May in cell phone pics

This is how the kids entertained themselves before church one Sunday. They found some left over pull ups (both are fully potty trained) in the bathroom and thought they would be fun to wear. They crack me up!

This is kind of hard to see but this is a picture Oak drew of her cousin baby C. It was her first with all the parts of a person: ears eyes and eye balls, mouth, tongue, legs. I thought it was so adorable!

I asked Oak to clean her room (which she is very capable of doing). I started helping her and I saw that she wasn't doing anything so I told her as soon as she picked up all the food for her kitchen then I would come back and help. She ended up playing in her room for another hour and this was the result. Her room was 4 times messier than it was when I asked her to clean it originally. 

This is a picture Mac drew of Oak as a ballerina. So cute!!

Working on our mother's day gifts for grandma's, birthmom's and birth grandma's

Oak's best friend and our neighbor. They run and hug each other almost every time they see each other.

Eating a mini ice cream cone. yum!

For some reason the kids had to wear their hats and scarfs although it was at least 70 degrees outside.

Cute rosy cheeked girl waiting for brother to get done with taekwondo.

LOVE!

A rainbow out our back window.

We are having fun playing UNO lately.

They have a new train ride at the mall so we went and checked it out. They kids loved it!

Oak eating lunch with her backpack on and one of the hot air balloons I made the kids at their request.

Oak wrote on our van thankfully with just chalk. I wasn't all that upset but she did sit in time out for not listening because 30 second before she did this I told her she could only draw on the ground with the chalk.

After the kids found out that their favorite llama, Frankie (that belongs to their grandma and grandpa) died Mac drew a picture of him.

Mac with his favorite Oregon Uncle at the lake house.

Swinging at the park with friends.

Happenings

It has been a year since we were approved to adopt. So we are in the process of getting re-approved for another year. We went and got our fingerprints done and then our caseworker did our house visit where she just checks safety. We have a few more other small things to do and then we will be ready for another year with hope that this is the year we will find our baby.

Mac is finally taken interest in reading and is doing great. I am not sure how much he works on reading at preschool, but we haven't worked on it too much at home. When he has a moment of interest I help him and give him some pointers but I haven't been strict or consistent about teaching him. I don't want him bored in Kindergarten this next year.But he has picked up on it and he is doing really well at sounding out the words and reading. So proud!

Every once in awhile I realize that I am not being as consistent as I should be with timeouts. And it was really showing lately, yikes! So we have cracked down on timeouts in our house.

We weren't able to get a date night/babysitting swap scheduled for April. But we already had our date for this month. We went to REI and then ate some yummy Mexican food. I got a delish Yucatan dish. SO YUM! We got a few things at Walmart and then some Redbox movies.

I have wanted Mac to be my piano prodigy from the moment he was born. He has an ear for music. We would like to get him in piano lessons but at this point in our lives we are only able to put him in one activity which is Taekwondo at the moment. But for now Hubs has written the notes to Teach Me To Walk In The Light on a paper and has put stickers with the letters on the piano keys. He has most of the song memorized. I think this next year we will get some beginner piano books and have daddy teach him more.

Mac got a Thomas the Train Junior UNO game as a gift. Mac picks up pretty quickly on how to play games and it was no exception with this game. He also really loves playing games! We have played it often and he is better at it than me. We just bought the regular version of UNO and we will see how he does with that.

We went to kindergarten registration a few weeks ago. Mac is so excited about going to kindergarten. I am anxious to see how he does since we will most likely be homeschooling after this year.

I had to speak in church last week. My topic was "living and teaching the gospel at home". I think it turned out okay, but mostly I am just glad that it is over with.

Hubs got an iPhone recently. I have been pretty adamant that I don't want a smart phone but now that he has one I want one! I have to wait until August when I can get a free upgrade.

Hubs was out of town for a week and it was miserable. At the very same time the weather had turned bad so we were pretty much stuck in the house and my kids were bored so they were extra difficult and getting into lots of trouble. It was not fun!

The first part of the month was pure summer weather with it being 80 degrees out everyday then the last two weeks it has been cold and wet. We are ready for summer!!

Our garden is looking so great. Hubs ended up planting most of it with seeds straight into the garden beds and surprisingly it is all growing, thanks to the heat we have had. I will have to take a picture of it.

I chopped my hair! And thankfully found someone who wants to trade doing my hair for photos.

Last week marked nine years since we lost our beautiful Brooke. We miss her so much!!

Our June is filling up fast and I am already pretty much dreading it because I hate being over scheduled. It stresses me out and causes a lot of anxiety for me. The only thing I can do is take it one thing at a time and enjoy. Because at least it is all fun stuff!

Memorial Day weekend at the Lake House...

I just have to say that we live for summer holidays at the lake house. It is pretty much the highlight of our summer. It has the making of awesome and fun memories for our family and especially for our kids. Swimming, boating, fishing, paddle boating, playing, getting dirty, walks, playing with cousins, s'mores, watching movies, playing games, staying up late...pretty much pure awesomeness. We can't wait to go back for the 4th of July.

Heading to the Lake House this weekend we were pretty sure it was going to be cold and wet, but to our surprise we woke up Saturday morning with sun shining through the fog on the lake. We just knew it was going to be a beautiful day, and sure enough it was amazing. Beautiful blue skies, not windy and warm...not what we were expecting and such a nice surprise.

We started out with some fishing...

This was the cutest moment...walking up from the dock T was chatting away to Oak and Oak kept responding with "yeah", "yes", "i know". 

All the younger kids. Mac refused to come outside to play at this moment.

Cuteness!

The girls' "mud shop" has officially turned into a "gun shop". The older kids are officially too old for that stuff and the younger kids have taken it over.

Grandpa was having fun blowing bubbles with Oak.

A visit to the "secret island". A little spot that is hard to get to that the older kids have enjoyed for years. All the younger ones wanted to go see it. 

And of course this is how my kids would end up getting anywhere near water. They just can't help themselves but get soaked.

Then Uncle J took them on a paddle boat ride. That thing rocks!

Cousins!

Oak LOVES worms! She had fun playing with them while the boys were fishing. 

Then Uncle J made all the little kids bows and arrowns.

Lunch after a boat/tube ride.

A walk back from fishing at the other dock.

Oh this girl! Love her!

Then on to s'mores...two nights in a row.

I am so in love with this boy. That red hair gets me every time!

A bird had flown in to this bird house and we found he had made a nest.

Oak even got her toe and fingernails painted.

Just missing baby C! I love the photo bomb from Benji (the dog).

THe older kids are way too cool for silly faces.

More s'mores!

With eyelashes that long he better watch out or they might get stuck in his s'more.

And my first time playing Settlers of Catan. 

Mac loved helping his cousin.

We can't wait for more fun in just a couple of weeks!