Reptile Man

We went to the Salem library a couple days ago and were able to see the reptile man.  My kids were pretty excited about it.  I thought Graysen would be more excited then McKenna, but no it was the other way around.

He showed us a lot of really cool snakes, lizards, tortoise, an alligator, and other things I had no idea what they were. McKenna actually got to go up on the stage and look into the mouth of a big snapping turtle.  He told her to keep her hands behind her back and look into his mouth to see what she could see.  I totally thought she was going to get scared when he brought the turtle closer, but she thought it was really cool and wasn't scared at all.

 I am glad my kids had fun and that they got to see and learn about some cool reptiles.  It was so neat that she got to go up on stage, makes for some great memories and pictures :)

Cannon Beach

Travis' Aunt and Uncle were in town and so we decided to go to the beach with them.  We went up to Cannon beach and walked around in the little shops which was fun for us, but the kids had to find other ways to entertain themselves like being monkeys.

We went to this cute little restaurant for lunch, and we enjoyed good food and good company.

Graysen was being a cheesball while eating his pizza

Grandma and McKenna hanging out after we ate

  It was pretty chilly when we first got there but then warmed up quite a bit and the clouds burned off and it actually turned out to be a really nice day on the beach.  The kids played in the water and the sand and had a blast with that.  They don't care if the water is cold, they just go right in and get all wet.  They really love the beach and we haven't gone nearly enough this summer so I think we need to make another trip when it is really warm and we don't have to wear pants or jackets.

 We drove through Tillamook on the way back and stopped off at the cheese factory and got some Ice cream of course.  My kids were so tired and had a little bit of a break down, but the ice cream was so good and was well worth the few minutes of tantrums :)

 My cute little cow and farmer

We had a really fun time and can't wait to go back to the beach, we love it!

The big 5

McKenna turned fiver years old  and I can't believe it!  She will be going into Kindergarten this fall and I think I just might cry when she goes for her first day.  She is so excited to be 5 and can't wait to start school.  She thinks she is such a big girl now, and wants to do everything for herself.

We are so happy that she came into our lives. She is the most wonderful daughter we could ask for and has a special spirit.  She is always so kind and helpful to others.  She rarely complains if I ask her to do something.  Some of her favorite things to do is to play with Graysen and color or paint, ride bikes, play outside, and swim.  She is recently taking swimming lessons which she loves!
When she woke up we had her chair decorated and a sign up that said Happy Birthday, and she was so excited that it was finally her birthday! We had one of her favorite breakfasts, Cinnamon rolls and eggs.  We went and got her some balloons which she loved, and then we spent the rest morning setting up for her birthday party.

 McKenna has been so excited all week to have all her friends over to play at her house.  Grandma and Grandpa Allen came too which was awesome because Trav and I couldn't have handled 17 kids all by myself, as awesome as we are :) It was nice that a few other moms were there too.

We played duck duck goose and decorated party bags while we waited for the pool to be blown up and filled.  Once the pool was up and ready we hooked up the sprinkler and let the kids play in the water. They all ran in splashing and playing around.  After they played in the water for a while we brought out the cake and the ice cream which McKenna picked out by herself, and sang happy birthday.  That was probably the quietest moment we got the whole party.

After cake and ice cream they played for a little bit and then we opened presents.  She got so many presents, she was in heaven.  She got a lot of cool things from all her friends.  She got barbies, art supplies, ponies, lots of hello kitty stuff, and a lot of cool little games and toys. She had so much fun being with her friends and playing in the water.

After the presents were done and things cleaned up a bit we brought out the pinata. The kids were all so excited about this.  They each got to hit the pinata three times and then they all raced to pick up all the candy.  It was funny to watch them all scramble over each other to get all the candy.  We handed out some party favors for them to put in the bags with their candy to take home and that was it. I wish Graysen was around for most of it, but he was so tired and he crashed after the cake and ice cream.

It was a lot of fun and really busy.  There were so many kids, but I am really glad everyone could come and that McKenna had such a good time with all her friends.  It was really fun and it makes me happy that we were able to give her the first big friend party she has had.
Grandma and Grandpa stayed after the party and we went to Paddington's Pizza for dinner which was really yummy!  The kids had fun playing and they enjoyed the pizza.  After dinner we came back home and McKenna opened her presents from Grandma and Grandpa and from Travis and I.  She got an awesome pony and very own camera with a case that she can take lots of pictures with.  She was so excited about the gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Allen. She also got a really cute outfit from them as well. It was so fun to have them there to celebrate.

We gave her a scooter that she has been asking for since we first mentioned her birthday coming up and what she wanted.  She was very adamant about the scooter, and she loves it!  I think it is safe to say this birthday was a memorable one for her.

I love my little girl and am so pleased with the beautiful girl she is.  She brings my life so much joy and love, I really don't know what I would do without her. We love you Kenna!

4th of July

We had a really awesome and fun fourth of July.  We were up at Travis parents for the week and so their neighborhood has a really cool tradition of getting together and doing a huge breakfast and a parade and fun booths and stuff so we went to it for the first time this year since having kids.
We had to wait in a pretty long line to get some breakfast, but it was worth the wait. Graysen was a little tired from waiting so he was resting on Grandpa.

The breakfast was really yummy, they had pancakes and muffins and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, fruit and cinnamon rolls.  Lets just say I probably gained a few pounds from that breakfast alone.

Grandpa helped the  kids earlier to decorate the wagon so they could walk in the parade.  After breakfast we walked in the little parade around the neighborhood led by a fire engine which the kids thought was pretty cool.  They liked being in the parade but were most excited for the fun stuff afterwards.

There were a bunch of bouncy houses and blow up slides that the kids went on that they really had fun with. The lines were so long though so we could only do each slide or bounce house just one time.  They didn't mind though.

Before we left the kids of course wanted snow cones which kept them really happy for the nice walk back to Grandma and Grandpas.

They had everyone over for a big BBQ which was really fun and the food was really good.  It was nice spending time with family and friends. Grandma and Grandpa got out some pop its and the kids had fun throwing them on the ground and stomping on them with their feet.  They had a blast and could have done it for hours.

McKenna and Graysen were looking forward to the fireworks all day and so we went to the park to watch them and what does McKenna do?  She falls asleep before they even start.  I woke her up when they started though and she was so excited to see them.  The look on her face was just pure joy and I loved just watching her face and see it light up with excitement and wonder each time a firework exploded in the sky.  I  enjoyed watching her more than the fireworks.  Graysen was sitting with Grandma and kept saying " I like that one," but when the really big ones went off and made really loud sounds he changed his saying to "I don't like that one." It was fun to watch his face too because he just sits there with such a serious face because he is an observer and concentrates hard on things.  I think he was trying to figure out how they worked and was enthralled with them. I am mad I didn't bring my camera, so no shots of fireworks this time.

We had a really nice time and the kids had such a fun day and were so worn out by the end of it they went straight to bed.  They even surprised me and gave me a nice treat and let me sleep in till past 7am.  I love the fourth of July and I love being an American.  I am so glad I live in this country where we have the freedom to be who we are, believe what we want, and to do what we want to do.  I feel very blessed to live in this land and to have so many wonderful things at my fingertips.  This country is under God and of God and will always be no matter who tries to question it or try to take Him out of the equation.

Preschool Graduation

So I know it seems like people just want to celebrate so they make up any event to do so, but I am all for it when it involves my kids.  McKenna had her preschool graduation at the end of May and it was very bittersweet.
On one hand I am so excited she is learning and growing and moving onto a new stage in her life, but on the other hand I am sad she is growing up because it is going by way to fast.  Next thing I know she will be graduating from high school, but I don't want to get too far ahead of myself so I need to just focus on the now.

We did a co op this year with 6 of us moms taking turns teaching each week.  It was both rewarding and challenging teaching these sweet and smart little kids.  It was really fun and I hope the kids had a good time. McKenna was the only girl which she didn't mind cause she loves doing boy things and watching spider man movies so she has her girly side and her tom boy side.  She would definitely be more excited if she was older though, that is for sure.

It was a fun little celebration.  We had them say their ABC's and the Pledge of Allegiance and count to 20 for everyone.  We told things about them that they have improved on this year and what they were good at, and We also gave them certificates and they made cute little hats earlier in the week for the graduation.  They   were all so cute and they had a lot of fun together.

Graysen was having fun just playing and observing everything.  He was so proud of big sister.

Dessert was served at the end and we just chatted while the kids played with each other.  It was nice to be able to wrap up a great year with the kids and to see how much they have grown and what they have learned   while they were in preschool.

  Kenna is so ready for Kindergarten to start though and asks me almost everyday if it is time for her to go to the big school yet. I can't believe she will be in Kindergarten, but I am so excited for her to be able to go to school and make new friends and be able to get out cause we both need it :) Her brother will miss having a play mate while she is gone though. They are such good little friends.

The time of our lives

So McKenna had her second dance recital this last weekend and did such a great job.  The theme was "The time of our lives" and she danced to the song "Hello world" and "The hippie hippie shake."

She looked so adorable in her costume and she was such a doll dancing in front of everyone.  I love being able to watch her dance, it brings me so much joy and I am so proud of the sweet little angel she is and the person she is becoming.

Travis and I switched off volunteering back stage so we could see her perform since they did it two nights in a row.  Keeping a handful of 4 year olds entertained is not quite as easy as it seems, but they were really fun and so excited to dance.  Graysen was a handful himself when he sat with me at the show, he wouldn't keep still and I had to go in and out.  I gave in a let him have a pen to color with, needless to say it didn't end up on the paper, but at least he was entertained for a few minutes.

 It was so much fun to be there with her and watch her dance, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  She got a cool trophy at the end which she was so happy about.  She put it on her dresser so she can see it every day.  We also got her some roses for after the performance and she was ecstatic to get those and immediately wanted to take them home and put them in water.

 Both the kids were tuckered out by the time it was over.  As you can see she didn't even want to take another picture.  They passed  out in the car both nights.  At least it made for an easy bedtime :) 

I hope that she still wants to continue to dance because I love watching her and she is so cute and good.  She told me she wants to swim, but I hope I can get her to do both because I enjoy it so much. The theme was perfect though because we really are having the time of our lives and loving every minute of it.

Tulip Festival

For preschool we took the kids to the Tulip Festival which I was really excited about until I woke up and saw the endless rain. I guess I am not a true Oregonian because i am not a fair through it anyway despite the rain type of person, but of course we went because I knew the kids would have fun regardless. I brought umbrellas and their coats and of course McKenna had her rain boots. Even more proof that I refuse to accept the rain is that I don't own any rain boots and I don't have any for Graysen, after this trip though I am seriously reconsidering that. The kids played in the sand boxes for a little bit which at least was undercover. The fun play stuff was all out in the open and wet so I didn't want the kids to play on it and get all wet. McKenna had a nice learning lesson though. She asked if she could go down the big slide and I told her that she could but that she had to realize if she went down that her bum would get all wet and that since I didn't have a change of clothes for her she would have to be wet the rest of the time we were there and I knew she wouldn't like that. I let her make the decision and of course she chose to go down. When she was on it she was not happy about her bum being wet and started to complain to me but I had to remind her that it was her choice and I told her what the consequences would be. She told me next time she would make a better choice, but then she just made the most of it and was happy regardless of being wet. That just made me think how are Heavenly Father feels when he tells us the consequences of the choices we make but we do it regardless of what might happen. He doesn't prohibit us from doing it even though he knows what is going to happen, he lets us make the decision and helps us deal with the consequences and make the best of it after wards. As much as I knew she would not be happy getting her bum all wet I wanted her to make the choice so that she could learn for herself and make a better decision the next time because she would trust in my warnings and know that what I said was right. It is moments like this that its hard letting go and letting them make their own decisions, but also it is rewarding knowing that they are learning and choosing for themselves and it gives me hope that they will make the right choices in the future. All we can do is teach them correct principals and let them choose for themselves and hope and pray that they will heed your warnings and come to trust in your advice. Anyway I know that it was a little off point but it was just something that really hit me. So back to the activity at hand,the kids played on the hay bales and slide and then we went to look at the tulips. They were really beautiful and it was amazing to see all those flowers. Graysen tried to pick them off so I had to watch him really closely. It soon turned into my nightmare because Graysen started stomping in the mud and he fell a few times and was covered with mud and got my pants all muddy in the process. I was all worried about it at first but then I was just like whatever, just go with it. It wouldn't have been so bad but then I dropped my camera in the mud and we had to drive home all muddy. The kids had a lot of fun and I hope they didn't notice that I was not so much. We stripped them down when we got to the car and they rode home in their underwear and diapers. I don't usually let my kids get all dirty like that because I hate cleaning it up, but I am glad they got to have fun and just play and get dirty and I learned that sometimes it is okay to just let loose and not worry about the mess but let them have fun. Not that I don't ever let them do anything, but it is just going out in the rain getting all muddy that puts me off to the idea. Anyway it was a good wake up call for me and learning experience and in the end that is the best type of trip right :