GRADUATION!

Michael graduated!

He finished his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency and we LOVE him.

(Though he does have to keep going to work for about two more weeks haha.)

This was not the graduation we pictured. But it's just fine. We're just grateful we're healthy,

and that we have a job lined up, and a new home and city that we feel really good about.

The Cannons came up for one last weekend visit. Moving further away from them is the saddest part of leaving Fresno. We have so much fun getting together with them and I'm said that quarantine life slowed down our get togethers during our last months living in the same state. But I know we will still visit each other even when it's Colorado to Cali :)

I'm so glad they came up so that we could have fun at Shaver Lake together and feel like Michael's graduation was celebrated a little more. He chose a Mediterranean meal (falafel & the works) and sticky toffee pudding for our graduation dinner with them. We spent the next day on the kayak at Shaver and we sent it home with the Cannons so that we can have fun at the beach with them when we visit them! We need to get some kayaks in Colorado that don't let quite so much cold water in.

Oh this week. It's all still surreal.

Camden has been waking up with good hair.
It's so cute to walk into his room (ahem, our closet) and see him so happy,
in his flying squirrel outfit rocking his bedhead.

Just staring at daddy. Wondering why he's home. Saturdays are confusing like that.

Studying. Michael: for his test. Camden: his toy car.

Packing always comes with some pauses to go down memory lane.
Kindal made me this journal after we graduated high school,
and I used it from then to right after marrying Michael.
It's full of bits of BYU, Alaska, London, Jerusalem, DC, Indianapolis.
This journal is such a treasure to me. Sometimes all of those experiences seem surreal.

YouTube art lessons and furniture turned boxes.

Bennett turned Kitty's scratch post into an "Animal Catcher"
and I laugh every time I walk by it.

Michael's sweet parents sent him some graduation cookies,
complete with COVID masks! So cute and thoughtful.
Such a strange time to hit a milestone.

The boys and our babysitter Ashley helped me put up a little memory wall so that
we could look back on the hard work and happy times that have gone into getting here.

We watched Michael's graduation by ourselves, eating scrambled eggs for dinner.
I think that might look and sound really sad. But honestly, this moment. I just loved it.
We ate a lot of dinners alone at this table. We ate scrambled eggs for a lot of them too :)
From when Westin was tiny to adding Bennett, to adding Camden.
This moment was not the graduation I pictured but this moment was really sweet.
Michael watched by himself in a lounge at the hospital having just gotten out of surgery.
We were all in our element :)

"There's daddy!!!"
So grateful my kids have so many examples of hard work in their life.

Shaver Lake day with the Cannons! I loved this day so much.

Bennett fed ducks like it was his job. For quite some time.

Woolfs and Walkers, and onto Fourth Year!

The best part of our week was visits from people we LOVE!
The other best part was finishing Michael's trauma rotation!
And the other best part was his last day of his THIRD year. One more to go!
Ok, lots of best parts.

Michael:
has had a long four months and is now heading back to oral surgery service for the last full year of residency. He will be spending 4 months with each of his 3 attendings, and then he's done! He's always working so hard for his family, and playing hard with them too.

Maddie:
LOVED spending time with Becca and her boys -- I've been looking forward to their visit for so long. Being her neighbor through school in Indianapolis was nothing short of one of the biggest blessings I've ever had. I'm so grateful for her friendship! We get through residency together states apart, and spending a couple days together just felt so fun. Also, there were so many boys. Between both our husbands actually being around, plus her three boys and my two-almost-three, we just kept realizing that we really are surrounded. And it's the best. After they left I was so happy that we went straight into cousin time for the weekend with the Walker fam! They hung out with us on Saturday and Sunday on their way to some Yosemite and Big Sur time.

Westin:
Had so much fun playing with Jaxson and Ty. He loves having friends around and they were so content at Shaver Lake on Thursday. He also said the sweetest prayer on Sunday night after spending two days playing with cousins: "Thank you that it could be a cousin day. Thank you for all the fun we had." Cousin days really are a blessing. I wish we lived closer to family, but I LOVE seeing that my boys connect so quickly with cousins whenever we can manage crossing paths.

Bennett:
had a speech evaluation and it was adorable. He understands and knows so much, and communicates it all in his own language. I feel like the more I slow down physically through this pregnancy, the more books we're reading, and the better Bennett's speech is getting. We are usually always going to story time or play groups or this or that, which is great, but I really just need to read to my boys as much as my voice can! He also LOVED being with Jax, Ty, and Luke, and LOVED seeing his cousins this weekend. He no longer even says goodbye to me when he goes to nursery, basically just takes off after sacrament and heads to where the party is. Such a change from a few months ago. He has also started telling me he needs to go potty rather than me just taking him with reminders often enough to avoid accidents, and that has made him seem so big to me! 

Working on his reading book writing while I'm finishing up my cross stitch orders before baby.

I love Westin's lego creations.

He was frustrated that he couldn't make a jet that he liked,
so I told him maybe looking at one of his books would help.
Then this is what he came up with. I love seeing his imagination! 

Kitty and I have somewhat disturbed naps these days, but we'll take them over no nap.

Bennett found a box.

Wild Kratts is still the favorite show around here.

All our boys at Shaver Lake!

Bennett was born to wear glasses. 

We LOVE this family!

Sometimes this is how Bennett comes and tells me he's done going potty.
Boys.

Fish Hatchery with the Walkers before church

Walker cousins! So fun to meet baby Charlotte!

36.5 weeks!
It was SO fun spending this week with friends and family,
and it feels good to also have all big plans behind us and just baby ahead.
Time to get the final things cleaned and prepped,
then baby time!