Summer!

Swimming with Taylor.

 

Hannah and Luke both started the summer in their puddle jumpers, but now in July Luke is swimming completely on his own and Hannah is in a training vest.

 

Father's Day...we love you, Daddy!

 

Fun at the park for Mariah's birthday!

 

The diving board is a big attraction this summer...the kids all love it!

 

 

The World Cup was a big hit for our family this summer...the kids really enjoyed watching it, and of course we were all in orange for every Holland game!

 

Cousins

 

On July 5 we went to Oma and Opa's house to watch the world cup game and we finished the evening with some left over fireworks.  Luke enjoyed them, but they were a bit loud.  Isaac had a blast lighting them with the help of daddy and his cousins.

 

This summer has been a lot of fun!  We have not gone anywhere too special, but we've had a lot of fun spending quality time with friends and family.  The last week and half has been booked solid with playdates with all of our friends!  We've been swimming at our house, at a couple of friends' houses, and we even took a day trip to the beach with the Hendersons.  It was a blast!  When we first got there Hannah was a little nervous.  As I went to put her in the water for the first time she said, "No, Mama, not in the chocolate milk!"  That girl cracks me up!  She warmed up to it quickly, and eventually I couldn't get her out of the water.  Luke and Isaac did not hesitate, they really enjoyed their time in the water and playing in the sand.

 

Yesterday, I took the kids on a bike ride around the neighborhood.  During the ride we stopped at the neighborhood beach for a little swinging and playtime.  It was a special time!

 

VBS - we all attended VBS this year, and it was great!  The kids all enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed teaching Luke's 4 year old class.

 

All dressed up for Carl's cousin's wedding!  Hannah danced the night away and had so much fun!

 

Beach day!

 

Swinging and playing at the neighborhood beach.

 

We spend our down time at home just trying to relax a little, pack a little for the move, go for bike rides, and do some school work with the boys.  I'm trying to make sure they are both fully prepared for the school year ahead.  With Isaac I've focused on 1st grade sight words, hand writing, and some addition/subtraction.  I've been working with Luke on letter sounds and beginning reading.  He really enjoys that.  We've also started reading The Magic Treehouse series of books, and the kids love them!  The books are 10 chapters each, we have finished the first two in 2 or 3 days each!  The kids never want me to stop reading!  I love that!  We started the third book this evening, all three listened intently as we read 4 chapters!  I am so thankful that they enjoy reading so much!!!

 

I'm really loving summer break; trying so hard to soak up every minute with my sweet kids and make great memories!

Our silly girl...

 

Hannah and Daddy while at lunch with Mama and Luke.

 

This girl loves to dress up and accessorize, and the outfits are interesting when you add in your brother's accessories...super hero cape, safety glasses, pretend gun, and high heels.

 

Hannah adores Grandpa, and she had a great time visiting with him on Father's Day.

 

Our three fish...Hannah feels she needs to keep up with them in all they do, including swimming...

 

jumping off the diving board is her newest favorite!  The girl is fearless!  She tells us, "Don't catch me, I go under all by myself!  1, 2, 3...Here I go!!!"

 

Hannah has always been and continues to be a firecracker.  She keeps us on our toes all day and keeps us laughing, too.  Hannah has matured and grown so fast because she has to do all that her big brothers do.  She talks nonstop and so well!  She is a social butterfly, she talks to everyone she sees, everywhere we go.  This past week she went to VBS all week, well it was technically just childcare, but she went the same amount of time as the boys because I was teaching VBS.  She really enjoyed it, every day when I went to get her she'd say, "Hi Mama!  I had fun!!!"  Then she'd tell me all about what they did, and finish by telling her teachers, "Bye-bye, I have to go."

 

Her favorite activity is swimming, the girl is truly fearless in the water.  She loves to go under the water, and she thinks she can swim!  Luckily she is doing really well, she kicks well and is learning to use her arms a little more consistently.  She started taking her puddle jumper off, so we switched her to this vest thing, which she cannot get off alone.  It works well for her, and it forces her to practice her swimming in order to stay upright. 

 

Hannah is obsessed with the movie, Frozen...obsessed!  She even pretends to be the princesses.  One day last week I was walking away and this happened...
Hannah:  "Elsa, Elsa wait."
Mama:  "Am I Elsa?"
Hannah:  "Yes."
Mama:  "Are you Anna?"
Hannah:  "Yes.  Please don't shut me out again."

I just laughed and laughed, this girl is so silly and so fun!  I love her imagination and her understanding of the things around her is so impressive! 

 

Just this evening we were out to dinner and she was in a super silly mood.  She was very talkative, flirty with our waiter, which is quite normal.  Well, at one point he asked how old she was, so I answered for her, then she had to tell him, too.  He commented on how cute she was.  After he walked away Hannah said, "I be a pretty girl."  Oh. My. Gosh!  Where does she get this stuff!?!

 

One day after Carl had been gone for a few days we were getting ready for dinner, and it was a bit chaotic (which is normal), but as I was washing her hands she said, "Boys, you stressin' me out!"  I laughed so hard at that...apparently I had said that a few times that week.

 

She seems to be getting some people confused.  For example, she has her nephews Carson and Colton mixed up.  And our friend Mr. Henderson she refers to as Mr. Addy (his daughter is Addy).  After spending a day with our friends the Brooks, she later referred to their house as Ms. Titus' house.

 

Our Hannah has her crazy mood swings as all 2 year olds do, but she keeps us laughing more than that.  She is a sweet girl who loves her baby dolls, her brothers, and her dog.  Watching her grow into her own little person is so fun, and I'm so thankful for her joyful, sassy personality!

Kindergarten End of Year Fun

The start of kindergarten was such a roller coaster...it was exciting, it was scary, it was fun, and it was a hard transition.  Isaac was a champ through it all, he had times of struggle, but overall he was amazing throughout it all.  I cannot believe the year is over, I feel like we just started.  Isaac was blessed with an incredible teacher!  Mrs. Swiney was all that we prayed for in a teacher for Isaac.  She was a perfect blend of love, kindness, and discipline.  And she really took time to get to know Isaac and to develop a bond with him throughout the year.  He absolutely adores her, I mean truly, he loves her!  I am so thankful that The Lord provided Isaac with a wonderful start to his education journey.

 

 

Isaac's school ended the year with a Kindergarten graduation.  It was a special night.  Isaac got to dress up, and of course he had to wear a tie.  He looked so handsome.  I had to get a quick picture of he and his teacher before the big event.

 

The ceremony was so sweet.  Each child was called up by name and given certificates and awards.  Isaac received his kindergarten dimploma, the Physcial Fitness Award for sportsmanship in PE, and another which I can't remember.  oops.

 

Next, the entire class got up to sing songs, and oh they were so sweet!  I am so proud of Isaac, he was front and center (next to his sweet friend, Ella) and he did the motions to every song.  He sang some of the words, but I could tell he was nervous.  This was a huge improvement from last year when he would barely move when on performing on stage.  Isaac has grown so much over this year, he is so much more mature and confident in who he is now than he was a year ago.

 

Tante Soo Jin came to celebrate with us, so sweet!  And I absolutely love this picture of them!!!

 

FIELD DAY!!!

Isaac's entire class at the start of field day.

 

Field day was a blast!  They started out on these fun inflatable water slides...what could be better than that!?!

 

The kids were soaked throughout the entire day, but oh how much fun they had!!!  It was a sweet day of fun games with friends...what a wonderful way to end the year!

 

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

 

Isaac was a mix of emotions on this last day.  He is such a sweet hearted boy, and he loves with all his heart, so he is truly attached to his teacher, class, and school.  Finishing the year and heading into summer is exciting, but it's also sad to leave his friends and teacher knowing that things won't be the same.

 

The bus stop was a fun place!  The kids loved playing with the neighbors while we waited every morning.  Their favorite game was Ghost Ghost in the Graveyard.  I'm not sure why it's called that, but they sure laugh and have fun while they play.  What a blessing to have such sweet friends and neighbors.

 

Getting on the bus as a kindergartener, for the last time.

 

End of year party!!!

 

There are no words for how it felt to walk out of that class.  This year has meant more to us than I can explain...so thankful.

 

Oh these two are the sweetest of friends.  They helped each other in so many ways throughout the year, not always even knowing it.  Isaac told me a few times throughout the year that friends would ask him if he loved Ella.  Awe.  I am so incredibly grateful for their precious friendship.

 

I blinked, and he's 6!

I cannot believe that Isaac is 6...how did that happen?  I promise he was just born, I only blinked, and now he's 6!  It's so hard to watch my kids grow...on one hand I love watching them grow, blossom, learn, and watching their personalities develop, but on the other hand I realize how fast this time goes and how short my time with them under my roof really is. It's so hard, but it's also so amazing, and I am so thankful to be his mama because he's pretty incredible!

 

 

Isaac loves to be outside riding his bike or anything he can drive.  This year he got a new bike (his old one broke), and he's upgraded to a bike with hand brakes!  He things he's big stuff with those brakes.

 

 

In case you had any doubt, the boy still loves the color orange!!!  If he can choose the color to write or color with at school, he chooses orange.  His clothes are mostly orange, he picks orange candy over any other color.  He is obsessed!

 

Isaac is my tender hearted, kind, caring boy.  He loves to take care of Hannah whenever given the chance, he loves on her constantly (and thankfully she eats it up), he is always willing to help me if it involves Hannah in any way.  The boy does not like to see others hurt or sad, he wants to make everything right.  I pray that we can foster this sweet part of him, and that he uses it in a mighty way as he grows.

 

He adores Hannah, and often fights with Luke, but it's all an act.  He loves his brother just as much!  At their well check appointment they both had to get their blood pressure checked.  Isaac had his done first and I don't think he liked it.  When it was Luke's turn he immediately put his arm around him and talked him through it.  My heart melted, and I had to snap a picture of this sweet moment.

 

As I mentioned he prefers to be riding or driving at all times.  The dirt bike is his new passion...he becomes this focused, fierce boy when on it...it's a determination I don't see often in him.  Even though dirt bikes scare me so badly, I cannot say no to him when it comes to riding...how do you stand in the way of something they love so much?

 

Of course I had to get my annual questions answered by Isaac...

Favorite toy:  new bike ramp

Favorite thing to learn:  how to work on cars with daddy

Favorite snack:  cake (a boy after my own heart)

Favorite TV show:  Henry Hugglemonster (this surprised me, I would have guessed Paw Patrol or Transformers Rescue Bots)

Food I dislike:  broccoli

Favorite Color:  orange!

I love to go outside and...play on the dirt road

Favorite Song:  Chopping Ice song from Frozen

Favorite thing to do with mama and daddy:  play, play, play

Something everyone should know:  Jesus loves you!

Best Friend:  Ella and Taylor

Favorite thing to do with Luke:  swim and race on our bikes

Favorite thing to do with Hannah:  play with her

Favorite animal:  cat

When I grow up I want to be:  police officer

Something I want to learn while I'm 6:  how to swim strokes

Favorite school subject:  writing

Isaac is so special to us, he is a constant joy in our lives, and a great example for his little siblings.  I pray that this year brings many new blessings to him.

Mother's Day 2014

Mother's Day 2014 was a day to reflect on how blessed I am.  I have three amazing children, who I love more than I can express in words.  Being a mom is the hardest job I've ever had, I am usually completely worn out by the end of the day, but it's the BEST job I could ever ask for!  This year I was pampered by Isaac at school during Moms and Muffins, followed by a Mommy Makeover.  It had been a very hard week, so this pampering and love from my oldest boy was good for my soul.  He painted my nails, put lotion on my arms and legs, brushed my hair, and even gave me a back rub.  I love that he is a boy who isn't afraid to show his mama love, and that he is so tender hearted.   I was not able to attend the Mother's Day Tea at Luke's school, but he did make me a beautiful painting of a flower, and foam flower with his picture in a little cup (that is sitting on the mantle).  Luke's love for me warms my heart, and I pray that he always knows how much I love him!

 

Only The Lord knows the plans for our family, He has blessed us with these 3 sweeties, and for that I am forever grateful!