CAMPING

There's nothing like BackYard camping ...

even if we only made it until 8:30 PM!

WATER PARK

While Miss Jeffre watched Baby J, A and I took the Big kids to a water park in the Cities.  Water slides, lazy river, splash pad … so fun!  These kids are turning into little fishies!

BIRTHDAY LETTER

To my sweet Jackson Paul on your sixth birthday:

Six years ago you made me a momma!  You changed my life forever.  You continue to bring me joy each day.  Your blue eyes still sparkle with innocence, and your white hair makes you stand out in a crowd of people.

Over the last year you have grown from a preschooler to a real big kid boy.  You are beginning to read and solve simple equations.  You can easily bike around our entire neighborhood (even the BIG hill).  You can take a few good swings with the baseball bat and you can run much faster than I.  You swing effortlessly from one monkey bar to the next. You whip together Legos without any help (even the ages 7-12 kind!).

Your imagination still runs wild.  Nearly each day I overhear you and Addie playing "airport" or "pirates" or "movie theater" or "school."  The relationship you have with your sister is truly one of a kind.  And you are a SuperHero to your little brother Jude.  He watches you do everything.   You are helpful and loving.

You are such a compassionate leader.  Your preschool teachers always describe you as kind.  This makes me so proud.  May you always have these gifts - you make this world a much better place.

In a few short months, you will hop on a school bus and ride to Kindergarten for the very first time.  Even if I am absolutely terrified of this, you cannot wait.  No matter how hard I am trying, you just continue to grow.  I pray that God will continue to protect and guide you. May He fill you with confidence when you are away.  May He bring you joy all the days of your life.

Happy Birthday, Little Big One.

Love,
Mommy

SIX!

What a day!  Due to A's crazy weekend work schedule, we decided to host JP's birthday party on a weeknight - his real birthday.  Rather than having more than one celebration and a few cakes over a week like we normally do, we just jammed packed today into one big celebration.  I know six year olds don't quite get it, but we hope to instill the lessons that birthdays are less and less about presents and candles than time with family and friends.

Grandpa J and cousin Brendan slept at our house last night.  I tried to warn them that our kids get up early.  I guess I should have warned them about our kids getting up really early on birthday mornings.  By 6:00 AM the first present was opened:

 By 7:00 the first present was assembled:

 By 7:02 the second present was opened:

 And by 7:30 we were already eating sweets!

Although we had already planned on a pizza party for JP's party, JP chose Chuck E Cheese's for his birthday lunch.  (These are the moments when I take a step back and try to follow through with my word … JP, you can choose ANYWHERE you want for lunch).

 While Baby J napped, we came home and set up for the Pirate Party.  

 The Bounce House arrived around 3:00 allowing for some extra time to practice our jumps.

The official party was from 5-7 PM though we were lucky to have family join us earlier and friends stay later.  The weather was beautiful - still not sure how I would have pulled this party off if we all needed to play indoors!

 Many of our neighbors came.  A few of JP's classmates joined us too. 

 And the "Pirate" ice cream cake JP asked for was a perfect way to cool off.

 (I just love how little kids are always in awe of cakes and candles!)

 JP's friend from school, Luke, was born on the very same day as JP!

 If A ever loses his pilot job, I'm going to sign him up for teaching school.  He does a great job.  Somehow he managed to line up these kids from shortest to tallest in a matter of seconds before piñata time.

Happy Birthday Pirate JP!

ROSEOLA

Baby J came down with a high fever on Saturday night.  He woke up with an even higher fever on Sunday morning.  Despite the thermometer reaching 103.5 degrees by mid day Sunday, he was still happy.  Lethargic, cuddly, and happy.  No other symptoms. I figured it was his first ear infection after his swimming on Friday night.  I wasn't too worried until it persisted into Monday.  It's crazy how quickly my mind can jump from "he'll be okay" to "he must be dying."

I was ready to bring him in to the clinic on Tuesday morning, but A called me at work saying "he's 100% better!  No fever."  I found it really hard to believe until I saw this lil' guy myself.  After close inspection, I discovered a faint rash throughout his backside.  Then it clicked:  he had Roseola.  The text book kind:  High fevers for a few days without other symptoms followed with an abrupt normalization of temperature with the appearance of a rash.

Whew.  I guess he'll be okay!

CLIMBER

This picture doesn't really capture the HEIGHT JP can climb.  He actually did reach the summit, but I couldn't snap a photo fast enough - I was too busy yelling, "BE CAREFUL!  COME DOWN NOW!"

I predict a broken bone by the end of the summer.

STRAWBERRIES

SELFIE

I still remember my first cell phone - it was heavy, thick and dark purple.  I received it my senior year of college.  I was one of the first to get one … what freedom it was to be able to receive long distance phone calls without needing to wait for the "double ringer"on our dorm room land line.

Fast forward 14 years, and we get this:  both of my Big Kids are able to punch in my 6 digit pass code, navigate to the camera settings and take a pretty good selfie!

TOY STORE

Today we celebrated Father's Day with Grandpa A.  We all piled in his truck and drove to a little toy store about thirty miles away.  

The Big Kids rode the hand carved carousel:

 played mini golf (AA has horrible form, but was really good!):

 cooled off with ice cream:

 and acted silly with Grandpa!

The kiddos are so lucky to have such a great Daddy - and three amazing Grandfathers!

ZOO

To kick off our Father's Day weekend without daddy, we met Grandpa T at the Zoo.  We've already been there a handful of times this year, but there always seems to new adventures.

Like playing games with Grandpa:

Climbing on a giant mosquito:

and eating an ice cream sandwich for the first time:

VBS

The Big Kids just completed their first week of summer activities:  Vacation Bible School at our church.  The theme was Mt Everest and the kids learned a new lesson each day about God's Powers.  They received a CD of 5 new songs - 5 songs which they memorized each word and dance move by the first night!  Their childlike faith is so refreshing!  They are already begging to sign up for next year!