Summertime...Summertime...

Sum...Sum...Summertime!

My posts have been fewer and farther between...but it's only because we are enjoying Summer Break!  We are loving not having an agenda, going to bed later, and sleeping in just as late...usually around 8:30 or 9am!  Except last Friday morning...as Alex made sure to absolutely not miss Justin Bieber on the Today show concert series! Ha!  {I admit...I like him too!  He's a cute kid and his music is fun to listen to!} 
Later Friday evening we went to the movies to see Marmaduke.  It was a cute movie...Emily thinks any movie where a cat talks is great!  And it's not a good time if you don't eat tons of buttery, salty popcorn until you're sick to your stomach!  {so delicious...I love eating movie popcorn...my thighs do not!}
So...once again...here is what we've been up to lately...

{more cannonballs!}

{creating a slip 'n slide and splash zone with the rafts...no wonder they're always deflated!}

{getting Summer haircuts... Buzz Alex Lightyear}

{enjoying slushies...}

{...lots and lots of swimming!}

Emily also finished her last baseball game on Saturday {she has two more, but we will miss them because of her ballet recital next weekend and vacation coming up} and she did great!  She made two hits and made it home both times!  Way to go slugger!

We're so happy when Grandma and Grandpa can come cheer Alex and Emily on too!  We appreciate them taking time to support them...we're so lucky!

{next up at bat...}

{Run!}

She had a really good time playing this year...worked hard...tried her best...

...and made some good friends too!

Alex will finish up his games this week {although he's missed three because of rain...we still have those to make up} and Emily is already asking when she can start gymnastics again...she surely did not get the memo that we're trying to slow down!  Where does she keep all that energy in that tiny body?

I hope you're all enjoying these Summer days too...and they continue to be fun and relaxing...but ask me how we're doing in a few weeks...and the story could change!  Ha!

First and Last

It's so hard to believe that the first day of school is almost a blur now!  Alex and Emily have gone from my sweet little First-grader and Kindergartener, walking to the bus stop together, getting up early and excited to get to school...

{aw...look at those sweet little faces...sigh...all dressed up, hair fixed and brand new backpacks, eager to ride the bus and meet new friends!  That seemed so long ago...yet it all happened so fast!}

...to the last day of school...

{...hair barely combed, barely awake, barely ready to go!  Alex, wake up!  Just after I took this picture the sky let go...lightning, thunder and pouring down rain...so I took them to school!  It's a bummer because they both had things planned outside today.}

Now Emily is a big First-grader and Alex a grown-up Second-grader.  They haven't walked to the bus stop together in a long time...Alex is usually slow going and Emily sometimes waits for an older boy down the street and walks with him {oh boy!  I'm not sure the older boy is as excited to have little Emily waiting on him! ha!}

Yesterday I was able to visit Emily's class for the last time.  They sang a couple of songs and received certificates.  Emily was the only one in her class to get Perfect Attendance!  {Alex has only missed one day total for both years...he was so close!}  Then they had a fun day outside playing with water, bubbles and sidewalk chalk!  I love the end of school!

{the class getting ready to sing for us}

{Emily and her two good friends she met this year}

{playing with the bubbles}

{chalk talk}

{trying to get a class picture...so funny!  Emily is the only one posing and looking at me!}

{they did a little better once they had their popsicles to keep them happy!}

That night we went to Movie Night for the first-grade classes to celebrate all the AR readers for meeting their goals and to recognize the top readers...Alex was not one of the top 5 readers in his class...I'm so proud of him for meeting his required goal...but he wasn't much of a reader beyond that...but he's starting to enjoy his chapter books now and actually read two of them recently...for fun!

It's been a great year and we're so proud of all Alex and Emily have learned and accomplished, the good friends they've made...and look forward to new firsts next year! 

Now let's get the summer started!
{If I'm not around much...we'll probably be in the pool!  Are you tired of pool pictures yet?!  Alex and Emily start VBS next week and then we'll be taking a break after that and finishing up baseball and just relaxing...I hope!  Yay!}

Nice Long Weekend Wrap-up...{and a surprise}

Aren't l-o-n-g weekends the best?  We didn't do a whole lot...which is just the way it should be!

Friday Emily had a couple of friends over to swim and play.  I thought girls were supposed to be quieter than boys...but these girls were loud and rowdy!  But they had a great time!

They sure are cute...but they wore me out!  Thank goodness we had a long weekend to recover!

Saturday morning Dan was up early...but the rest of us lazybones stayed in bed well past 9am!  But when he came home from his errands, we were greeted by, "Is anybody awake?"  We sleepily answered, "yeah"  He said, "There's a turtle outside."  We jumped up like there was a fire...like we've never seen a turtle before!  We ran outside in our pj's to meet our little big visitor.

I told Alex and Emily to pick it up...but they wouldn't...they're probably smarter than me...so I picked it up, and it was pretty heavy!  It wasn't easy holding it with one hand and trying to get a picture with the other!

Saturday night we had a campfire and roasted marshmallows...but it was so hot! 

Sunday Dan and Alex were up bright and early and headed to the Indy 500 race...and of course, Emily thought it was a good idea to get up too at 6:30am!  Me...not so much.  I layed on the couch while she quietly made herself a bowl of cereal and milk, watched tv and played Barbies...and asked several times if she could swim...all before 7:30am!  zzzzzz...  I eventually got up so she could swim...it was about 9am...and she was ready to get out by 9:30am!  But we spent the rest of the day swimming and lounging and eating sno-cones...a perfect girls' day!

Alex got to go home with Grandpa after the race and spend the night...so Emily and I continued our night with late-night star-gazing {we only saw one star!}, a quiet campfire, and a late swim...she swam, I just dipped my feet!

Monday...Emily was up ready to swim again!  {I think she's half mermaid!}  She was ready to cannonball...bedhead and all!

We are enjoying this sunny, summery weather {although rain to come this week} but still have two more days of school...

So I'm trying to get organized...get the laundry done, sorted and finally put those winter clothes away...and box up all the clothes that don't fit anymore...what a chore!

{...ugh...I still need about 3 more of those bins!}

With school nearing the end and still so much to organize...I feel like time is running out...
because we're going to need more room for lots more clothes...
...little clothes...

{surprise!}

...whew...nearing 14 weeks!  It's hard keeping a secret...and Dan's more private than I am...but it's hard to keep it a secret much longer...especially when my waistline keeps expanding!  {That could be the Reece Cup McFlurries too...ahem...}

I'm excited to have the kids home for the summer...the time just goes so fast!

I hope you all enjoyed your nice long weekend too and had a wonderful Memorial Day!  We have so much to be thankful for!