One big festival!

So it seems like this weeks was one big festival! I don't think it will be too much to come up with ten things this week.

1) Emilyne learned to stand! Of course she didn't perform for the camera..

2)We had some wonderful visitors. Nate, Sarah, Ada and Lydia came to visit for the last time. They're moving back from Missouri to Utah and we are so sad. It has been so much fun living so close to them these last 2 years as Nelson and Ada have become so close. They absolutely love each other and the day Nelson finds out that Ada's coming he asks every 5 minutes when she'll be there. i can only pray that these two years have created a bond between these two cousins that will stay with them their whole lives.

3)On a happier note I finally got to meet this guy and I am crazy about him! Although we are so bummed about Nate and his family leaving we are sooooo excited to have Tyler, Kristy and sweet sweet Landon moving to Iowa!

4)Grace finished 1st grade and I of course am in heaven having her home with me all day. 

5)PIE FESTIVAL! There's a bunch of small towns in Iowa that have festivals but last weekend was my favorite. It's the pie festival where you pay $1 for a ticket and then you go around to all the cute mom and pop shops around the town square and try a bunch of pies the winner was the peanut butter and the loser was the gooseberry. Blah!

6) While at the pie festival we drove past good old John Waynes childhood home. Turns out his birth name was Marion Robert Morisson and in the words of Travis "well no wonder he had to be a tough guy with that name!'

7)We had an outside movie night where we projected Hop onto the house. we've been working on a rewards system and the kids had to earn 100 beans . They did it and it was one of the funnest nights ever.

8) We just hung outside and blew bubbles and have just loved being together. There is nothing that makes me happier than just hanging out laughing as a family.

 9) Nelson had to give McKenna something to remember him by. She's one of his best friends here in Iowa and he is going to miss her almost as much as I'll miss Andrea.  However, I just gave Andrea a card to remember me by.

10) Grace and Anna started piano! I got a piano for $50 and it's in incredible shape so it's been fun to have them practicing and of course they have inspired Travis again to learn to play.

10 on Tuesday

So after not being that great at consistency in blogging I was inspired by my friend  Karen to start doing 10 on Tuesday, Every Tuesday I will write briefly about 10 things that happened during the week. And being that this week was the best week ever I decided it was a good time to start.

1)These guys became official Tough Mudders. Meaning they did a 12 mile obstacle course including running through  live wires, jumped off platforms into mud pits, climbed 12-15 foot walls, monkey bars etc. and they loved every second of it.

2) Uncle Josh took us too Chuck E. Cheese and got us over 200 tokens. Have you ever had that many tokens. It may have been better than Disneyland.

3)While at Chuck E. Cheese Anna and Josh participated in the LOUDEST game of Rock Band ever. But the token was already in and there was no turning back regardless of the embarrassment.

4)Travis and Josh made the biggest batch of Skeebs ever. Just look at the bowl.

5)Nelson completed his first year of preschool and was voted class clown and he sported the sweater vest nicely as always.

6) After finishing our first year of preschool together I was reminded that I have some of the greatest friend ever. Sometimes I would crave a preschool planning party because I can laugh until I'm sick with these girls.

                            7)We went to a pirate party and I again laughed until I was sick.

 8) Travis and I came to the realization that we have 4 kids. She's mobile and all over the place and just like her predecessors we have a feeling that behind that sweet face there may be pure wildness.

9)Grace and Anna had their last soccer game and it was so fun watching how much they have improved.

10) I had my last Monday cycling class with one of my dearest friends of all time Andrea Bowman. She's moving and after 2 years of being her friend and neighbor I hope that she has rubbed off on me just a drop. She's one of those people that if the whole world could be just like her it would be a perfect place. I will miss her as she moves on but I love her and hope we will be for lifers!

Preschool Graduation

The day I've been dreading just got one day closer. Last night was Anna's preschool graduation which means that kindergarten is one day and one huge milestone closer. I'm a wreck everytime I think about it, some people think I'm over dramatic but those people don't get to be Anna's mom. I've tried writing this post a few times already by listing off all the wonderful things I love about Anna and what I will miss when she's gone all day but there aren't words for her. She is the sweetest kindest person that I have ever known. I think I hear almost daily "mom I love everyone in the whole world even the bad guys" and she truly does. She was shocked and came running in one day to let me know that one of her friends didn't love the bad guys! And she doesn't just love the bad guys she loves EVERYONE.
She is my right hand girl helping me all day everyday. She lets me know when I forget things, she helps me out to the point I have to be so careful not to take advantage of her goodness and she keeps me laughing until I'm sick daily.
   However yesterday I was reminded of the most important reason she will be leaving me next year. At the graduation they asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. And the answers were adorable! There were doctors, paleontologist, Iron Man, Captain America and every other cute answer that little 5 years olds can come up with. I was sitting there trying to guess what Anna would say, I guessed either a mom or artist because that's what she's been talking about lately. But I got the biggest lump in my throat when they announced that she wanted to be a missionary.
   I was reminded that it just wouldn't be right to keep her to myself. I was reminded of the light that Anna brings into the world with her insane kindness.It's a viscous overly critical world out there full of people who can only see negative, it has been one of the biggest blessings of my life to be with Anna and her insane ability to only see beauty and good in this world and everyone in it. I know that she does not need to wait until she grows up to be a missionary and share this light with others.