flying!

Just Stuff

After saving coupons I collected playing Safeway Monopoly, I was able to finally cash in and get $50 worth of groceries FREE!  Yep, it made me overly excited.

 Another typical morning of Cooper dressing himself...

 The boys just love swinging!

 Todd finally fixed our basketball hoop, but the net was so old and crunchy that it took every ball we had going up there before they finally fell through.  We just laughed and laughed!

 This past week, we also said goodbye to our van.  2005 Honda Odyssey with almost 168,000 miles on it.  It was good to us and we beat it to death!  Thank you van for the years and miles.

 Now we have a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica!  It's amazing to have a modern vehicle with bluetooth and wifi hotspot and push button starts and things.  I've never driven something so fancy.  Actually, I've never driven anything newer than my 2005 Honda!  It's been really fun.

 And of course, we like eating donuts.  Always...

 AND...drumroll...Ethan won first place in the Pinewood Derby this year!  Even beating out all the older young men, and his leaders!

 And Madeline won second place in the open class (no scout rules applied) using Ethan's old derby car.  They were pretty thrilled.  And the whole night was a lot of fun.

U2

Last weekend while my parents were in town, Todd and I were able to go to the U2 Concert in Vancouver.

 We waited in line for hours and hours and ended up really close to the stage.  It was really cool!  Being close to the stage, that is.  Not so much waiting in line.  Though spending the entire day with Todd was really nice!

 Here's a picture of Todd taking a picture of Bono.

 We really were close.  So cool.

 The concert was really good.

 What a great night.

We were super tired though when we got home at 2 AM.  But well worth it!

Mother's Day

I'm incredibly grateful to be a mother.  And amazed that God would trust me with these precious spirits. 

I'm also grateful for my mother.  Who acknowledges God's hand in all things.  Who loves the scriptures.  Who loves me.  And my family.  And blesses and strengthens me when times are tough.

I'm grateful for my mother-in-law who raised such an amazing son.  For her steady faith.  Her love for me.  Her kind touch on life.

I'm grateful for my sister.  The mother I'm raising kids with.  My role model for the kind of mom I'm trying to be.  And the one who understands when things are upside down.

There are so many other mothers that I love too.

See?!  I'm blessed.

Mimi and Bapa

It's always exciting when Mimi and Bapa come to visit!  We enjoyed the week with them here so much!  

Beauty Parlor

 Weeding the yard

 Playing at the park

 Doing crafts

 Eating Pie

 Making Pancakes

 and playing and playing!

 Cooper especially was sad to see Bapa leave.  Those two played for hours together every single day.

 All my kids loved the individualized attention and love that they always receive from my wonderful parents.  I really appreciated the time with them too.  It's always happy.

 And saying goodbye is hard.  But we sure love the hugs!

We sure love you!!!

Cornwall Park

Cornwall Park.  Another one of my favorite parks in the county.  It's just so incredibly beautiful with so many walking trails through enormous amazing trees.  We had a lovely evening together as a family here.

Simple Things

I'm loving my new shoes.  If you have to wear sneakers, rose gold is the way to go!

 My baby is 2 1/2!  What?!?!  He likes doing things himself, "No, I do it!"  What a cutie!

 Going to the park sure makes the little boys happy too!  Hooray for sunny days!