Spring to Summer

 As the title says, this post will be going from Spring to Summer.  As usual, I do not know where the time goes!  It's crazy.  As I pick pictures to post I just smile because I forget all these awesome moments with my family.  But, am also sad because I DO forget!  But, I am so glad to have this forum to share, and if anything, go back myself and look back at so many fun memories.

 Easter was fun this year.  I love seeing John continue to realize what all these holidays are and I like that Mel looks after him and shows him the way.  I think she likes to live a bit through John and still enjoys the holidays too, even though she is probably a bit old for things like Easter Egg Hunts, but its nice we can still enjoy these events as a family.

 In March, Mark had some time off and we took a day and went to the Coast.  It was a bit chilly, but the kids still managed to clearly enjoy themselves!

 In May, I went with Melanie to Camp Yamhill with her girl scout troop for the first time.  I have skipped previous years for various reasons, but I thought this year would be a good time to go.  It ended up being in the 80s and beautiful, hot, but beautiful.  It ended up being a lot of fun though and I am glad that I went.  I wanted to be there for Mel and I think she was glad I went.  I loved finally being able to see her do all the things she had talked about in previous years.  She even got to go zip lining this year!  She is one BRAVE girl! It was a quick trip, they pack so much in!  But, we all had a great time.

 We had beautiful weather in May and it continued over Mother's Day weekend.  My mom was able to come stay at our house and her, my mother in law and Melanie decided to have a day to treat ourselves.  We all had pedicures and a nice lunch out.  Melanie, my mom and I went and had dessert after.  Mark and the kids, as usual, treated me like a queen.  I am so lucky to have the family I have and for them to make me feel so loved.

John has been SUPER into trains again all of a sudden.  So we have been trying to find just about anything involving trains that we can go and do and see.  I love the wonder and amazement in his eyes.  He is just so amazed by the workings and the steam and the rides.  I love to just sit back and watch him.

The last couple of months, we have just really been enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having and loving being outside after a long winter.  I feel our life has slowed down or simplified a lot, but then I look at the these photos and I'm like, What am I thinking?! :-)  I am realizing we can still have a lot of fun on a small budget.  We go to the park a lot and explore, we definitely find enough to entertain ourselves!  And we are volunteering a lot and it just feels so good to help and be involved and it has also been very beneficial to us and our kids.  We have a day out and have fun and  they learn what it is to give and they don't even seem to realize that they are working!

 

Not to mention, it cost nothing to go to Lowe's and be goofy!  We do this a lot.  My in laws were with us one day and were laughing because we were at Lowe's walking through the barns and sheds and dreaming how we could live in them and they were just cracking up.  We really just seem to be able to make even an errand to the hardware store into a fun adventure.

In May, Melanie also had her choir concert.  She started late in the year, but she ended up having a small solo role and did a great job.  She really enjoyed the community choir group and just tried out for next year's higher level and she was ACCEPTED!  It will be a bigger commitment, but she is really excited and I think it will be a great learning experience for her to be involved in something like that.

We have been spending a lot of time with Mark's parents over the past month or so.  It's been really nice to have that quality time with them and they just love their grandchildren so much.  Mel and John are very lucky to have them in their lives and I am very thankful too!  Mark's dad has been helping him build his turtle enclosure in our yard...yes, a turtle!  Our newest addition to our family is Phyllis, a Russian Tortoise.  Mark has been busy building her habitats inside AND outside.  Because you know Mark doesn't do anything simple :-)  Besides tearing up part of my yard, Mark, his dad and the kids have been enjoying fishing!  It's been a lot of fun and I love that John can be more involved in the outings and adventures and we can also do it all as a family.  We are discovering there are all kinds of ponds and lakes close to us that they can shore fish and the kids are having a blast.

 

It is now mid June and the school year is a day from being over.  It has gone WAY TOO FAST!  Bittersweet for sure.  Mel's school was like night and day to her old one and I am so glad we moved her.  She was challenged more than ever, but I am glad we made the move. I was able to help out a lot more and volunteer and it was nice that John could be involved as well with me when I did all of those things. It feels like its own little community and has even encouraged us to stay in this area and our house so that John can go there as well.  Hopefully it will continue to make us feel this way. 

 

Melanie's birthday is coming up and it will be the first year we won't have a big party, it feels really weird, but the natural flow of your kids getting older, I suppose.  We will still do a small friend get together and we are having a dinner with all the grandparents and my sister who will be in town, so she is super excited about that.  Her first week of summer camp, and Girl Scout camp to boot, is during her birthday, so I am sure they will celebrate her there as well too.  10 years old, feels weird to say.  I have a kid who is going to be in the double digits!  Ekkkk!!!

 

John just seems to be growing an inch a month.  He is getting so big and maturing quickly.  He LOVES Mel, although he doesn't always like to admit it, but he does!  He copies everything she says and I can tell he thinks she is just so cool.  They are playing a lot better together, which is nice, and I love to see them interacting better and being able to just hang out and play.  They still have their  moments, but I feel a bit better going into this summer than I did last year with them being able to hang out together and have some similar interests.  I am sure this year will probably be one of the last!

 

As for the summer, Melanie has a few summer camps lined up, so that will help keep her busy.  I signed up John for some art classes, so he will go once a week for most of the summer, with me, of course!  Mark is off for a couple weeks as well, and we have a couple small camping adventures set up.  The kids are getting more curious and wanting to try new adventures.  With both kids more adventurous and easier to get out and do, I am really looking forward to more adventures in the coming years. 

 

Here's to another successful school year and an enjoyable summer!