On the Road!

Our week of camping was enjoyable!  We headed to Wyoming for a work/enjoyment trip and it was very relaxing and best of all we had many moments of family time! Sherri, Tony, The Girls, and I traveled in the motorhome and pulled the car.  Kevin drove the truck and trailer.  We arrived safely and had some fun going down the road as well.  Tessa made some of her artistic creations, Ella was up for a variety of things, including riding up front with Mom. Tony helped keep the girls occupied as well! I always find the look of the country we live in so intriguing. It amazes me each time we take a trip like this how different the states and landscapes can be as we move miles down the road.....

Look at the crops grow....

My Grandpa always told me that corn should be "knee high by the 4th of July".... it is going to be there.  Country living is just what our family dreams of! We try to take it all in!  A summer storm was brewing and the corn looked beautiful!  The girls and I grabbed the camera and headed to the fields. Tessa even took some photos, she is getting into picture taking!  Look at our little girls growing....country feed and keeping up with the crops, at least for another week or two!

Just Like Daddy!

There is NO doubt where the girls get this silliness.  Kevin and the girls had a belly laugh time on the golf cart while the sprinklers were on, I am not sure who laughed more.... Kevin, The Girls in the backseat, or Dad & I as we watched!  Look at Kevin's expression....it is now official where they get "that look" from! A fun evening in our yard....an evening home....what more could you ask for?

"Seriously Kevin, you are so much fun!"

Have We Lost It??

Jamie and I came to to conclusion as the kids were playing the other night.....

Now, mind you, we come to a lot of conclusions when we are together.....
It went something like this.....
The kids were playing dress up and getting together performances for us....and have a grand time while being together...!! 

Here are the conclusions:
1. It is great that the kiddos are at an age when they can play so well independently together! 
2. When they are able to do so, they seize the moments....Mommies are visiting.....and we shall make a fun mess! 

Most of all, we ALL had a good time, even it there was more cleaning up than the two (organized by nature) Mommy's are used to ....As I mentioned we ALL had fun!

Father's Day

Craft time + decorating + surprises + Daddy + Popsey = A Happy Father's Day!

I know that our girls are truly blessed to have their fabulous father "Daddy" and a "Priceless Popsey" I know that the girls, including me....are thankful everyday for the love that they share and give to our girls!

Happy Father's Day with Love!

Summer Library

 Tessa and Bryce in 2009 and 2011

One of the joys of summer that we look forward to is time at the library.  Tessa goes to Library Storyhour! She refers to it as Library School!   She looks forward to it for many reasons, the stories, the crafts, and of course time with her friend Bryce.  I look forward to it for some time with Ella, Cheri' and Cam.  Then we try to extend the time by going to the park and having lunch. The kiddos are sure growing up....I love looking at the photos from year to year to see. Small town, fun times in the summer!

Time Well Spent....

By far one of my most enjoyable moments each day is reading to the girls at bedtime.  We watch one of their shows, brush teeth, say prayers, and then we read.... and we love it!  I have a serious love of books, books of all kinds, and the girls seem to have embraced this as well. 

We go in Tessa's room and the three of us, Daddy joins us some times as well. Snuggle in, Ella on my left, Tessa on my right.  We read and they will often as for me to "tell a story about when you were little Mommy".... They get so close, I love and savor every minute of it.  Each of them holding onto my hair.  Ella has her blankey, bear and, binky. Tessa has her Bear named Beeper.  LIFE IS GOOD!  Tonight, they both fell asleep and I just took it all in (I often do), said a prayer of thankfulness for our girls, their health, their happiness, and for guidance as their Mommy. 

They look so much alike when they are asleep, their eyes so similar.  Tessa and her ducky lips, Ella with her binky, and I am at peace....Holding our girls! I would not trade my place at those moments for anywhere in the world. I am truly trying to take it all in an memorize the moments! 

Just Beachy!

Once again, another summer joy!  We had a fabulous day with Gamma & Popsey at the beach!  We always look forward to this summer fun and without a doubt, it was another enjoyable time!  Playing at the beach was exciting and fun for the girls. It was hard for the day to end!  Joys of summer.....Ahhh, having our toes in the sand!

Dirt doesn't Hurt!

We were inspired by a science experiment we had read about.....collect some soil and "investigate".... we investigated, got dirty, got the garage dirty, and had a lot of fun..... We sound crawling bugs (as Tessa called them), rolly polly bugs, roots, small rocks, a piece of plastic.....it lead to some fun conversations, then we of course had to color a picture about it.  Tessa wrote about it her field journal as she calls her note book.  Ella was just excited to play in the dirt! ...as usual!  

Days at Lorene's House

Tip Toes in the Garden....The girls are growing like the crops! I am truly speechless about the thankfulness that I feel when I reflect on the time that they have at Lorene's house. It is comforting each day of the school year to know that they are being cared for, loved, taught, and nurtured at their home each day! They learn so many lessons and have wonderful experiences that contribute to their whole being. "It does take a village" and we are such thankful parents when it comes to the influences in our girls' lives. With the passing of another school year I am reminded of how quickly it does indeed pass. I make it a point daily to pause and say many thanks for our situation and for the many blessings that come from our family and friends. God is good! The girls love to walk barefoot through the garden, picking strawberries, helping cut lettuce, and getting dirty in the soft soil. Simple Joys, Simple Moments, Blessings without a doubt!

She Did It!

It was one of those Mommy moments where you say "I guess she was really ready!" We were all home as a family playing in the yard. Kevin and I asked Tessa if she wanted to try her bike without training wheels? She could not reply YES! fast enough, she took off running for the garage. In no time, handyman Daddy had the training wheels off! She "suited up" tennis shoes (daddy's rule) and helmet (Mommy's rule) and she was off. Kevin taught her so well that in no time, she was off and pedaling. She does have a bigger bike now which is bigger so we should be working up that one in no time....maybe next week! We just wanted her to learn when she had a shorted distance from bike to the ground. We are so proud of her and how she was VERY ready to be off and running....or off and pedaling I should say! Yeah Tessa!....another milestone you have mastered!

Look at that Smile!

Very determined! Off she goes!

Such a celebration....A moment to hold on to, with the hopes that the days when she is driving down the same drive way will come slowly! XOXO

Make Up Time

The girls love the treat of playing with make up. They wanted me to make their faces look like "a kitty cat"....we it started off that way, then they wanted to try....I had to laugh at them having so much "girly" fun. Cleaning their faces was not so fun, "can I have a dry towel to wipe my eyes?" it took some scrubbing, but I am certain the will attempt it again some time! They both wanted to be certain that I took a picture to show Daddy!

Coca-Cola ....Open Happiness

I had the awesome opportunity to take some students to Atlanta on an amazing field trip. Erin and I took 25 students and 4 parents to Atlanta for 4 days to follow up from our project based learning from this school year. Tony joined us for the trip which was a bonus! We studied the Coca-Cola company in many areas of the curriculum and this was a learning follow up. It exceeded our expectations! It was a joy to see the World of Coca-Cola, Aquarium, Stone Mountain, City Tour, Zoo, Medieval Times, Olympic Park,a high ropes course, 4-D movies ....the students were wonderful the entire time. I certainly missed Kevin & The Girls, and I loved the sound of Tessa and Ella running down the hall to greet me when I returned. I will also enjoy the comfort of our bed tonight, sleeping on the charted bus last night was not the most comfortable experience! I am thankful for the joys, safety and memories of the trip. It is a daily joy to teach with Erin and to take students to meaningful learning experiences. A trip I will not forget, we have 335 photos to look at to remember the times we shared. I am extremely thankful that it went so well and that it was so "happy"!