Last Day of School

Today was the kids' last day of school!

This was our baby on her first day of 9th grade...or should I say high school?!

And this is our baby on her last day of 9th grade!

Sarah loved high school!  Although stressful and long and hard, she fell in love with marching band, just like we knew she would!  She also loved journalism, and just like everything she does, she excelled at it!  We loved reading the articles she wrote for the school newspaper, and we can't wait to continue to watch her shine in that arena!  She's number 2 in her class, and she's so stinkin' smart and driven, we have not doubt she'll remain there!

This is our baby on his first day of 2nd grade!

And this is our teenager on his last day of 2nd grade!

I just can't believe how much he's changed!

He did so great in 2nd grade!  He got all "A's" and one "B" on his report card, and the "B" was an 88.  He loves to read, and he's reading 105 words per minute!  He also loves math, and he's so good at it!  At the end of 2nd grade, you can apply to be on Safety Patrol in 3rd grade.  Along with the application you have to fill out, the teachers who know you have to vote on whether or not you would be a good candidate for this program.  Jackson was selected for it, and we are just so proud of him!  

I always love taking these pictures on the first and last day of the year.

One, because I love pictures.  And, two, because it's crazy to see how much they've grown and changed.

We are so proud of our babies!

We know they're going to continue to let their lights shine in 10th grade and 3rd grade...

...but until then, I'm going to eat them up all summer long!

When they got out of school today, I took them out for a treat, a tradition we started when Sarah was in 1st grade.  That seems like just yesterday.  But today, on the last day of her first year of high school, I'm reminded of how quickly time moves and how grateful I am for these little traditions.

Dioroma

Jackson made his first diorama all by himself and all at school!  He did it over the Mako Shark, and he did such a great job!  He loved telling us all about it--which was very beneficial, since I had never even heard of this type of shark!

Happy Birthday, Bryan!

Happy 34th Birthday, Papa Bear!

You're our rock, our laughter, our bear hugs, our calm, our adventure, our joke teller, our spicy, our risk taker, our happy, our favorite, and our very best!  We love you so, and we hope you have the absolute best birthday!

Eating Out

Now that the weather's been nice, we're trying to eat outside more.

We love eating outside, and I love them!

Way to go, Sarah!

Sarah received an award for AP Human Geography this week!  We are so proud of her!

As we were walking to the car after the ceremony, Jackson said, "Congratulations, Sarah!  You're the best Sissy ever!"  She really is!

Mother's Day

This weekend was my 15th Mother's Day!  I still can't believe I've been a Mama for that long!  And while some of it has definitely not been easy, I wouldn't change a second of it!  I love it more than anything!

And it's my very favorite!

When I grew up, I wanted to be a wife and a mom, and God blessed me so!

I truly love that these two call me Mama!

And I really love that Papa Bear makes us laugh every day!

This is my new favorite family picture!

I'm so grateful that God chose me for them and them for me!

Way to Go, Sarah!

Sarah won two 1st place medals in the state championship for journalism!  We are so proud of her!

Charlotte's Web

On Tuesday, Jackson's class put on the play, Charlotte's Web.

He was Mr. Zuckerman, and he was so excited to wear his overalls and cowboy boots!

Jackson and the rest of his class did such a great job!

My favorite part was when he exclaimed, "That's some pig!"

Mother-Son Dance

Last night, Jackson and I went to our second Mother-Son Dance!  We were both so excited!  This year, the theme was Hawaiian, and he insisted on getting a Hawaiian shirt, and after informing me that none of my dresses were "Hawaiian enough," I went shopping!  

I love this one!

He said this one was like we were getting married!

 He actually chose this pose!

 He's my favorite!

We had the best time at the dance!  The boy has got some moves!  My favorite part was the first slow song they played--they only played 3--was "What a Wonderful World" which was the first song that Bryan and I danced to at our wedding.  I told Jackson that as he and I were dancing.  My second favorite part of the night was when he borrowed his best friend's mom's grass skirt!  He cracks me up!  I hope he'll always want to go to this dance with me.  After dancing the night away, we went to Sonic, and I let him sit in the front seat to eat,  like I always do.  He loved it...so did I.

Sarah's Sermon

A couple of times a year on student night at church, a handful of students can speak to their peers about what God is teaching them.  Last night, was the third time Sarah has been asked to speak at the student-led night, and as she always does, she did an amazing job!  She spoke about how God is teaching her that He is always there, even when she forgets.

We are so proud of our baby girl, and we love watching how God is using her for His Kingdom.

Field Trip

Jackson and I went on our second field trip of the year yesterday!  We went to the new Crayola Experience!  He had a great time learning how crayons are made, designing his own crayons, making things with play-doh, and playing with his friends!  And I had a great when he would hold and kiss my hand!

Chess Tournament

On Monday and Tuesday, Jackson competed in a Chess Tournament to end Chess Club for the school year.  On Tuesday evening, the parents were able to attend and watch the kids in action.

The first round, Jackson and his partner were the last two left competing.  It ended in a draw.

In the second round, he won!

He ended up placing 6th overall out of 27 second graders!  And that's after not knowing how to play chess at all prior to joining the Chess Club in January!  We are so proud of him!  He's going to Chess Camp this summer, and he can't wait!

Coffee Mugs

When my babies were actually babies, and I would be up nursing them in the wee hours of the night, I would sing them songs.  Sarah's was from a musical, and Jackson's I made up, (he and I still sing his to this day!).  I thought it would be sweet to write their songs--in their favorite colors--on big coffee mugs.  They loved it!

They each used them this weekend with breakfast!

Fancy Date

Bryan and I went on a fancy date recently to support a charity that rescues women from slavery in India.  This amazing organization has became really near and dear to our hearts over the past couple of years, and we look forward to this night each year to get dressed up and donate to this great cause.