Picture Perfect?

So we went down to the river again the other day. It was the side with the bridges. It was really fun to play around down there. I thought I would grab my camera and get some cute pictures. The pictures didn't quite turn out. Does this ever happen to you? You finally get them in a cute pose and then they look away, or look down, or start fighting. Or then I finally get a somewhat good one and the lighting is all wrong. Either I ran out of patience for it or my kids did because I don't think we came out with one good one. I guess I wasn't planning on doing anything with the pictures anyway. I think I will have to go again with someone who knows what they are doing. We did have a fun picnic and exploring so I guess that is what matters.

Go Rhino's!

We have entered the world of organized sports this week. Hannah and Hayden had their first two T-ball games. It was an interesting but surprisingly fun experience for me. We joined an Iona team with all of their cousins. It is a family affair! It is really nice for Grandma Jackson to only have to go to one game.

Hannah was a little nervous at first. I had to walk her up to the T the first time , but now she loves it. We are glad she is so brave to participate. If only she could remember which way 1st base was, we will be doing good. Her claim to fame was making a catch. Her mitt was on the ground and the ball landed right in it. She was surprised and I don't think it could have happened twice in a row.

Hayden just loves being able to run around and socialize. This guy could talk to anybody. He was on 2nd and I saw him talking to every kid of the other team as they stopped on the base. I asked him what he was telling them and he said, "Oh, I was telling them they were going to lose". Oh man, we need to work on a little bit of sportsmanship, but I love seeing that he is a little competitive. Then when he ran around the bases he got a number of the other team to give him high 5's as he went by. Then he got to bat last and was excited that he hit a home run. He loves it! It has been fun so far. I'm sure we will be glad it is just for the month of June.

Spring Smorgasbord (who doesn't want to use that word when you can)

May is always a little crazy for me. I noticed when I downloaded my pictures there were a lot of things I haven't posted about. So here goes . . .

Hannah's Preschool Graduation - what a great program! We were so proud of Hannah for being brave enough to participate. Thanks Joy for a great year!

Hannah and Hayden graduating from Hillcrest preschool. It was fun that their dad was the one to give the diplomas.
Feeding the geese down by the river. Something I have to force myself to do, but then I really enjoy it when we go. We need to do it more often.

Dance for kids recital. It was so fun to watch my own kids and my dance kids do such a great job. It is so fun once we finally get to that night - but we are also glad it is summer.

This weekend was a little busy too. I went with Heath to Lagoon with the Hillcrest Seniors. It was a fun trip but a long day. I can't ride the rides like I use to. I got a little motion sick but it was a fun to spend the day with Heath. Thanks Audra for babysitting. Then when we got home we went up to Stoddard Creek camping. It was fun trying out the new trailer, four wheeling, eating good food, just sitting around, playing games, catching frogs and spending time together. We were glad to make it home and get cleaned up. It was a great Memorial weekend.

Happy 5th Birthday Hannah!

I can't believe my oldest is five! Time goes by so quickly. We had an eventful birthday as always. We had two extended family parties over the weekend. It is always so nice to get together with them. Hannah has been planning on a friend birthday party but she wanted to make sure we didn't forget the family ones. It is nice to have the traditions with Grandma and Grandpa's and cousins. We love all of them! They were of course very good to Hannah with some nice gifts.
On her birthday she wanted to open her gifts first thing. She has been wanting a guitar for a long time. She has been so happy since she got this. She has made up quite a few little songs. It is fun to listen to her. She also got a little digital camera so she won't steal mine all the time. She loves taking pictures. Heath made her an omelet breakfast which is her favorite. Then she had to have donuts to take to preschool.
She had a unicorn party in the afternoon. It was fun. We had a unicorn pinata, pin the horn on the unicorn, unicorn craft necklaces, and unicorn cupcakes. This was my first friend party. They are a lot of work but worth it in the end. You just hope they feel loved and special at the end of the day. I realized it is a good thing I have decided to have one only every other year. We finished the night off with pizza at the restaurant which is what Hannah chose.

Hannah is such a fun girl to have around. She is very thoughtful. She is very observant and notices details about things and people. She is very smart. She knows what she wants. She is quiet in her own way - especially around others. We are so lucky to have this girl in our home. We don't know what we would do without her. Happy Birthday Hannah!

50th Anniversary

My parents had their 50th Anniversary this weekend. We had a party for them at the church with a dinner and a program. It was so nice to get together with family to celebrate this great event. It was fun to set it up, write their life sketch, watch a slideshow of their life, enjoy good food and be with family. Congratulations mom and dad on this great achievement. We love you!