So it begins...

These past two weeks have been filled with end of school activities. Saddest time of the year for me! Not only am I not a fan of summer break with all the heat and nothing for the kids to do..but its a time to reflect and realize the kids are a year older and are growing up so fast. Coleman will now be in middle school, Zach just one year away from High school. Scary times.
All too soon this snuggle buddy will be there

Oliver had a school musical. He was a Rhino.

Coleman, had a bowling party. Being pregnant, having a baby and everything I had missed a few field trips with this kid. So I made sure to make his bowling trip. 

All the kids had great teachers this year. 

Coleman and Mr. Stratton bonded over matching taste in shoes. 

Mrs.Cox survived the year with Boss Oliver keeping her on task. Telling her what she is 

"supposed to be doing"

 I am especially thankful for Ms. Hughes 

 

It takes a special teacher to 'get' Ben. Not only could she reach Ben in a way he thrived with..but she also saw all the awesome potential and strength in him.  She is one of those teachers you would like to clone and keep teaching your kids year after year. 

I got an adorable card from her class.

Since I did the copies, they actually thanked me for the homework. 

What an awesome class to thank someone for the work! 

I was actually doing 'ok' the last day of school and didn't cry until I had seen a group of 5th grade girls crying in Mr. Stratton's class. I asked them what was wrong and they said, "We won't be here anymore." I started to cry too. Then later I saw one of the boys sobbing so hard he could hardly catch his breath. So much for me being able to hold it together!! How could you resist that?

We took the kids out for lunch the last day of school. We headed to the Chinese Buffett where Jaden gave Coleman a lesson in Chop sticks. I was impressed, he even ate Jello with them. 

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I had an amazing experience at work:
I was sitting in my office I was prompted to go outside. While I was out there I heard something, but explained it away as being an animal from the farm next door. I went inside and was prompted to go out again. Shortly after I heard the noise again. I wondered if I was coming from an apartment so I got closer and found out it was. A resident and friend had hurt herself and needed help. When I got there she said she felt alone. So many reasons for me not to be outside today but I was prompted to be there. It was such a testimony to me that we are not alone. Then later as I left the property..this beauty was in the sky.

I've never seen a Rainbow like that. It was IN the clouds. 

I have some awesome people I get the privilege of knowing at my work. One special one dear to me is Jim. He is my buddy. There is nothing funner then watching him play with Luke. 

I am always feeling like a horrible mom that my kids play so much games and electronics. So I made a few deals with them and asked them to think of some other things they could do other then play on games all summer. So we are trying out to have 3 days a week that they do not play on electronics at all...not even TV. So far its working out ok. Mainly I just have to keep them distracted and out of the house. Hopefully it holds up when its 120 degrees outside. 

This past Friday Grandma Holly invited them over to her house to go swimming. 

This was obviously an exhausting experience for Luke. 

Later that day we stopped by the Roos N More event that was in town. I LOVE that zoo. I have never seen a zoo where they allow you to get so hands on with the animals. They even let the kids hold baby monkeys. There was a cupuchen and a spider monkey, a lemur, a bearded dragon, a baby desert tortoise, a wallaby and a porcupine there. 

While in St. George we also stopped by the DI and scored a marble maze game for really cheap that has kept the kids busy for hours. 

The kids are surviving no electronics so far.