Schools Out!

We have been looking forward to this week for months!  School finally let out this week!  I am so excited to have Curly home and look forward to not having the early morning rush of breakfast, make lunch, and catch the bus at 7:30.  To celebrate the girls each had a few friends over for slip n' slide and ice cream.  They had a blast - see for yourself... 

 

 

May Madness

It seems like May is always a crazy month This year was no exception, with performances, parties, games, lessons, recitals, and (Lou's most anticipated) the receiving of trophies. 

Curly and Lou took a tumbling class this year.  They both learned a lot and Curly is always impressing people with her amazing handstand ability.  Lou loved getting a trophy and is still working on the handstand.

Town-person Costume

 Lou's preschool performed a musical of "Stone Soup" which was very cute.  I still have the songs they sang going through my head - probably because she is still singing them.

 I was invited to a "Morning with Mom" in Curly's classroom.  We had all sorts of fun activities including breakfast, a slide show, gifts, a hand massage, and a personalized book.  I enjoyed being with my cute Curly.

Curly's clay sculpture of herself - my mother's day gift.

 Lou's preschool took a field trip to the "Stuffington Bear Factory" which is like "Build a Bear", except that there is also an actual bear manufacturing factory.  I thought the factory was interesting, but of course the highlight was building her own teddy bear.

Combing the newly "born" bear

Lou could hardly wait to get her second trophy and was counting down the days until the last soccer game of the season.  When coach handed her the trophy he said she was his "dancing queen."  It has been very entertaining to watch Lou play soccer :)  and I chuckle just picturing her looking anywhere  but at the ball and skipping, galloping, and twirling across the field when she is trying to follow it.

 Tonight we were invited to a "Solar Eclipse Party" at the Simpsons.  Katie studied and enjoys astronomy and even had eclipse glasses so that we could look at the partial sun sliver.  It was very cool to see.  Apparently this was an annular eclipse and they don't happen very often.  The partial sun created some very cool shadows and eery light.

Wow!

Speechless AND toothless

Alien hand shadows from Eclipse

Poor Berry has been a good sport through all of the May craziness.  I feel so blessed to have such a sweet, happy toddler.  One day during a long presidency meeting, she was being particularly quiet, so I went to check on her and this is what I found -

Berry read herself to sleep

Her adoring sisters are so good to help her get things and have a hard time saying "no" to her (we all have a hard time saying no).  They included her in their Mother's Day preparations and she loves to be a part of their camaraderie.  In fact, if they are fighting or even mimicking being mean to each other, she gets very upset!

 Mother's Day breakfast planned by my girls   - Oreo pancakes, muffins and pink lemonade.  Very sweet! - literally

 The May madness has also come with some serious "nesting" on my part.  Our baby boy will be here in less than a month (hopefully) and I have started in on the projects.  I spent a day buying ingredients and preparing freezer meals.  When I sat down to rest, Lou asked what I was doing and I told her my feet were tired.  She said, "I know what you need - you need a foot massage!"  (She learned this from my sister K-Rae).  So she made the necessary preparations and gave me a massage.  Curly and Berry wanted in on the action too - it was great.  Curly even painted my toenails - which was nice since I can't reach them at the moment.

 After my massage/pedicure, they decided to continue the party for each other.

 And finally - I just thought this picture was cute and so typical of what Berry loves!  She loves books, shoes, soft toys and her family.

Back to normal

Life pretty much returned to "normal" in April and I can't believe that the month is over. Where does time go?  Only three more weeks of school and only six until baby boy is due to make his appearance!  Here are a few things we have been up to...

Our cute girls Easter Sunday

Curly teaching her "pupils"

Ready for soccer - so fun to be on the same team

Inspired by mom, Curly and Lou have been playing "cooking club" lately.  They put on aprons and whip up all sorts of concoctions in the play kitchen.  One day we had real "cooking club" and we learned how to make tomato soup and cheese sandwiches.  They did a great job.  I figure this is excellent training, maybe they can make lunch all summer.

Cooking club girls

Berry was not so impressed by their skills - or maybe just tired

Berry loves dress-ups!

Fisher decided we better not delay a camping trip any longer - it is getting HOT!  So we headed 30 minutes north to Lake Pleasant.  The girls had a blast "wading" in the lake.  They were not quite so happy afterward when they were freezing in their sopping clothes.  We roasted hot dogs and s'mores and then Berry and I went home to sleep in our comfy beds and Fisher had a really good nights rest with two girls snuggled up to him :)

Add caption

So many treasures

Heading out in the kayak

Lou's preschool took a fieldtrip to Wildlife World Zoo.  Berry and I tagged a long.  Berry loves animals and was so excited.  She jabbered away happily at every animal we saw and "woofed" at anything with fur.  We are still working on differentiating between different animals.  She has "quack", "moo", "woof", "meow", and "oink" down.

Feeding birds at Wildlife World Zoo

Feeding the giraffes

Washing the van

Curly the bee for her school "Bugz" play

What they were up to

While Fisher and I were traveling, Curly, Lou and Berry were having a ball! They never even missed us.  Really!  Well, maybe Berry did.  I don't know all the details of what they did, but from the pictures I've collected - it looks like they kept busy. 

They were able to visit their Oma and Grandpa Lake, Grandma and Grandpa Lovell, Great Grandma and Grandpa Woodbury, Aunts (Brianna, Lynette, Stephanie, Jenny, JG, Elyse, Pika), Uncles (Ryan, Stephen, Tim, Bryce, Paul) and lots of cousins.  They stayed at Oma's house for a week and Grandma's house for a week and even had a sleepover with the Waters cousins.

Picnic on the drive to Utah.  They were supposed to fly, but that didn't happen - long, sad story.

Berry and cousin Wren

Curly at Tracy Aviary

At the Park with Anni and Wren

Helping Wren walk at Oma's house

Going on a ride with Great Grandma

Baking Pizza with Aunt JG

Pizzas for lunch

Berry and cousin Nels

On a walk at the U with Aunt JG

Swinging with Grandma

Crafts with Aunt Pika

Singing with Grandpa

Rain!!!  A seldom seen sight

Cardboard boxes are so fun!

Visiting baby chicks at CAL Ranch

Ready to fly home with Grandma and Grandpa