Summer in full swing

A friend asked if the boys could pet sit last minute. The boys were with Aaron on a camping trip so I said Eleanor was available. She loved the job!

I have several goals I'd like to do for turning 40 this year. One of them is to make a quilt. A friend gave me this fabric and I love how it turned out! It's not perfect, but it was fun to bust out my sewing machine and work on this a little each day instead of wasting time. 

Eleanor learned how to blow a bubble! Her little giggle of excitement is something I never want to forget. Adelaide now has enough hair for the cutest little pony tail. 

We went to Ocean's of Fun for the first time. I was nervous to go without Aaron, but thankfully our friends that go often were there and helped us figure it all it. We had a blast!  

We had a Volk Family reunion the first weekend in June. We always love being together. The highlight of the reunion was attending the temple together. 

We spent lots of time outside. The weather really was lovely. Eleanor picked me these beautiful wild flowers. 

The kids spent hours on this water bounce house and at the pond. 

Duane and LeeAnn's house isn't completely done, but we did have our final meal together in the soon to be dinning room. In a world that is so confused, we're so grateful that our kids have extended family members that they can look up to and count on. 

The weather wasn't too hot so the kids and I ran to Worlds of Fun. The petting zoo was opened and we finally got to ride the carousel! The boys were with us too, but I didn't get a picture of them because they were zipping from ride to ride. 

This week we had Lego camp. The kids love this tradition. I buy them each a simple Lego set and they build them and play with them for the whole day. I love watching them focus and pretend. 

Eli and Austin had their first swim meet of the season! Swim team is pretty exhausting waking up early each day, but Aaron and I both love all that swim team teaches our kids. They learn that working on something a little each day helps you improve. Both boys participated in a relay during the meet. It was LATE and we were all so tired, but it was adorable watching the girls cheer on their brothers. Austin won his heat for free style and got 4th place overall for the backstroke. Eli won swimmer of the week for his age group. They're great little swimmers. Eleanor had swim lessons this week and her teacher suggested that I put Eleanor on the swim team next year. "She's very ready," her teacher said. She also said that maybe Eleanor could be a diver someday. 

I've been looking for bunk beds for the girls for a few months. On Friday evening, I found a lady selling bunk beds that were less than a year old and it included new mattresses. The price had dropped and it was still cheaper for me to buy everything together from her instead of buying everything separate. I reached out to her and was happy when he quickly replied that the beds were still available. We made arrangements to meet up on Saturday afternoon. When the girls woke up on Saturday morning, I took one last picture of them in their beds. I cried a little when Aaron took down the crib. For the past 10 years, I've been getting my sweet babies out of this crib to nurse them in the middle of the night. I've put them down for naps and gotten them out of this crib each morning. Each time I've gotten ready to deliver a baby, I've watched Aaron put the crib together in anticipation of our new baby joining our family. And now, the crib is ready to move on. Oh how I'll miss my little babies. I'm so grateful for the moments I've had to cuddle them and now watch them grow. 

Back to Saturday morning, we pulled weeds and worked in the yard before getting ready to attend a friend's baptism. A friend texted and asked if we wanted to go on a hike and play in the water. We packed a lunch and headed out. 

It's so refreshing to be outside together!

After our lunch adventure, we came home and the lady with the bunkbeds said they were home and asked if we could go and pick them up. I let her know that Aaron may need to make several trips to get everything. She said they have a truck and offered to help if needed. When we got the cash ready to give this couple, we threw in some extra money as a tip for them helping with the delivery. We still felt like this was a great deal for us. 

Aaron soon made a connection that Duncan was a retired detective from this area. When he found out what Aaron does for work, he thanked him and his wife handed back the money. We thought it was the tip money we had given them for helping us move so we were extremely shocked when she handed us back all the money and said to keep it. Both of us cried. We came inside and knelt together as a family to thank Heavenly Father for the kindness and generosity of these strangers. We talked to our children about tithing and how the scriptures teach us that as we pay an honest tithe, the blessings of heaven will pour upon us. 

Eleanor said, "I can't wait to wake up in my new bed!"

Adelaide feels like a big girl now in her big girl bed. 

Father's Day 2023! The kids sang in sacrament meeting today and I love the children's voices so much. During singing time, the primary chorister gave the kids a mustache. It made us all laugh! We LOVE Aaron! He's the best dad around. I tried to get a picture of everyone smiling, but they was being goofy. 

Angela's ward still provides zoom for their ward so it was a treat to be able to watch Khloe give her first talk in sacrament meeting today! 

 

Dance Recital

 Eleanor had her ballet recital last week. She shines on the stage and has a gift for dancing. One of my favorite parts of motherhood is watching my kids develop new talents and gain confidence in trying something new. Eleanor has taken dance for two years now. She dances around the house and is constantly spinning and jumping and giggling. During her recital, the girls who are graduating from high school did a special dance and I couldn't help but cry. I didn't even know those girls, but sometimes I get a glimpse into my future when my kids will be the ones finishing up their last year of high school and I'm reminded just how quickly the years are passing by. Eleanor starts kindergarten in the fall and she's so excited. I'm going to miss her so much. 

Finishing Up School and Soccer

Before summer began, I decided to potty train Adelaide. She's been asking to use the bathroom for months. I knew it was time, even though I was dreading it. She honestly did a great job. She still has accidents sometimes, but overall, she's done well. Eleanor made her the cutest crown as we stayed at home for three days to focus on getting Adelaide to use the potty. 

She was very excited about her new underwear!

Eleanor played soccer for the first time this season! She improved by the end of the season and we were excited to cheer her on each week. She told me she loves dancing the most so we'll see if she tries another sport, but it was fun for her to try something new a get a medal at the end of the season. 

Austin's a natural on the field. After his first practice, his coach said, "You've got great foot work, Austin." He fun to watch and he made several goals this season. 

Eli is a hustler and even though it was his first official time playing on a team, he looked like he had been playing for years. His time playing soccer during recess at school really paid off! He did get smacked in the face when he played goalie. His glasses broke, but he saved the goal so he was excited when his coached called him the MVP and gave him a box of cookies. 

My Uncle Vaughn and his wife were in Kansas City for a high school graduation so we met up with them for dinner. I always love when family is in town!

Eli begged me to sign him up for the orchestra for next year. I saw this picture on his teacher's newsletter and it made me smile. He'd like to try the viola. 

The kids had soccer practices on Thursday evening and then their games were on Saturdays. It's always fun to play with friends and see so many families from the stake. 

Our Christmas gift to the kids this year was season passes to World's of Fun. We went three Saturdays in a row in May. It wasn't too busy or too hot yet, so we enjoyed riding on some rides and getting familiar with the park. After our first visit, Adelaide asked, "Mom, can we go back to Disney World." I laughed because we spent a lot of money to go to Disney World last year and she felt the same happiness riding on the rides at World's of Fun and it's just a few minutes from our house. 

Austin has new primary teachers and they took their class to the temple during their lesson time. I was able to go with them and it was a spiritual lesson about how the children are preparing to enter the temple someday. We're so grateful for the opportunity we have to live so close to the temple. 

Our friend Mathew had a birthday! We love Mathew and the friendship we've formed with him and his family over the past 4 years. 

Field Day!! I ran to the school and was able to participate in the field day with the boys. I love seeing them during the day and they enjoyed playing different sports with their classmates. 

Eli brought home this amazing project he created at school. 

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! They look so grown up! Eli wrapped up 4th grade and Austin finished up 2nd grade. Now they're moving on up! We met them after school and then walked to our friend's last day of school party. It was a blast! 

The kids were sad to leave the party early, but we had to rush home to hop in the car to head to Colorado! We spent the day with the Davis's and then traveled down to CO Springs for Max's baptism and Russell's baby blessing. Adelaide loves babies sooo much. Eleanor keeps asking when she gets to be baptized. In this crazy world, I'm so grateful our kids have cousins who are being taught gospel truths in their home. 

We made a Braum's stop on our way home! 

On our first official day of summer at home we made home made donuts after swim team practice and then went to the pool! Yay for summer! 

This is Adelaide's nursery teacher that she adores!

A friend took this picture - these three boys are all named ELI!

And my sweet friend Heather moved away so before she left, we had a high fitness class. I miss her already!