Last Day of 1st Grade Ever!

I cannot believe that my Kaylee just walked out the door to start her last day of 1st grade EVER!!

Didn't I just take this picture yesterday from her first day of 1st grade? She has grown and changed so much this year and was again blessed with the perfect teacher for her personality. Thank you Lord for always placing Kaylee right where she belongs. I remember thinking that she was so big in this picture and now I look at the one I took today and she looks so small in this one. Time seems to be flying by. I remember teaching before my girls and thinking the end of the year would never come and now that I am the parent it seems like I blink and the year is gone. 

Here are a few things about Kaylee:

1. She loves school and is a little sad that the year is over.

2. She is not a morning person, hates the process of waking up. Once she gets over the initial shock of waking up she is great though.

3. Loves to read anything and everything! I cannot believe how much more she is reading since the beginning of the school year. 

4. Values friendship. She wants to be everyone's friend which is obvious when I go eat lunch with her because she knows almost everyone in all the 1st grade classes and can tell you something about each of them. There are 12 first grade classes!

5. She loves surprises and I love the look on her face when she receives one.

6. She is definitely not a homebody. For weeks she has been asking what we are doing this summer because she wants to make sure I have some kind of daily plan so she will not be bored.

7. Over the past few months she has turned into quite the athlete. Softball is her new passion.

8. She still loves her sister and shows it most days;-) They have a wonderful relationship and she always wants to make sure Campbell is taken care of if she is sad or hurt. 

9. Drawing is another one of her favorite activities. She is a perfectionist about everything so her artwork always turns out great because she put a lot of though into it.

10. Independent. It is wonderful to celebrate the way she embraces life and all the opportunities that come her way.

11. She is just as interested in playing games boys enjoy as well as those that girls like. Most of the time she would rather play with the boys at recess because she says all the girls want to do is play house and that is boring. The boys make up fun games that involve playing tag evidently and being active.

12. Competitive. She loves to win and achieve the best she can whether she is playing a sport, completing school work, or playing the Wii. 

13. She still loves to play games and has been so excited to play board games at school the past two days. 

14. Blessing. She is a blessing in our life each day. We feel so thankful that the Lord gave us such a wonderful daughter with an amazing heart for others. 

We love you Kaylee and are so proud of all your achievements this year from maintaining a 95% or above average all year, perfect attendance, good sportsmanship, great attitude, and just being You! 

Backyard Camping 101

We had a very eventful Memorial Day Weekend! On Saturday evening we took a family trip to Academy to buy a tent for the family. Yes, you heard me right a tent. I have already made sure Cary and I are on the same page and there will be no camping deep in the woods, there will be a decent bathroom and shower near by, and the area will be checked for snakes before I get out of the car. I think that many fun memories can be made camping over the years so we are going to give it a go. 

Cary was all ready to take the girls for the night to the lease but I convinced him a night in the backyard should be tried first. We decided Sunday night would be the best since Kaylee had a school holiday Monday. The tent we purchased is an 8 person tent and has a little porch area to keep wet items and other things you might not want to bring in the tent. Cary assembled the tent (with Kaylee's supervision) in no time. Once we got all the sleeping bags, drinks, snacks, and DVD player in the tent we were ready to go. 

The girls waiting patiently for Mom and Dad to get in the tent.

All the girls waiting on the movie to get started. We decided to watch Bedtime Stories.

Unfortunately after the movie was over it was all downhill for Campbell. Evidently she takes after her mother and if she stays up too late she just cannot calm herself down and gets a case of the giggles. That also included pestering her sister who was trying to sleep. After about 10 warnings she and I returned to the house for the remainder of the night or should I say morning since it was 12:00am. I think we will need to wait another year before trying a family camping trip but Kaylee is already asking when she and Daddy can camp again. At least we made some fun memories and enjoyed a little adventure too. 

Closing Ceremony for Softball

Last Friday night we got to spend some time at the softball fields for the last time this season. I think Cary and Kaylee were a little sad but Campbell and I were ready to sit down to a meal as a family at night again. It has been so much fun to watch Kaylee play this season and she has shown a real talent for softball and a real competitive spirit. We have tried many things over the years to find her niche; soccer, gymnastics, and dance. I have always said when she was old enough to know what she likes we will pursue it. Looks like softball is the winner so far;-) It was such a precious thing to watch Cary and her share the love of the game together. I love that she adores her Dad and wants him to be her coach every year.  When softball season rolls around again we will all be looking forward to some more memories at the ballpark. Way to go Kaylee!!

Priceless!

Perfect Attendance Reward

Well the morning started off slow since Kaylee was diagnosed with a double ear infection yesterday she just has not felt great so she was slow moving to go to school this morning. Later in the morning when the phone rang and said ____________ Elementary I just knew they were calling for me to come get her. I was very surprised when the voice on the other end of the phone told me that Kaylee had won a bike for having perfect attendance and no tardies all school year so I would need to come pick it up. Evidently two bikes per grade are given away. I do not know who was more surprised me, Kaylee, or Cary. Kaylee was so excited to tell me all about it when I picked her up from school. She was quick to point out that even though she had just gotten a new bike this would be great for when friends come over and they want to go for a ride with us and thtat she could take turns riding both bikes. That girl is always thinking. Here is a picture of Kaylee with her new bike and summer haircut. 

1st Grade Awards Assembly

On Monday we got to witness Kaylee get her very first award at school. She was so excited about her big day and so were we. Kaylee has had straight A's all year and has had perfect attendance as well. I do not know if I ever had perfect attendance in all my years of school. This picture is of the Superintendent of the district giving Kaylee her Academic Excellence Award along with a purple Wylie t-shirt. She had some very proud parents, a sister, and grandparents sitting in the audience. It was so fun to see several of her friends get their awards too.  Of course, we had to document it well with a photo session in front of the school afterwards. 

Way to go Kaylee! 

We are so proud of you!

Super Sunday

Well as calm as our Saturday ended up being due to the rain, our Sunday more than made up for it. We found out Saturday night that the Dazzlers would be continuing the tournament that started on Friday starting at 8:00am Sunday morning. That is the time we are usually at church so we reworked the schedule and thanked God for two church services and our church being so close to the house and ballfield. 

The girls gave it all they had at 8:00am. Kaylee hit every ball that came her way but alas we lost the game which meant that we would play again at 12:20pm. As soon as the game was over Campbell and I hoped in the car to get ready for Bible class at 9:40am. Left field at 9:ooam, got dressed for church, and were back in the car by 9:30am. My parents, Kaylee, and Cary got two hours to get ready since the adult classes were not meeting on Sunday due to a Senior reception at class time. 

The church service on Sunday was very special for our family because Kaylee was presented with a Bible from the church to show her how

 important she is to our church family and that we are all there to give her the tools she needs to follow the Lord all the days of her life. It is such a gift to have so many people who love and want to help you lead your child in the ways of the Lord. Thank you church family for your amazing love for our children, we are truly blessed!

Next up, 12:20pm ball game. This was one of the best games the girls have played this year, especially for Kaylee. She was hitting the ball great and she caught a pop-up fly ball to get one of the hitters on the other team out. I do not know how she did that with all the gear she has on as catcher, but she did it! The smile on her face as she beamed with pride (and her Daddy too) was worth the whole season to me. Unfortunately I was not camera ready so I did not get it on film but it will forever be in my memory. She has had amazing teammates, coaches (it helps that Dad is one), and parent support from all the parents which has made this experience fabulous. Having all the parents there to cheer each girl on and encourage them even when it has not been their best game has meant the world to Kaylee. She is already talking about playing again next year. I think we have an athlete in the family, I cannot claim any of those genes;-) We ended up losing the game but none of us could be overly disappointed because they played their hearts out. Kaylee's consolation prize was getting to eat at Red Lobster with Papa, Nana, and the rest of us. Of course, Kaylee was very happy to have crab legs and shrimp for her meal so at least that made not winning a little more bearable. 

Once we got home we all had some rest time before taking on the remainder of the day. It was so pretty outside that Nana and I took the girls for a ride on their bikes around the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful Lord's day. Then we ate some delicious grilled hamburgers by my Hubby on the patio and just enjoyed the wonders of nature. After that Kaylee decided that a family game of dodgeball was in order so while I cleaned the kitchen the rest of the family provided the entertainment. It was the perfect end to our crazy day.

From Sports Illustrated to Glamour Magazine

Well this past weekend was a busy one so you are going to get a few new posts from me this week to get it all in.  

It all started on Friday night when the Pixie League Softball Tournament started. Luckily we got one of the earlier time slots so we played at 6:00pm. The Dazzlers did a great job but the other team I felt like had more experience and since we have a lot of first year players it was just not in the cards for us to win. All the girls did their best and that is all you can ask. Since we lost it meant we would have an 8:00am game on Saturday morning, but the weather intervened and we got the good rain we have been needing so desperately. No complaining about that;-) Kaylee was a little disappointed but once she remembered that she would get to attend one of her good friend's birthday party she was thrilled to miss the tournament.

The Birthday Party was at the cosmetology school we have here, I did not even know that they did that. After two hours of beauty and fun this is what I got back...

Can you believe all the curls in her hair? She was so excited!! Whe I asked her how long her new style took she said she thought she was sitting there for an hour while the nice lady curled it with a curling iron. I can believe it because she has so much hair. They even put spray glitter in it which was so cute!

Here is the back view... too bad we ended up having an 8:00am game on Sunday so it did not stay like this.

Here Kaylee is showing off her hot pink nails that had dots painted on them. She was so proud of them! I thought she looked so pretty. 

Thanks Mrs. Denise for having such a fun birthday party. Kaylee loved every minute of it!

Goodbye 3's Class

Another year of school has passed for Miss Campbell Grace. I cannot believe that next year will be her last year of Pre-K. I just love how happy she is in the picture on the left from the first day of school verses the picture on the right of the last day of school. That's my girl! We were in a little bit of a hurry to get to school yesterday and the last thing Campbell wanted to do was stop for a photo. You can see how much her face has changed in the two pictures though. She is looking like more of a Big Girl and less like a toddler each day.  

These three women were Campbell's awesome teachers this year. They have loved her and blessed her every Tuesday and Thursday with their amazing talents. She has learned so much this year. 

A few things about Campbell Grace right now:

*Campbell loves to sing about anything. Her favorite thing is to sing any Barbie Princess movie song. However, she also loves to make-up her own songs too. Her favorite right now is the "guacamole song." 

*She loves to paint and draw anything and everything that comes to her mind.

*Outside is one of her favorite places to be. Especially, if it involves riding her new bike.

*She loves watching the birds in the bird feeder or birdbath outside. She names them all Lola because that is the name of a bird in one of the Barbie Princess movies. 

*Her favorite store is Target. No matter what we are shopping for we have to go down the Barbie aisle to see what is new.

*She calls long sleeved shirts "downers" and short sleeve shirts "uppers". I do not know where that came from. Her favorite things to wear right now are sundresses, spaghetti strap shirts, or halter tops. Things with no sleeves are definitely her favorites.  Changing clothes a few times a day is common around our house lately.

*Games are also something that she loves. Board games, Wii games, or something she made up all make her happy.

*She can spell her name pretty well and loves to ask me how to spell other names of things so she can practice. She can write most of the letters of the alphabet on her own.

*Most days she loves her sister very much and cannot wait for her to get out of school.

*She also loves to try to do everything Kaylee does. It is so funny to hear the stories she reads from her books trying to read like Kaylee. Precious moments.

* I also have to mention INDEPENDENT!! This can be good and bad.

*She loves the morning! Most days you will find her awake by 7:00am because she cannot wait to greet the day and she does it with a happy heart.

*She loves everyone but Momma is still at the top of her list. If she is hurt, wants to cuddle, or wants to do something it is Momma that she comes to first. I also am the first to hear about it if she is mad about something.

I love the precious girl that she is, even on the more trying days. I am still amazed that I ended up with a little girl with blonde curls and such fair skin. She is so much fun to watch grow and experience life. I cannot wait to see how much she grows and changes over the summer. 

May Farm Field Trip

On Wednesday Campbell and I rode to May Farm with my sweet friend, Robyn, and her son Lane to experience the first grade field trip. I had never been to May Farm before so it was quite the experience. I knew we were in for an adventure when Robyn stopped at a gas station before we got there to take a restroom break and said "you won't want to go there". ( Come to find out there is an outdoor restroom of sorts so I was glad for the warning.) 

The buses arrived a few minutes after us and all the children were giddy with excitement just like I remember being as a child.

On the list of activities for the field trip were holding an animal in their lap, feeding the many barnyard animals, taking a wild trailor ride, and riding the horse. We also got to have a picnic on the grounds which consisted of trying to keep dirt and flies off your food since the West Texas wind decided to show up that day in full force. The girls loved every minute of it though. Look at these smiles while holding the bunnies.

The girls were also thrilled to get to ride on the horse. I think they have my love of horses. Kaylee had fun riding with Evan and Campbell rode with her new friend Kate. It is always so fun to see Kaylee interacting with her school friends and loving her teacher. 

You can see from this picture of the three of us that it was windy because my hair is crazy. 

I love these two girls and am so thankful to be able to participate in fun outings with both of them. The look on Kaylee's face when she saw us was of pure joy!  I am truly blessed!

YCW Show 2009!

Well it is the sign that another year has gone by too quickly when we get to the End of the Year Program at YCW. Here is Campbell with her class smiling away. They sang "Our God is so Big", "Rainbow Song", and recited Psalm 139:14. You can tell that the children are growing up when they all participate and there is no crying during the performance. I almost cried when they put of the video of pictures at the beginning of how much the children have grown through the year. 

Here is Campbell sporting the cute apron they made to wear in their performance.  Anything with a child's handprint is just precious.

We were glad that Papa, Nana, and Great Papaw could join us this year for the show. Campbell cracked me up when she saw all of us in the audience telling her friends beside her exactly who each of us were. She has grown so much since last years show and we are so blessed each day by her love of life.

Happy Mother's Day 2009!

Well Mother's Day 2009 has now come and gone and I feel so blessed! It was great to have my parents and grandfather here and I was very glad my husband made it back in town on Saturday afternoon just in time for the festivities. The spoiling actually started on Saturday for me and the girls. Papa and Nana treated us to a yummy lunch at Red Robin, new bicycles for the girls, and a new top and jewelry for me. (Yes, the one in the picture) Even though it is really suppose to be a day when I get to shower my Mom with love and gifts, she always makes sure that I feel special too. That is just the way she has always been and I am so lucky to have a Mom who still continues to think of me all the time. I love you Mom! 

The rest of the day was spent watching the girls ride their new bikes and entertain us with lots of giggling. As you can see they were both very excited! Kaylee

 wanted a kickstand and a brake on the handle bars for her bike which is exactly what we got. Campbell wanted her bike to be pink and purple with Barbie on it. She was most excited that her real Barbie doll can ride on the handle bars with her. Thank you Target for always making our wishes come true;-)

On Sunday we went to church, ate a yummy lunch at Copper Creek (thank you again Honey for making reservations ahead of time), opened our presents, and enjoyed some Mother's Day cake before Papa and Nana headed back home. The girls got me the best Mother's Day cards and Kaylee made me a very sweet book about all the reasons she loves me. They also picked out a very pretty bracelet, picture for the wall, and some beautiful flowers. I felt very spoiled by my sweet family all day. Thank you all for the perfect Mother's Day!

Sunday evening the weather was beautiful so we ate hamburgers Cary grilled for us outside, Great Papaw and Kaylee played some basketball, and I went for a walk around the neighborhood while the girls rode their bikes. It was the perfect way to end the day.

I hope all my bloggy friends had a great Mother's Day too!

Wordless Wednesday!!

Fun-filled Weekend!

On Friday Cary's Mom came in town along with his sister, Chiara, and  our niece Chenna. They all came to watch Kaylee play softball Friday night.

Kaylee was excited that they came to watch her and Campbell was excited to have a playmate at the game that night. The Dazzlers played their heart out but did not pull out a win that night. We were so proud of Kaylee because she got a base hit every time she was up to bat and her catching skills are getting better each game. 

Way to go Kaylee!

Speaking of "catching", Kaylee told Aunt Chiara that she needed a picture of her cousin Catch with his name on it because none

of her friends believed that she had a cousin named Catch. We

all got a chuckle out of that one.

On Saturday we spent the day just enjoying the cooler breeze. Kaylee had fun outside playing

 volleyball with Grandma while Campbell and Chenna had fun going outside and inside about a dozen times. The girls also watched Hotel for Dogs and colored some to pass the time until McKinley's Birthday Party.

Here are a few pictures of the party...we all had so much fun! 

 All in all it was a fun but busy weekend full of food, games, and fun! Thanks Aunt Chiara for making the trip from Oklahoma, sorry I did not get a picture of you while you were here.