End of School

We are well into summer vacation, so I wanted to get some pictures put up from the end of school.  I say it every year, but the school year always seems to go by so fast!!  These kids are really growing up right before my eyes.

First, Cole finished his preschool year.  We took some pictures on his last day of school and then also before his program.

He had a really good year and grew to enjoy attending his school...even though he will miss his friends and teachers, I don't think he was all that sad to see it end.  He did end up learning a lot and is all ready for kindergarten.  He is looking forward to an entire summer to run wild!
We love these 2 great teachers...Mrs. Jordan was Jordan and Regan's teacher too.

Regan finished up her 1st grade year.  She really had such a great year.  I could not have picked a better teacher for Regan.  This teacher was so experienced, so organized and even after 30 years, she loves 1st graders! I felt so thankful to see the academic progress Regan made in her class.  It is hard to even put into words how much I loved this great teacher.  She welcomed me into her classroom, and I felt like I learned so much about teaching from watching her.

Jordan finished up her 4th grade year.  Her soccer team wore their jerseys for the last day of school.  She was so excited to be trained as a "safety patrol" member in preparation for next year!  I didn't get any pictures with her teachers, but they were exceptional.  They are absolute experts in teaching, and I just love both of these ladies.  Jordan had an interesting year...she learned a lot about herself as she had to navigate some very tough friendship issues and situations.  It was definitely a year of growth for her...and some challenges.

Ashton survived her first year of middle school with flying colors!  I couldn't be more proud of how she handled her year...she learned a lot, made great friends, had some super teachers and some not so super teachers, and became much more independent.  She kept herself out of the drama and just seemed to really enjoy her year.  We were both so nervous for this experience, and it turned out great.

Our great neighborhood has formed a tradition of walking to school on the last day.  It was beautiful weather and so much fun to be together.

We are all so excited and ready for summer...and yet there is always a bit of sadness that comes with saying good bye to another school year.  I am so grateful for the teachers, the friendships, the learning,  and the life experiences that each school year brings.

In the Merry Month of May- Part Two

The rest of May....

I got to go on a field trip with Regan's 1st grade class!  We traveled to a local nature center, and it was such a beautiful day.  I have been on the same field trip with Ashton and Jordan when they were 1st graders, and it is always a good one.  We learned about rocks and minerals, Iowa habitats, plants, animals and other things related to nature.  I have loved Regan's teacher this year, and she has been wonderful to invite me to be involved.  We had a picnic lunch, and it was just a perfect day!

Ashton had a science fair at school.  She had been working so hard on her project but somehow in all the chaos of May, I didn't know when the actual date was for the fair.  She told me about it the morning of the fair, and I thought we wouldn't be able to go as we had 2 other ball games and soccer practice.  She was so disappointed...but then it rained, and we were all able to go and support her which was just awesome!  It was neat to see all the 6th grade projects and hear the kids explain their work.  Ashton had researched water issues in different countries, and she made a lego hut showing how rain gutters could be used in Africa to catch and use surplus water.  We were so proud of her efforts.

The following pictures were taken all on the same Saturday:
Jordan and Tod left in the wee hours of the morning for a softball tournament.  What an experience this has been for them!  They have had a lot of fun together, and Jordan has improved so much.

Ashton's middle school soccer team was in a tournament, too.  Her first game was at 8 AM.

Cole had a baseball game, too.

Then Regan had a soccer game and Ashton had another game.

Cole and Luke snuck in a few minutes to play in the sandbox (thanks to my friend for this gem!)

Back to the soccer field for another game.

 I finally got a picture of Luke standing up by himself...won't be long until he is walking!

Home for a quick dinner and then our date with Cole....the Monster Truck show.  It was such an experience...one of the loudest events I have ever attended, a very interesting crowd, but worth every minute of it to see Cole's expressions and enthusiasm!

Wow, what a day!  We all slept well that night!

Ashton and Jordan performed at Festival of Orchestras...so neat to see all the orchestras from 4th grade through high school.  For sure, my favorite concert of the year!  There was a bad storm brewing just as we were leaving, and the thunder was so loud, you could hear it in the gym.

Ashton had her last Activity Days event...now it is on to Young Women's!

The Missouri cousins came to visit and the kids were so excited!  Uncle Marc brought them up because he was helping Tod with our backyard project of installing a drainage system.  We had such a fun weekend, and the kids never stopped playing!

We went to more soccer games to support our favorite goalie.

And we enjoyed some beautiful flowers in our yard.