First Day of School and a Birthday!

My darling girl is growing up!

Abigail started Kindergarten this year. It was a painful process for me, and a joyful one for Abigail! My main stress with Kindergarten is that Abigail has an August birthday. She is a baby! I miss her everyday, and Adam does, too.



We went old-school for her birthday party this year. McDonald's! She really loved it. It is honestly, the best deal in town!! $50 bucks for 10 kids. They provide the food, cake, & favors.


We also had a little party for family. Don't be jealous of my cake decorating skillz.

The summer of my discontent....

Well, for the two or three people that may look at this blog, you can probably tell I've been playing "catch-up." This summer has been full of change, and a better person than me might even say excitment..... This summer I've been dreading in a couple of ways. The first reason being, my parents left for Indonesia for an 18 month mission in July. It was painful for me to say good-bye.

The second reason for my discontent is my daughter started kindergarten today. Let's just say I have been dreading it for a long time, and now that my girl, who has been my world for the last 5 years, is gone for a lot of the day....I am sad.

This isn't to say we didn't have a nice summer. We traveled to KY a few times at the beginning to see my parents, and had a nice family reunion in July. And, the rest of the summer we spent at the pool with friends. We also took the kids to a fun water park with the Lawless's. (on the hottest day of the summer b/c we are smart like that). So, I guess I should look on the bright side.

Good-bye, Preschool! Hello, World!

My daughter grew up very, very quickly this year. I blinked my eyes, and she was finishing her little preschool program she went to a couple days a week this past school year. Abigail loved school. She loved playing and making friends. (I think she liked learning....) This picture below is of her director, Ms. Jamie, asking her what she wants to be when she grows up. Abigail's reply, "A superhero!"

This is Abigail's teacher, Ms. Janelle. She was a lovely woman, and Abigail loved her. She gave all the kids in her class a picture album of their year in preschool. It is wonderful, and we look through it often.

Soccer

Abigail holding her prize trophy.


Adam, not even attempting to contain the crazy. He would go crazy every game because he was so frustrated we wouldn't let him play.

This image is what really happens on the soccer field. Very little "going for the ball."

Bardstown - Shakertown KY

In April, the kids and I went with my mother and the "girls" in her family to Bardstown and Shakertown KY. We had a really nice time. Both towns are beautiful. We went to Bardstown a few years ago, and I was glad to go back because I had fond memories of how charming the place was. It was a little less charming this time around because I was wrangling a couple kids around to the not so kid-friendly sites, but still enjoyable.


I love the Shaker-style houses.

An important part of any vacation in my house: the carriage ride.


My sweet kids.


Hanging with Jenna, their cousin.

Chattanooga-Tennesee Aquarium

At the end of March, we tagged along with Adrian on a business trip to Chattanooga. I took the kids to the aquarium while he was in meetings. The kids had a good time....even though I think they liked swimming in the pool better than the aquarium!

Adam's Birthday!

Adam is officially 2 years old. We kept his party a low-key family affair because my family was able to come! My parents, Jon, and Mike were all here to celebrate with us, in addition to Adrian's family. It was a great day. Adam loves his Mickey Mouse!