Opening day at the pool!! Brrr!

One of my favorite days of the year!

Opening day for the pool!

As a kid, I always loved running out and jumping

in for the first swim of the season.

It's cold, really cold, but so much fun.

These days, I much prefer watching my own girls

run out and jump in for the first time.

The girls put some work in first, cleaning out the 

pool and helping Boppa get things ready.

Then it was 1, 2, 3, jump!

Summer is here!!

Ella and Aves were the first in ~

Claire is such a great helper!

Refreshingly, cold!

1, 2, 3, jump!

This is how I roll.... relaxing with an eye on my kiddos!
Life is Good!

Best friends forever!

Avery and I got to help her BFF, Owen, celebrate his last day of preschool.

He is a great friend to Aves, which works out well, because his mama

is a great friend to me!!

He chose Glazed Expressions for his 'graduation treat'.

We had a great time painting, and laughing, and watching

the bunnies outside, and laughing and painting.

I love these two kiddos!

Just getting started on our penguin and dragon ~

My little beauty working hard.

I love this picture! They spotted a baby bunny outside,
and watched it forever~

Avery brought a rose (leftover from my mother's day bouquet)
to congratulate him on his graduation :)

Avery, 5 1/2, awesome.

Avery wasn't so sure about Owen's artistic direction...

... but she decided it looked pretty good after all!

Owen and Avery. Artists. Incoming Kindergarteners. BFF!

Avery's last day of preschool and Build-a-Bear, of course!

This is a big year for us.

Claire's last year of elementary school.

Ella's last year at Sayre.

Avery's last year of preschool.

My last year of having any babies at home.

Sniff, sniff, tear, tear.  It's a big year for this mama!

One of the hardest for me has to be Avery

graduating from preschool.  I've had a kid in preschool

for as long as I can remember and I can't believe that

it's over.  As sad as I am that time just keeps defying me

and marching forward, I am very proud of all of my girls

and I am looking forward to many wonderful

years and exciting adventures to come!

Avery heading into her last day of preschool.
She looks pretty darn happy about it!

Avery walking out of her very last day of preschool.
Still looks pretty darn happy!

We had to celebrate this big day, and what better place to 

do it than Build-a-bear, of course!

I wanted to surprise Avery, so I invited her BFF Owen, and

his family, to join us.  She was surprised and thrilled

to see them and especially to see her favorite store!!

Everyone got to make a bear to celebrate our favorite

buggie and her big graduation!

Claire and Anna waiting for their turn.

Claire making a wish on her bear's heart.

Owen making his monkey.

Avery, cracking up the bear maker with who knows what
crazy story!

Making a wish on her bear's heart.  I made a special
wish on that heart too, for safe travels to Kindergarten for my baby!

Avery and her new "preschool graduation bear"!

Ella making a wish.

Avery couldn't decide on an outfit for her bear,
so she just bought a mini-friend instead!

Avery and her BFF, Owen!

Happy Preschool Graduation, Buggie!

We made it through her last day of preschool.

Celebrated with friends and made something special to 

remember the day.

Now the hard part, the graduation ceremony that night....

Avery's Preschool Graduation

Westview Church Preschool put on one of the best

school programs I have seen, and I've seen a lot!

The kids were great!  They sang so many cute songs,

behaved on stage so well, and smiled at and charmed

their parents all night long!

I was quite emotional leading up to this moment,

but once we were there I really just enjoyed it and wasn't

all that sad.

Avery is ready.  She is ready for Kindergarten.  She is ready

for more responsibility and adventure.  She is ready for

some time away from me, to make new friends and 

try new things.

I'm happy for her.  I'm excited for her.

I really am, really.

We had a great night celebrating her graduation.

She did a great job and we are so very proud of her.

We love you so much buggie!

Avery and two of her good friends.

Her pet rock project.  She was quite proud of it!

A collection of her favorite pieces of work~

Avery was all smiles during the performance.

She knew every word and action of every song and 

was so much fun to watch. 

Singing the "wide-mouthed bullfrog". Hilarious!

Their rendition of signing in the rain had everyone
rolling with laughter.  So cute!

Aves receiving her 'official' preschool graduation certificate.

Our star student!

I was a bit picture obsessed and was getting frustrated that
we weren't getting any good pictures.  Avery got frustrated too,
and refused to look at the camera.  Nice.

Her flowers and card from the family.

My beautiful, grownup family!
(I don't know why I wore a mu-mu to graduation!!)

Aves and her good friends!

Avery will really miss her gerbil friends.

Just one more picture, or two, or three..

I love my baby...

.. but she had enough with the pictures!

Avery and her amazing teachers!

Aves and one of her BFs, who will also be attending Shuler!

This has been a big year.

But it's a good thing.

My girls are growing up, but growing up well.

They are good kids.  Caring, responsible,

loving, kind, smart, clever, funny and all-around awesome!

I am so very proud of all of them and I can't wait

to see what the next year brings!!

Claire's LAST elementary Fine Art Night!

This is the beginning of the end.

The beginning of the end of elementary school for Claire.

The beginning of the end of all that I know.

Next year: Middle School. Yikes!

Despite my efforts to make her an emotional wreck about this

huge milestone, Claire had a great night and seemed pretty unfazed

about it being her Last Elementary School Fine Arts Night!

Claire is involved in both choir and band.  She enjoys both

and loves being a part of the percussion crew.

I am very proud of her hard work and dedication

to both groups and I hope she has many more

years of success in both!

Percussion is in the far back.

Hard to see, but they rock anyway!

Dave, and many other dads, on stage to help tear
down the band and prep for the choir.

Claire has really started to love singing, thanks in big

part to her experience with Whippoorwill Theatre.

She loves to sing and I love watching how expressive 

she is while doing it!

Claire and her friend, Ellen, after the concert

Claire, Lexie and Avery

Claire and Griffen

Great concert, great night, great friends!