COOL!!

Sara made the news on KSL.com.  Check out this link:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=16048691&nid=1017

BTW - Sara was pretty shocked/mad/who knows what when I showed her.

Friends

Our friends are leaving this week to move out-of-state so we got together at the park for Family Home Evening last night. Their kids are the same ages as our last three and have become good friends for the past few years we've both lived here.

  

Evan and Cameron

 Kamri and Katie

 Sara and Emily

 

Emily and Miles

We'll miss you guys, but have fun on your new adventure in Texas

 

and just because I can't help it....

Sara had a piano competition yesterday afternoon.  She's been learning and working on this song for three months (maybe more) and finally got to perform it.  Hallelujah - we don't have to hear it all day anymore.  Anyway, it was just a small competition but even these little ones give her good experience and something to work for. 

They gave out a trophy for first place and medals for 2nd and 3rd.  Sara got 3rd place.  Which is a good thing because the 3rd place ribbon matched her dress and the 2nd place one matched the girl who got that.  (That was Sara's observation)  The girl in the middle who took 2nd is actually another student of Sara's teacher.

 We didn't know it until that afternoon, her cousin got to play in the same one as her. I think they really enjoyed that.

 And her other cousin played in the one just after.

Aren't they cute!!

Ok, I'm really into new hairstyles lately and I think this one has become my new favorite.  It's called the waterfall braid.  It's a different version of a french braid and I think it gorgeous. 

 

Ginormous, gargantuan, or just plain huge....

Here I am in all my glory...

27 weeks - 13 more to go!

I feel huge!  I looked at the pictures of me when I was pregnant with Miles and right now I think I compare to my 35 weeks picture - in my opinion.  But I know I always feel like I look HUGER (is that a real word?) than I really am.  Maybe it's just because I'm really feeling this one.  This fifth one has been hard on me.  I am always exhausted, can't think straight, and forget everything.  I made a fool out of myself during Sharing Time on Sunday.  One of my 11-year-olds had to correct me on something three times before I finally gave in and realized he was right.  Oh well.  But it's all good.  I'll be rewarded in about 3 months and will forget all of it soon enough. 

Hair

I was having fun playing with my hair today.  This was the 4th day without washing my hair (don't worry - I showered, just didn't wash my hair) but I was going to wash it when I showered today so I wanted to play around a little before it went curly again.  These are all my first go-rounds and I need to practice more, but I think they look all right.

I need to have a mirror at the back of my hair so I can see what I'm doing.  None of them will look just right until I can figure that out or grow two more arms to hold up a mirror.

I've never really been able to figure out the messy bun, but this one looks alright.

Another year ended...

Well, today was Sara's and Evan's last day of school.  The year went by so fast I think and now I've got to start thinking of fun things to keep my kids busy, playing, and thinking.  

Here is Sara on her first day of 3rd grade.  

And here she is today on her last.  

She's grown up!  It always amazes me how different the kids look after just 9 months.

 When we walked in the house from picking them up from school Sara sat on the couch and started BAWLING because school was out.  She loves school - especially this year because she loved her teacher.  We wish Mrs. Williams could move up right along with her. 

Here's Evan's first day of 1st grade...

 

And look how much older he looks today - his last day.

 We LOVED his teacher, Mrs. Bremer, too.  He had a great year and loved it.  He's gotten really good at reading (although he doesn't love it as much as I want him to) and is always finding math problems everywhere.  He's sad, too, that school is out but I think he's more excited to have summer here though.

These are the teacher thank you gifts I made this year.  They're sticky note holders for their desks made out of those cheap, little acrylic frames.    I just added paper to the back, ribbon, and their monogram.  (The blue one is for our computer desk at home.)  Then included a short note from me on the first sticky note. I thought they were cute.

 When they got to the end of the stack of notes there's a little surprise for them...

 

Then I had the kids answer some questions and draw pictures on a little booklet for them. There were things like..."My favorite field trip this year was..." and "My favorite thing about you is...." and "My favorite thing to do during free time in your classroom was...." and "My favorite thing you taught me was..." and a few more.  

(for some reason the picture turned - sorry)

 

They had an awards assembly on Monday for the school.  Each class/teacher chose a student to recognize as "the most academic".  Both Sara and Evan received that award and got a certificate.   Sara also got the most Accelerated Reader points in her class and got a medallion.  I was very proud of them and for their hard work this year.  We were going to go out and celebrate, but we can't find a night we are available so we went outside today and had ice cream bars to celebrate their achievements and the last day of school.

 

 

Kamri's Pre-school end of year program

Kamri amazes me sometimes with some of the things she knows and figures out.  She's learned so much this year.  Her class had a fun program for the parents.  She had so much fun singing the songs that she's been singing/learning all year.

 This is her favorite song they did...

Here she is on her first day of school this year

 

 And the last...She's changed so much!