Some Summer Fun

Even though summer was a long time coming this year, we are definitely enjoying it now.  It has been a beautiful month so far.  We have had a TON of rain, so on days where there isn't rain, we definitely have to take advantage!

A couple weekends ago, we did just that.  We packed a picnic lunch into our bike trailer and we biked 10 miles to a really neat park.  The bike trails here in Minnesota really are incredible.  They are so beautiful, and you can practically get anywhere you need to on them!
 

We met some friends there, and were able to spend a couple hours just playing and enjoying the beautiful weather!  The kids had such a great time, and so did we.  I truly love days like this where we just get to enjoy being together with our little family!

In other summer fun news, we bit the bullet and bought a trampoline!!  We have a great backyard, but didn't really have anything back there for the kids to play on.  As a result, they would often creep on up to our neighbors houses to see if they were out to play on their swingsets.  While we are great friends and love our neighbors, I just felt like we needed to have something to keep our kids entertained in our yard!  So far they have loved it and have used it every day.  We sure are loving summer!!

Happy Father's Day!!

We had so much fun celebrating Cameron this weekend!  All he wanted for Father's Day was to go golfing, so he got to do that on Saturday afternoon/evening.

On Sunday morning, we let him sleep in for a bit, but then surprised him with breakfast in bed, and presents from the kids (a tie that Miley picked out, and Reese's peanut butter cups from Landon).

After church, we made steak fajitas (although Cameron was the chef...don't know if he trusted my cooking of the steaks???).  Overall, I think he had a good weekend.

We are so lucky to have Cameron.  He is such a caring, devoted father and would do anything for these two kids.  One of the many reasons I knew I wanted to marry Cameron was because I knew he was going to be a great father.  He has done nothing but exceed my expectations.

I am also so blessed to have such a wonderful dad and father-in-law.  Hard-working, ambitious, loving, generous, and caring.  I truly am lucky to have such wonderful men!!

Dance Into the Future

Miley ended her year of dance with a big recital, called "Dance Into the Future."  Really, I cannot believe how big of a production this thing is...and there are 5 separate recitals, and Miley was only in one of them!  So crazy.

Anyway, they had a dress rehearsal on May 21st.  It was so fun to get Miley all dolled up, and see how she would do on a real stage!

All the little duckies lined up in a row watching all the older kids dance!

Miley and her cute friend Violet.  We were so lucky to be able to meet Violet and her mom, Charlotte, through dance this year.  They became great friends of ours!  I love all of these adorable pictures of them together!

A few days after the dress rehearsal, Miley had her actual last day of class.  I am so sad to not be going to dance every week.  Miley has truly loved it and had so much fun with it....it is definitely a highlight of her week.  Her teachers were wonderful.  I am hoping we can get them again at some point!

On June 1st, we dropped Landon off with some friends, and Cameron and I went to watch the recital.  We weren't really allowed to take pictures or video at the actual recital.  I did get a video of her dance at the rehearsal, and may try to upload it here later, but I was disappointed because she did much better at the recital than she did at the rehearsal!  It was so fun to watch her very first recital, and fun to see all of the other dances as well.  

I love, love, love dance, and I hope that it becomes a love of Miley's also.  We are planning on sticking with it for now, and we will see where it takes us!  

Preschool Graduation

On May 15th, Miley headed out for her last day of preschool.  I can't believe how much she has grown over the last nine months...

For the last hour of their class time, parents and family got to come and watch them perform some songs, "graduate," and then have some treats and time to play.

They had a "Camping" theme for their party this year, so all of the activities were focused around that.  The kids were having so much fun running around and playing (Landon included!).  They had a fishing game were you could fish for a prize, a sack race, tents to play in, and little s'mores trail mix bags made from golden grahams, marshmallows, and chocolate chips.  So cute!

This year just flew by.  I can't believe Miley has finished two years of preschool and is off to kindergarten next year!  We have felt so lucky to have her in such a great preschool with wonderful teachers that truly love those kids.  I am a little sad that she won't be in such a small, comfortable environment anymore, but I know she is excited to go to kindergarten and will have fun with that as well. Can't wait to see what next year brings!

Double Celebration

Today, I got to celebrate all the best things in one day!

6 years ago, Cameron and I got married!!  I can't believe it has already been 6 years, yet it seems like we have been together forever.  I am so lucky to get to be married to him.  He is so funny, encouraging, loving, kind, hard-working, a great father....I could go on and on.  We had plans to go out this weekend to celebrate, but ended up not finding a sitter, so we just brought the kids along with us.  :)  It was great though.  Just being together is the best.

I also got to celebrate Mother's Day today!  I don't know where I would be without my sweet kids.  They bring so much to my life, and really make me try to be a better person.  Fortunately, I have the best example of what a great mother is.  My mom truly is the most selfless, caring, person I know.  I always hope to be more like her, but know I have a long way to go!

The day was great.  Miley kept making me sweet little pictures and cards, Landon and Miley picked out a necklace and earrings for me, and Cameron made a delicious dinner of steak, shrimp, potatoes, asparagus, and angel food cake for dessert.

I sure love my little family, and feel so blessed that they are mine!

End of Year Fun!

Miley's preschool is well on its way to being over for the summer, and they have been packing in lots of fun!

On April 29th, they had an Earth Day celebration at her school, where they got to invite an adult to come and do some fun activities with them.  Luckily I have a great neighbor who was willing to watch Landon so I could go be with Miley for an hour.  It was so fun to spend some one-on-one time with her and get to see her in her element at school.  They got to do a couple of crafts, sing some songs for us, and show us some of the stuff they had been talking about that month, relating to the earth, and how to be "green."

Just a few days later, on May 2, I was able to go on her last field trip of the year to the Minnesota Children's Museum.  She had so much fun running and exploring with her friends, painting her own face, getting to help in a magic show, and eat lunch "picnic-style" there.

This last full week of school they have had theme days, like "Dress-Up Day" and "Sleepover Day."  I foolishly didn't get a picture of her in her Indian princess dress for dress up day, but I did get her in the pajamas she wore for sleepover day.

I can't believe how soon the year is going to be over!  It has been so much fun sending her to preschool, and she truly loves it and loves going everytime.  I can't help but feel a little sad that this time is coming to an end....