I feel like I am getting this May post in right under the wire! Many things have happened since April. Charli had her first club soccer game, it was so much fun to get to watch her play again. When she scored her first goal, the joy she (and her team) had will be remembered for a long time! I know there are a lot of memories not captured, maybe I will find them on my regular camera some day and have another "remember when" post! In the meantime, I will let the pictures do their thing!
It is so fantastic when kids can "pump" and push themselves on the swing! That does not mean they always want to fly solo, but the independence is wonderful...and gratifying for them too! Welcome back, Summer!
We colored SO MANY eggs! Far more than we needed, let's be honest. In our house, the funnest part about eggs is the coloring, the hiding is just a perk :-)
One of these two tried to claim they did not feed the dog an apple...Wynston somehow discovered this mouthpiece, all on his own!
Charli was thrilled to be in "nice" clothes! Talk about out of her element for the first few hours of her day! She hates being in these types of clothes, as if you couldn't tell! She changed her mind, a little bit, when we got to the farm and she was (in Harper's words) "twinsies" with her soon-to-be new cousin in-law (that is a mouthful) Lydia! Harper affectionately refers to her as Alydia, and is in love.
Easter 2014
We were missing many cousins at Easter, but these five still had fun playing ;-)
The annual poker run is just a few short weeks away. These three have the job each year to fold, stuff, label, and stamp all 200+ invitations that go out...they had a really good system and knocked them out quickly!
Happy Mother's Day! It is a rare occasion that I am on this side of the camera...lucky for me Chad is an amazing iPhone photog.
Charli fell madly in love with her Uncle Dillon's lab...she wanted to bring him home!
Grandma Deb with the crew
Vic & I celebrating the special day with our favorite mother!
These five again?! Missing a few again, but they are all always there in spirit and always call to make their appearances via phone!
Harper will be having his tonsils out soon, so he got to spend a day with Mom & Dad traveling to see the surgeon. He took the lemon challenge at lunch, and asked for more lemons when he was done. He is mine...all mine. I LOVE lemons!
Meet Sparky. The newest, and likely the last, Preister family addition. The kids (including my biggest kid, Chad) are madly in love. I don't mind him either. He is adorable. He comes home every night to play with the kids, and works with Chad during the day. As he gets bigger I suspect his home visits (or at least inside) visitation schedule will change. He is so full of puppy energy . Even though we have had two pups in our house in the past, Sparky is substantially bigger than the others and literally knocks us off our feet when he barrels around the house. He has also been known to (almost daily) chase Harper around the yard, often catching him by his shorts...pulling them off, like an over-sized Coppertone baby.
This boy. Love him, and all that he brings to the table.
We got a new vacuum. This boy, right here, is the most excited of us all. I wish I was lying.
Charli is super excited for 2nd grade, but realizes it is bitter sweet to leave a teacher she so loves. A few of my favorites on this letter are found on line six "ford to second grade!", rather than "forward to second grade"! Also, she included a quote about breaking a board at taekwondo, and told her teacher I would "Facebook" her regarding her soccer games! This ninja girl has it all figured out!
The kids and Chad built Sparky's new doghouse...Charli was in her element. Chad says she "has it in her" to have en eye for things like this. Maybe she will build me a new house someday :-)
The amazing and the wonderful, Mrs Davies. How much will we miss thee...let me count the ways. Charli made this picture for her, and then upon second thought of her time and effort she decided she would only show Mrs. Davies what she made for her but then ask for it back!!!!
Where is that baby-faced 1st grader I sent to class just a few short months ago in August? I also think she is standing on bricks in this picture, because I am sure she has not grown....!
Proud as a Peacock, and rightfully so. Charli received an award for being in the top 3 of her class for earned AR points. She had a goal of earning 100 points, she fell short but was still excited!
This was a fantastic night to end the school year. Charli participated in the citywide track meet, which happened to fall on her last day of school. Charli participated in the hurdles, 200, and 400. As you can see above she earned three 1st pace ribbons and the participation ribbon. She set her sights high on bringing those babies home! She was so excited, as you can see above, that she let everyone hold a ribbon. The biggest part of this story is that she even let Harper hold one!! (she gave him the participation ribbon, but still...I was shocked!) Grandma called her on the way out to see that she noticed a few of Charli's times would land her on the "board" next year for record times! ;-) Charli was proud, excited, and "stoked". Why does she know that word?
Harper had his first t-ball game. It was fun to watch him play and have some spotlight for a change.
He hit the ball to the grass, just like he said he would. Maybe we have another Babe Ruth on our hands. He was proud to see some of his favorite people in the stands to watch him, which included two of his teachers from daycare. He kept turning around to smile at them, making sure they hadn't left yet.
Of course he was excited and proud to have grandparents there too! After the game when they fond him to say "good game" he tried to play really cool...but about died in excitement once we got to the car! Good work Landslides! :-)
June won't slow down, in fact I know life never slows down at this point. We love the life we have been blessed to have and look forward to more games, weekends with friends, play-dates, memories, and tonsillectomies to come. Enjoy summer everyone!
