Ladybug Party

 When we moved into our house there were no other young families on our street.  We were surrounded by many loving grandparent types, but no friends for our kids.  That all changed last summer when Mia, Gia, and Jace moved in one house away from our house.  So we have two boys that love playing with each other, and three girls who love to play, squeal, and laugh...and one house in between all of this.  That house is owned by a wonderful couple Dick and Dede.  They have grandchildren who have all graduated from high school or are old enough to soon graduate from high school.

 The kids love Dick, Dede and their dog.  They have helped with plastic egg decorating during Easter, we have gone to their house to see the Christmas electric train set.  And this summer they set up a ladybug party for our families.  They invited Matt, Grace, Glen and I, Tim, Carissa, Mia, Gia, Jace, and Elliana, and even mom and dad.

 They had wonderful food that was all provided by them.  Then she gave each girl an apron.  Each child got a ladybug box with some toys in it.

 We also had a ladybug pinata, in which we collected the candy in the ladybug baskets.

 It was a fun evening for all.  I feel very blessed to have such wonderful neighbors.

One extra special thing that we did at their house is that on the day of the party the kids painted flower pots.

The next day we got together with Dede to make little fairy gardens.  Dick and Dede provided all of the plants and cute decorations.  The kids had so much fun picking out what they wanted in each of their gardens and trying to decorate them the best way.

Thank you for such a wonderful evening and event!

Grand Caverns

 The summer reading program provided tickets of free entry for Grace and Glen to Grand Caverns.  So one Saturday we decided to go on an adventure.  We forgot coats so we were glad that the caverns had some extra that we could borrow in order to go into the chilly caverns.

 Grace loved looking around, but what she loved even more is that she became the tour guide's helper.  She helped turn off and on lights as the tour progressed.  She was right by his side the entire way and very excited to hear what he had to say.

 Among some of the really interesting facts is that this was one of the stops for those fighting in the Civil war.  Yes, it was even a tourist attraction even then.  The generals and leaders signed their name on the wall of the caves.  It is really neat to be in a place so historical and so preserved.  Grace still talks about the dark walk that we took in the cave.

 There was also a hike right outside of the cave entrance.  We did not make it to the top, but it was fun to follow the trail.

Art Camp

Grace has decided that when she grows up she wants to be an elementary school art teacher.  So she was very happy to hear that she was going to go to art camp this summer.  I think that she did some wonderful art and she had a great time doing it.

Here is her drawing of the kangaroo that she is holding.  I think that she did a great job.

A good start to her future desired career.

Highland Camping

 During the end of June each year a local Mennonite campground holds a fundraising BBQ.  We try to camp during that weekend and then attend the BBQ.

 Last year it rained during the weekend.  This year it just rained many of the days before.  So the weather was nice, but everything was soggy and wet.  The kids loved it!

 We hiked to the pond,

 where the kids found feathers,

 and got to spend some time on the dock.

 We also hiked along some wooded trails.

 Bikes were brought along.  Grace is able to ride on almost any surface now, but Glen still can't.  So we brought our bikes to the basketball court and the kids had a great time going around and around and around.  I am so glad that I had a book on CD that I could listen to while they zoomed around me.

 Evening smores by the campfire, in front of our tent.

As we got ready for bed it was starting to get dark, and we began to see fireflies in the field next to us.  So Grace, Glen and I ran and chased fireflies in the dusk in the field.  What fun!  I think it was the first time the kids ever went on a firefly chase.

What a great weekend.  Already planning our next camping adventure!

Summer Fun

 It has been a busy summer around here between art camp, swimming lessons, and so much other activities.

 But we got a lot of outside play done.  We had an indoor breakfast picnic while watching The Good Dinosaur.

 LOTS of swinging!

 Many trips to the library.

And vacation Bible school at church.  Our friend Braylon joined us for VBS.

It has been a good summer so far.  A few more weeks to get some more fun packed in!

Bug Hunt

 The Monday after school was out the local university's arboretum had a program for children.  It was called a Big Bug Hunt.

 When we got there the kids were able to make "stick bugs"  They were given a stick and some pipe cleaners and they used the pipe cleaners to make legs for the stick and that was the bug that they were able to take home.

 However, on our bug hunt each child was given a magnifying glass and we were sent on our way around the trails.

 To search on the ground...

 In the bushes...

 In the flowers...

 And all around to find big bugs,

 little bugs,

 any bugs at all.

 In addition to bugs we also found a turtle at the edge of the pond.

 We also found a family of ducks in the pond.

The kids loved exploring nature.

Grace's Last Day

On June 10th Grace successfully finished her kindergarten year.  She ended with great grades in each subject, but being a reading teacher I am most focused on her reading.  She ended above grade level in English and even higher in Spanish!

Here is one picture that I was able to get of Grace's class as they celebrated July 4th early.

This has been a fantastic year.  Grace has learned so much academically but even more so she has grown as a person and learned a lot of social lessons.  And these two ladies are the ones that helped us through it all.

Mrs. Correa was Grace's Spanish teacher (she had her for half a day they worked on Science, Social Studies and Reading.)

Mrs. Blosser was Grace's English teacher (She had her for half a day they worked on Math, and Reading.)

 At the end of the year, Grace was awarded the Awesome Artist award.  For creativity and artistic expression.  This is perfect for the girl who leaving kindergarten has decided that she wants to grow up to be an art teacher at Smithland Elementary school when she grows up.

Good bye Kindergarten!

Hello First Grade!