Josie Preschool Graduation

This year has gone by so fast!  It seems like just yesterday I was recovering from knee surgery and sad I couldn't take Josie to her 1st day of preschool.  Now it is over.  I am so grateful that we ended up at the "frog" church for preschool this year.  Some other options had fallen through and I now know that it was meant to be.  Josie has made some sweet little friends and wonderful memories.  She is ready for kindergarten. 

Josie and her GREAT teacher Mrs. Canavan-Josie was so excited to give her an adorable cookie bouquet with her hand prints on stems with a thank you note on the palm.  She helped with the entire process. 

Bronson, Mrs. Canavan, Taj, Josie, Heidi and Ry

The graduation airplane walk

Graduation performance.  They sang this little light of mine and this really cute chant about being a star and you better watch out!! Lincoln particularly liked this. 

Receiving her diploma and box of treasures

Happy Graduate

Taj and Josie...  we were joking about how they might not find this picture so cute later in life.

Josie, Bree and Lindsey

Friends are the best!

The nice weather was calling us outside to enjoy a fun evening with friends. The Ward's and the Rencher's made it over. Kevin made yummy homemade strawberry ice cream, I made the best chocolate chip cookies ever (serious) and Julie Ward shared her coveted ice cream cake from her b-day. We love to have friends to hangout with on a Sunday night. We were missing some other families, but we will catch them next time.

Julie and the Renchers

Wards, Kellogg's, and Renchers with Conor's excellent photography

Did someone say treats???? 

Getting good use out of the swingset and trampoline

Lincoln enjoying the awesome chocolate chip cookies.  I think this was his 6th or something.  He was eating half, then taking them over to the fire pit ledge to save for later.  He loved them.  Got the Mom award for that one. 

Erica, Julie, Julie, Cara and Danielle

Girls night out!  Went to get dessert with the girls to  celebrate Julie Ward's b-day.  The bonus was getting away from the kiddos.  Honestly, it was the funnest time I have out with the "girls" in a long time.  These ladies are great!  Most of them moved in pretty recently, and we are so glad they are in Spokane. They are even getting me caught up on Downton Abby.  Apparently anyone who is anyone is watching it.  Up to episode 4 so far (watched them all in one sitting.)  Can't wait to see the rest. 

Spring Fun

Spring has finally arrived in Spokane!  Spring is such a long time coming here, and rather short, so we take every beautiful day we can.  Since I haven't been able to go to the gym much since the last surgery, Lincoln and I have taken to walking while Josie is at preschool, we both love to get outside.  I need to have someone take a picture of us and I will throw it in here to prove I exist. 

The kids have decided that breakfast on the deck is the only way to go

Copy cat Lincoln.  If the kids are sitting on the floor he will plop down right next to them.  He copies any action that they do, which is so fun.  He dances when the beat is right and throws his arms in the air to cheer etc...

Anything with wheels...Lincoln rolling the animals around.

Spring Soccer 2012

Spring soccer has come and gone.  Conor has learned so much this year, it is incredible.  Here are a few pictures I snapped the day of his last game. 

Add caption

Kicking the ball out of the masses

Love this picture-running down the field, full speed ahead.

 

Picture time for Lincoln

I am afraid that Lincoln will one day feel jipped when comparing his early childhood pictures to Conor's, but I guess that is what happens when you are the 3rd child.  For some reason a bowl of spaghettio's dumped on your head is not as cute when you are the 3rd vs the 1st.  I guess on the bright side he is the baby so that should make up for something.  One thing I have tried to be consistent on is getting nice pictures for those milestone months, and then yearly.  Here are my favorites of Lincoln's recent 18 month photo shoot-only a little late.

 

Surgery #3

Spent the afternoon of April 26th in the OR (Operating Room)again. 3 times in 7 months. 3 times too many. We are hoping that 3rd times the charm. This was a fairly simple knee scope, much less invasive then the other 2 surgeries. Surgery none the less. The jury is still out on whether it will solve all my problems, but I will say it cleared up all the icky crackling and grinding. I saw the before and after pictures and spoke with Dr. Mitchell and he described my knee cartilage as looking like shag carpet, not good, it should be nice and smooth. So he cleaned it up and out the best he could. I still have swelling and pain that is for sure, but it should go down eventually. I am going to to some physical therapy this time around and just hope, hope, hope, that my knee will come back to me.

The only good thing about these surgeries is that I have forced down time.  This is good and bad.  I feel  lazy, but I also spend a ton more time doing quiet activities with the kids, which is something that sometimes gets forgotten in our busy lives.  This time around I taught Josie to play Go Fish and then we used the Old Maid cards to play Memory.  I could have probably used a few more days of rest, but the Jog A Thon needed MC'ing and soccer games, and preschool and scouts and, and, and all continued even as I felt crappy.  No rest for the weary!  Thanks to some good friends for helping out with the kids.  You know who you are.

Josie and Lincoln playing Operation and Kerplunk

Me, Lincoln and Josie enjoying some quiet time

Gotta love our Lincoln!

What a cutie bug we have. Lincoln is growing and learning so much every day. He is a little sponge and soaks up all that the big kids do. He is starting to say a few words, but nothing that helps much. He says bubbles and ball and go and shoe, then he says a whole lot more that we can't understand. He was helping me shop the other day and was jabbering away. This random stranger says to me...wow he sure has a lot to say. Totally cracked me up. Lincoln will come running into a room and look me straight in the eye and spew out all kind of jibber jabber and I will say.. is that so? or respond in some way and he will either shake his head or talk some more then take off again. He is a quick mover and loves to be chased. 

The fort Lincoln made all by himself (like Conor builds)

His boom box.  That is a little ABC learner that sings and he will walk around with it on his shoulder and have pressed to his ear..I guess so he can hear it better.  Sometimes you can catch him dancing to it.

Always trying on someones shoes.  Happened to be Conor's flip flops in this picture

Crawling through the chairs with his trusty hummer...all Lincoln.  As I have said before, this kid is rarely found with out a car in tow. 

Swing set and Spring fun

The swing set is up! The weather finally warmed up enough to put together the swing set the kids got for Christmas. What a great investment! I wish we had gotten one sooner.

The typical arrangement.  The monkey bar tends to get the most use.

After a hard day of work and play, time to head to the fire pit for some dogs and smores. Family time around the fire pit are some of our favorites. Lincoln wasn't sure what to think about the fire, he tried to blow it out several times, and he loved the smoke.