basement construction

This is one of the big excuses I have for not blogging in months (and the pregnancy, and the three kids, and summer time, and lack of desire, and...I could go on and on, but you get the point.)  We've been finishing our basement and towards the end it was consuming a ton of my time...decisions, decisions, decisions.  Here are some of the pictures we took during the process.  We decided to do a stained concrete floor and we were super nervous about it, but in the end it turned out AMAZING...we absolutely love it!  More pictures of the completed basement to come... 

father of the year

Tim loves to joke.  Whenever I do something stupid or make a parenting mistake or maybe even just for fun, Tim will say, "Mother of the Year."  He knows I hate it.  It's like nails on a chalkboard.  Because, honestly, I really do aspire to be "Mother of the Year" and it's offensive that he takes that title so lightly!  So, in honor of Father's Day...Tim gets the "Father of the Year" award.  I really mean it.  Yes, he makes mistakes.  He's not perfect (believe me), but to our children he is "Father of the Year."  He may not always say or do the perfect fatherly thing, but he spends time with our boys.  He shows them that he loves them.  He (in between all the harassment and jokes) makes sure they know they are loved.  So, even though Tim loves to tease and joke and he makes too many mistakes to count.  We still think he's "Father of the Year."  Joke on that!

   




P.S.  Love you babe!  (Have I mentioned that I'm in a crazy mood?  Something about not blogging in months is making me even sillier...and the bed rest, and the contractions, and my husband being out of town!)

payday

After a long day of dealing with three wild boys, being pregnant and having a husband out of town.  I went to my bedroom to crash.  As I turned on the lamp, I found this note on my nightstand.  Does it get any better than this?  So, so sweet...and hilarious!  Payton is so analytical.  I wonder how long it took him to determine that I give him snacks 80% of the time?  I've never laughed so hard!  But, I loved that he was willing to give up one his treats for me.  Payton loves candy and doesn't really like to share.  I know what a sacrifice this was for Payton, which makes the treat so special.  I immediately took a picture and sent it to Tim.  It wasn't until the next morning that I noticed he had also left a note and treat on Tim's nightstand (even though he was gone).  What a sweetheart.  These are the payday's that make every other crazy day worth it.








P.S.  You all know how Payton feels about me sharing his notes with the world so keep this just between us!

one year of growth

Can you believe how much this kid has changed in just one year?  (Don't mind the crappy iphone photo.)  We've been doing the Growth Hormone Injections every day for one year now and we're amazed at how well it's been working.  Parker grew 6 inches in just 10 months, which is INCREDIBLE.  Amazing results is about 4 inches a year.  Normal growth is 2 inches a year.  Parker clearly exceeded that.  The most amazing part is that he's not having any side effects.  We are so grateful that Parker's treatment is working so well and pray that it will continue!  

last week of school

The last week of school there were so many activities going on.  Parker had his Kindergarten graduation...

BFF's - Ryker, Parker & Kyle

Kyle, Ryker, Parker, Evelyn & Alex

Mrs. Jackson & Parker

Does it get any cuter than this?

Parker had the most amazing Kindergarten experience.  He absolutely loved school and did so well.  He had the best class of kids, including so many of his best friends, and he had an incredible teacher.  We couldn't have asked for a better year.  And, we are so excited because Parker's teacher is going to be Payton's teacher next year.

Both Payton and Parker were part of the school Dance Festival.  I couldn't get a great picture, but I love that Payton has to dance at least once a year!  Parker loves dancing and would do it all the time so he thought this was great.

Cooper & Allie - These poor kids were dragged to the school every day for a week!

Grandma Patty & Daddy came to check it out!

BFF's - Chase, Payton & Alex with their High Flying Hawk Awards!

Mrs. Moss & Payton

Too cute!

Payton also had the most incredible year!  His class was fabulous and we absolutely adored his teacher (who also happens to live in our neighborhood so we already knew her...that may have helped).   I loved that she was able to push Payton in a way that made him reach his potential.  He excelled and really thrived in her classroom.

This year was such an amazing experience for both boys that I'm so sad to see it end, but I know that these two are ready for more and we just hope that next year is just as amazing!

tryouts

Based on Payton's experience last year at tryouts, he was so nervous!  Although we reassured him over and over again that he had already made a team, he could not be convinced.  He thought he had made a team last year and didn't.  I made him this really awesome candy bar poster hoping to ease his nerves a little.  I think it worked...he did awesome at tryouts!  He looked so great and ended up making an even better team than he expected.  We are so happy for him and all his hard work! 

soccer season 2010-11

Parker had a good soccer season.  Towards the end, he wasn't sure if he wanted to play soccer anymore.  He was lacking a LOT of passion and spent more time skipping on the field than playing soccer.  However, when it came time to sign up he decided he really wanted to do it again.  We'll give it another year and see.  Parker had times where he was awesome and then other times when he was bored.  Either way, he always had fun playing.  Thanks to Coach Shane for a great year!

Payton had a wild start to the soccer season.  After not making a competition team at tryouts, Payton was so discouraged and not sure he even wanted to play soccer anymore.  He lost a lot of confidence and was sad.  We all were!  However, before the season started we got a call and Payton was asked to play with a comp team for a tournament.  He decided this was his chance to show them what he was made of and he was awesome!  They asked him to be on the team and the rest is history.  By the end of this spring season, Payton had improved so much and regained all his passion for soccer back.  He turned into a great little player this past season.  We are proud of him for never giving up and working hard to improve!

play school

This year Cooper did Play School with some of his friends in the neighborhood.  Each of us took turns hosting the kids weekly.  The older boys (Parker & his friends) also got to have a play date during the same time.  Here are some of the kids from Play School and really the only pictures I have (because a friend took them) to document the awesome Play School year.  Cooper had so much fun and it's such a great way to get these kids ready for preschool.  Thanks for a great Play School year!