Mooooore Birthday Fun!

We had such a blast this weekend with Austin! Instead of a birthday party with lots of friends, he chose to go with his best friend, Grant, to The Waterpark of America, at the Mall of America. Casey took Kari (of course!). We started with sleepovers Sat. night and then we spent all day Sunday at the waterpark. It was so much fun! It's the largest indoor water park in America and it is huge - it has a wave pool, several other pools, a river ride, many body slides and raft slides - Austin's favorite was the flow rider - the thing you surf on (he's on the left in the above picture). He was awesome at it!! I have noticed that anytime he's on a body board, it's almost impossible to get him off (future surfer, maybe.....he IS wanting to grow his hair out...). Anyway...he is officially 9 years old and it was a great celebration!

Graduation Preparations!

Nicole's graduation handbook came in the mail the other day and while I was reading through it, my eyes just welled up with tears. You'll hear me say this over and over I'm sure, but I just can't believe this time in her life is already here. As I was reading all the info about ceremony practice (you cannot miss it!) and cap & gown pick-up (don't lose it or wrinkle it!), it brought back memories of my graduation as if it were yesterday (and it sooo wasn't - it was lots and lots of years ago!). I've been writing a letter to Nicole and was telling her in it that as I was reading this handbook, so many images of her flashed through my mind, to the point, where you know that feeling like you can't breathe and something is stuck in your throat? That's how I felt. It's not fear or trepidation, but a sense of time flying by and nothing you do will slow it down.
I was shopping at the party store for her graduation party, and as I was in there, I was thinking back to the times when I had been in that store and seen the graduation supplies, and thought that it was a million years away - that somehow that day was so very very far away. And it was a little surreal to be the mom with the buggy full of graduation party stuff. Now, believe me, there have been days with her that I have NOT wanted time to slow, but to speed up! But with the milestone of graduation, I've realized that good or bad, happy or sad, fulfilling or frustrating, loving or hurtful, these moments, minutes and days, we will never see again. As a mom, I am always growing and learning and I feel that in this season, I have been stretched in my parenting more than ever before; the role of mom changes and the sand shifts and moves quickly under my feet, where the ground used to be so known and fixed.
We are looking forward to the next month and all that it entails, soaking up the memories, and at the same time, learning to let go.

Baby Bunnies, Part II

We were having a quiet, peaceful, rainy day, when Casey yelled for me to come out to the baby bunnies. She had been sitting in the front office room and saw something not right out at the bunny nest. I went out (unfortunately, after her) and we think a hawk that we saw earlier in the day, got to them. It was yucky, and Daddy is gone, so I had to clean it up - it was very sad and my heart broke for the momma bunny who sat in the rain the other night, guarding her babies. Austin had 8 million questions and Casey processes like a true animal person - the cycle of life, etc. But I don't! Anyway, just wanted to let you all know that sadly, we won't have any more news of their progress....

Baby Bunnies

I was weeding around the tree in the front yard that has a raised flower bed around it and pulled up a clump of weeds and there were 3 baby bunnies under it! I quickly put it back down and covered them good. We managed to get a few pics while trying not to disturb them. The other night, we had a big rainfall and the momma bunny sat right next to the flower bed while it poured, protecting her babies from would-be predators; that's the picture at the bottom - she's the blob to the right - I couldn't figure out how to take a good night picture through the window and through rain!! Today, one of the babies came out of the little den and hopped around a little and went back in - so cute!

Birthday Boy

One of the things we did for Austin's birthday was re-vamp his room. If you remember the pics from a few weeks ago, you'll know that it was in serious need. Casey came up with the idea to get a "Speed Racer" comforter and theme - he LOOOOOOVES Speed Racer. So on Monday, as soon as he left for school, we (Cary, me & Casey) started taking down bunk beds, moving the dresser, cleaning out EVERYTHING and then we had to assemble the new shelving units and bed. We barely finished before he got home. It was worth it - he loves it, and so does Mom!

Surprise!!!

A little boy and his treasures...

My Precious Boy

Austin is turning 9 years old tomorrow (April 22) and so I was going through pictures on my computer. It seems like 2004 is as far back as my hard drive goes, so he's 4 or 5 in these. I chose some of my favorites. I can't even begin to describe how this little boy just melts my heart on a daily basis - probably because he's so much like his daddy. Austin has a beautiful spirit and a tender heart; he is soooo funny and quick-witted - his teacher just cracks up at him and tells me each week the "antics of Austin". He doesn't purposely draw attention to himself, rather is very endearing to others and his humor is very quick and subtle. A little story: a few weeks ago we were at a kids zone place with batting cages, arcade, laser tag - you get the picture! There was a little boy in a wheelchair there on a field trip and was asking classmates to play air hockey with him - nobody volunteered. I was watching Austin while he stood in line for bumper cars, and Austin had been watching this boy. He stepped out of line, all on his own, and went over to the boy to see if he wanted to play. The boy had decided to play a different game but thanked Austin. That night, after he had gone to bed, he came into my room, crying, and his little heart was aching that nobody had wanted to play with the boy. He spoke about it for days. Some might think that a tender heart in a boy could make him vulnerable to being teased, but he also has such a strong spirit and confidence in who he is; he has the other side to him that loves to wrestle, play every sport we let him, ride his dirt bike and beat anybody who is willing to risk it at Nascar Gamecube! It has been amazing to see him grow, from these pictures, of such a little boy, to the big guy that he is today. I am so thankful that God blessed me with this son and the privilege of seeing him become a little man each day.

Spring Projects

Austin was helping Daddy do some spring projects - we have a lot in MN after the long winter! Here he is helping out with the fence - so cute!

Backyard Pics from Last Weekend

Science Project

Casey did a fun science project this week - the kids had to come up with ways to drop an egg from the roof to the ground without breaking the egg. She came up with using a piece of foam from the foam pit at gymnastics. She cut a tunnel to the center, pushed the egg to the center and it worked! They tested them today at school - the science teacher was on the roof of the school dropping their experiments (I should've taken pics!). There was a lot of creativity - a basketball cut open filled with jello, a jar of peanut butter with an egg in the center, etc.

A Work of Art

Brianna, the daughter of some good friends of ours, painted this during a church service last night. She is very talented and has been painting for years. It was cool to watch her work -

Happy Birthday Bella!

Today, Bella turned 2 years old! She has been a lot of work, but I can't imagine life without her. She is ALWAYS by my side (or feet) and is such a little doxie. She loves to go for walks and ride in the car to pick up kids or go for the morning coffee run to Starbucks. She seems to know those two times. Bella, like most doxies, sleeps under the blankets with us at night and by the time you wake up in the morning, she has inched her head up on my pillow and is stretched out like a little person. She does think she's human (don't most dogs??). Happy Birthday Bella!

Art Show & Choir Concert

Casey had her Spring Choir Concert last night - this picture shows only about 1/3 of the choir. Hillside Elementary has a great choir program!



The Art Show was held the same evening. These totem poles were created by some of the 5th grade. We won the silent auction for the one of the right because Casey created the top piece. Yeah - we get to have this in our house. It is staying in the classroom until summer though!

I thought these were cool - a student did a pencil drawing of a portion of a picture of the teacher and then they were all put together. They did an awesome job!

Well, all I can say about this amazing piece of art is he came up with a creative title for it "Melted Cupcake".

Congratulations Casey!

Remember the "very large display of Casey's life" that she made a few months ago? Mid-way through the large backboard of many pictures of her life, she told me that it could be 8x11, and I was stunned! Well, she came home from school yesterday, very excited. She won the county art award and received a t-shirt (which she's wearing in the photo) and a craft and certificate. Yeah Casey!