School's Out!

Summer is here!

I can't believe school is out. We loved going to Bennett's adorable Kindergarten performance this week. He absolutely lit up every single time he heard applause after each song. Bennett made leaps and strides in his reading, counting, and speech this year. He was such a hard worker at school. He was kind to everyone. He was brave and did his best at so many things. He loved his teacher, loved eating lunch at school, loved playing dinosaurs at recess, and loved loved loved his teachers. What a sweet boy. I cannot, cannot, cannot wrap my mind around him being in first grade. But we've got a couple months  :)

Westin finished second grade with so much to be proud of! He is a reading rockstar, a good friend, flies through math, absolutely loves going to school, spends every recess playing football, does what he's asked, treats others with kindness, loved his teachers, and is just such a wonderful, wonderful person. He's heading into third grade more than ready for third grade but it's just sounding really big to me.

On the last day we picked up Culver's for lunch after their half day, and ate at Michael's work with him. The boys loved getting their own ice creams. Then we came home and worked hard to get them on the rod for the first camping trip of the summer! Michael took the oldest three and they were so excited to go. And I stayed home with Asher which I think I was equally excited about. We slept in, went on a walk, got some basement work done (just me, not him :)), watched My Best Friend's Wedding, ate snacks for dinner, and just had a really relaxing time. Michael and the boys just missed being rained on, had fun building a dam in the river, and loved their time outside.

Such a wonderful school year. Sleeping through the night, while absolutely wonderful, has also seem to come with a shift in how fast time is moving. I really feel like ever since Asher hit this wonderful milestone, my life is now on fast forward. Michael and I are getting sleep in, getting workouts in before our kids wake up, getting in full days with them, and then they just repeat repeat repeat while I just keep looking around wondering how these cute kiddos are already so big. I remember so very much about third grade, and Westin is heading there in just a couple months. Grateful for their wonderful school and that they have each other + good friends. What a sweet week. What a sweet school year.

Everyone attaches to dad like a monkey when he comes home.

Spring Zing fun! Even with some clouds and cooler weather.

Walking lessons :)

A little lunch date with my littlest two. They were angels.

Coming along!

"I want to be a scientist because I can find dinosaur bones."

End of Kindergarten celebration.

Angel of a teacher.

He's not so baby anymore ;)

Growing up!

Camden scored a goal in the last play of the last game! 
Thanks to some heavy coach involvement and love :) :)

Cuties.

Asher really puts off getting his diaper changed these days :)

Watching brothers at swimming lessons

This crew.
Some of our worst moments are right before we get everyone out the door.
But many, many mornings were just wonderful with them.
Both are ok. We just do our best each day and that always looks different but man I love them.

May Madness Continues

 This week in May Madness...

Biking to playgroup, daily walks, chaperoning Bennett's field trip, Michael working on our garden, a teacher work day which gave us a (slightly frightening) preview of summer living, a retirement party for Bennett's assistant teacher, a rescheduled Field Day (Spring Zing here) because of our insane amount of rain, some more practicing for accompanying the choir, and a weekend of no date night because no babysitters to be found during this graduation madness. 

I am growing all sentimental as we get closer to the end of this year. I really loved having two kids fully at home and two kiddos in full day school with wonderful teachers and friends. It has just been some sweet, sweet months.

Bike ride to play group!

Camden clocked about 8 miles on his balance bike this day. Such a trooper.

Loved chaperoning Bennett's field trip to the Museum of Discovery this week.

I decided I should give my front porch some love. This is my brain pulling things together...

Progress downstairs! I ended up doing the same color (almost...) as our dining room upstairs.
It's one shade lighter at 125% so pretty similar to upstairs.

Tired dad does bedtime.

Walks with Camden just feel extra sweet lately.

Somebody has blueberry addiction.
This means a bath almost every morning...
blueberries have consequences.

Another soccer game, another hour of cuddles for dad. So jealous.

Progress! Going to do double battens down here.

Sunday walk around Warren Lake.

I love this picture. I also really love the sunlight on Westin's front teeth :) Haha.

Mother's Day and Music Night

We had a good week full of doctor appointments, dental appointments, soccer practices and games, activity days, feeding the missionaries, two of four boys throwing up, practicing for accompanying the choir, Luna still healing from surgery, walks in the rain, kid dates, basement projects, naps, and a fun date night on Friday and Mother's Day.

Friday our friends threw a "music night" where you come with one song to play that you just love and one song to play that is your "guilty pleasure" for whatever reason. We went around the circle and told a little about our song, then our DJ/friend Matthew would play a couple minutes of it. I chose this song by Josh Ritter and Michael chose this song by Macklemore. For our "guilty pleasure" songs, I chose this song -- there just a line in that chorus that I feel deep in my bones and I want it on my grave :) And Michael chose this song because of how much it cracks him up to see Camden love it. Then at the end everyone voted for their favorite guilty pleasure pick, basically who we were all the most surprised by, and Michael took home the grand prize -- which was a purple pillow with Nicholas Cage in a banana costume, naturally. Such a fun night. 

Mother's Day was so sweet. I loved it so much. The boys made an omelette station with a toppings menu, I got a new dress for church that made me happy to wear, we sang O My Father in Sacrament meeting and I loved it, the boys were sweethearts, we got to drive to Denver to spend the day at Katie's and surprise Michael's mom who was still there, and the cousins had a blast together. Such a happy Mother's Day. All I wanted was a picture with each of my boys. We had about a 75% success rate :) Two were very obliging, one required a bribe, and one would not have it. But I love them all very. very. much.

Last check up that isn't a birthday check up. Feels monumental.

Sweet soccer buddies

Camden's half smiles melt my heart.

Asher has started crawling the playgrounds. 
So cute. So messy.

Some balance bike training :)

My bathroom tile pattern.
The tile guy thought I was kinda crazy, but I just love the un-random randomness.

Sweet little Asher loving on Luna. She knows I don't want her to come in though... :)

Loves to demolish our calendar/magnets.

Woke Westy up at midnight to see the craziest lightning we've ever seen.

This looks like daytime but it's midnight with just constant flashes of lightning lighting up the sky.

Westin date! He does TCBY like his dad -- so much color. So much candy. 

His.

Hers.

Music Night Grand Prize!

Cuddliest cutie at soccer games

Doing some board and batten in our downstairs guest room

Not pictured... daddy's boy Asher who is incapable of being in a picture if daddy is taking the picture, because he wants to be in daddy's arms instead :)