Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Summer Break has Begun

The boys started off summer break by having their friend Billy spend the night. Their first time having a friend stay over. They feasted on pizza, made their own sundaes and watched "How to Train Your Dragon". I forgot how hard it is for little ones to fall asleep when sleeping over. I think it was around 11:00 when they finally drifted off.
The next couple days we had picnics and pool parties and lots of fun with friends. Thankfully the weather was still beautiful so we could enjoy time outside.
The next week was filled with playdates, swim lessons, karate lessons and the Harkins summer movie. So nice to get to wake up without setting an alarm clock.
Every day I am so thankful that I get to stay home with the boys...especially in the the summer. The thought of sending them to daycare or hiring a nanny and going to work is so sad. Although some days are trying, they are still absolutely the best! I love my family and am so blessed.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Kindergarten Graduation

Friday was Tyler's Kindergarten Celebration aka Graduation. I'm not sure why schools don't call it graduation anymore but to us the celebration marked his graduation. Rob, mom and I attended the party and were so proud of Tyler! The graduates sang "What a Beautiful World" for us and it truly was beautiful. The students were called up to read "What I Want to be When I Grow Up" or "What I Love". Tyler was a little shy and unable to read what he had written so Mrs. Christopher read it for him. He wants to be an athlete when he grows up because he thinks it would be cool and fun. After more encouragement Tyler was able to read "What I Love" to the audience. It was so cute and sweet. The kids had a great time eating pizza and ice cream and signing each other's autograph books.
When I look back at the past school year I am amazed at the growth. Not only in Tyler but also in myself. We have entered yet another "club" in life - the kids' in school club. I had to adjust to a hectic schedule because tardies are not allowed in grade school. I had to learn how to deal with a son's hurt and fear when faced with bullies at school. I've learned how to constantly lean on God for support and guidance in raising our children in this world.
So much growth happens in Kindergarten - perhaps more than in any other year of school. Tyler entered Kindergarten able to read only a few words and ended reading books. His handwriting is in my opinion perfect and he has really progressed as an artist. He surprised us by memorizing his final poem on his own. We kept forgetting to practice it until one day he came home with a note from his teacher saying he wanted to surprise us and worked on it at school. Tyler excelled in every subject and has really matured this year. We will miss his wonderful teacher Mrs. Christopher and are so thankful he was blessed to have her.

No Longer a Frog

On May 10th, Ryan had his preschool graduation. All the "frogs" in Ms. Tina's class lined up with their caps on and patiently waited to receive their diploma. When it was Ryan's turn, there was slight pause. He jokingly refused to hug Ms. Tina, instead offering knuckles. Finally a big hug and kiss were exchanged and Ryan was all smiles. He is such a jokester. The graduates and parents enjoyed a pizza lunch and cake while watching a slideshow from the year. Ryan had fun playing with his friends and getting his goodie bag.
As I write this, Fellowship Child Development Center is no longer. They closed their doors after the school year ended. Sweet Ms. Tina, who has either Tyler or Ryan in her class for the last three years is headed to Kentucky. We are so blessed to have had her as a teacher for our boys and are thankful for all her love and care.
We are still deciding where Ryan will go to school next year. His birthday falls 10 days after the cut-off for most schools but we have found Adams, an excellent charter school with a cut-off in December. We are on a waiting list for Adams but also excited about a Stepping Stones Preschool. Ryan is exceptionally intelligent and although his teachers all feel he is ready for kindergarten, we may let him enjoy one more year of preschool before kindergarten. We decided that for Tyler and feel it was a wonderful decision with no regrets. We're asking God to show us His plan for Ryan.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Good Friday

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. So many fun, exciting things happen everyday around here and I'm sad when I think about all the things I haven't blogged. This one is too good to forget. Last Friday was Good Friday. I love going to church on Good Friday and spending time reflecting on Jesus' last hours and His amazing sacrifice for my sins. I am so unworthy but yet He chose me before He formed the earth and I am eternally grateful for His grace, love and mercy.

There was only childcare for babies through age four so we knew Tyler would come to service with us. Ryan also wanted to come to service and he was such a delight to watch. He read the words on the screen so he could sing the songs with us. When it was time for communion, Pastor Sandy explained what is required to take communion. Ryan knows Jesus is God's Son and He died for our sins. Ryan was ready. To make it even more special, we were served communion by our sweet friends Jen and Ryan Dyck. It was so awesome to see them kneel down to serve the boys and explain the bread was Jesus' body broken for us and the "wine" was Jesus blood shed for us. Rob led us back to our seats and we all prayed together.

It was just a few months ago that Tyler took his first communion. At the service on the Sunday after Christmas there were no Sunday school classes so Tyler came to service with us. As Pastor Sandy talked about communion and explained it is for all who believe that Jesus is God's Son and that He died for our sins and through His sacrifice is the only way to be forgiven, I saw Tyler nodding his head as if to say "yes" to all. We passed Tyler the bread and cup and we waited for a prayer from Sandy, then all took communion together. My mom got to be there too. How awesome!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Little Man is Walking!

He took his first steps a few weeks ago and now he's really getting the hang of it. He loves walking around the house and does it quite well. The boys like to count his steps and keep track of how high he can go before he falls. You can tell he's really proud of himself and we love cheering him on as he cruises. Way to go E!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Thanksgiving in Our New Home

After three weeks in our new home we hosted Thanksgiving. It was so fun! The extra space was wonderful and it didn't feel crowded a bit...even with 25 people. The boys loved having their cousins over to play and it was great to have so many kids around this year. Mike, Desiree and their five little ones plus Desiree's niece joined us this year as did Lou and his caregiver Dora and her husband Jim, my mom, aunt Judy, grandma, Chad, Liz, Emma, Cara, Aiden and our good friend Doug. Now we're looking forward to hosting Christmas Eve!

The Christmas Play

Today was Fellowship Preschool's annual Christmas play. It is so cute to see all those preschoolers singing (or standing around while the music plays) and saying their lines for their proud parents. As usual watching Ryan on stage was an absolute delight! I told my mom he was beyond adorable. I got there just in time to see him head toward the stage. I called his name and gave him a quick knuckles as he walked by. When it was his turn he slowly walked over to the large number five and picked it up. The kids holding numbers one through four held their numbers high above their heads but this number five was really big for Ryan. He decided to hold it in front of him instead. Then he figured he could just peek his eyes through the curved part of the 5 while saying his lines...totally funny and totally Ryan. Everyone got a kick out of it and I think Ryan got a kick out of the laughter. Later when it was his turn to come back on stage with a maraca he was rocking out and having a great time. What a precious little ham.