Tuesday, June 28, 2011

SQUIRREL


Finally, the weather decided to play nice and everybody's schedule allowed us to plan our first camping trip of the season. After overcoming some hitches in our plans (mainly road closures and one sick mama) we packed up on Friday and off we went!  This was the first time that all four of us (me, Shane, and the kids) have gone in my little trailer.  Usually, it's just me and the kids. So, incidentally, it was the first time the kids had to sleep up on the bunk. They LOVED it! 

 Shane installed a closet rod across the bunk to prevent them from rolling out. It worked perfectly!



So, we went up to South Fork (Mink Creek) and of course, the kids absolutely had to play in the water. 









 We were camping with a few other folks...

My Aunt Deb and Uncle Leonard

 Wendy and Alan (and Madi)

 And my cousin Sean and his son Spencer (Storm)

 Me and Shane. Ya, he's holdin a shovel, and no, that is NOT a gun in my hand. We are not rednecks. I swear.


 Ahhh, nothin like eating breakfast outside with nature!




 And what is a camping trip without four wheelers? Now, I myself cannot ride a four wheeler. The old lady hips don't like it too well, but we did get Sydnie on them for the first time. She would only ride with Daddy or Wendy, but I am so not complaining about that! I am glad she is coming out of her little shell and adventuring more than 2 feet from my side! Now, Cordel on the other hand, would have probably gone with people who were camping next to us if he had been asked! ya, he scares me sometimes.




 


 So now we have come to the part of my post that will explain the title of this post. SQUIRREL. The menfolk started shooting ground squirrels and pretty quick all three of them were scanning to meadow for any sort of movement, and as soon as they saw some... you guessed it! They would yell out SQUIRREL! It soon became the word of the weekend, being hollered out at random whether or not a ground hog was actually seen. 


The kids also got into the fun with Madi's pink BB gun, shootin at some paper plates and beer cans. OH WAIT. I already said we WEREN'T rednecks. CRAP.


 



 A little note here... As mentioned before, Sydnie is a fairly reserved little girl. She has a VERY small circle of "friends" and ya, I am her BFF. Now Alan here just adores her and has been trying for years to break that little shell around her.  I think he made some good progress this trip! She even spoke to him.  and SHOWED HIM HER OWIE!!


 It was such a fantastic trip! We had a fabulous time!





 The girls all ended up in red on this day for some strange reason. I swear to you we didn't plan it. really.
 Oh, the dirt! 

 Remember Alan? This is why we love him so.

 
 Cordel and Sydnie. They make it so easy to take a great picture.  One MIGHT think their Mom was a pro and buy her an SLR. Anyone? Anyone?




Splash!

Swimming Lessons at Fitness Inc. They always have so much fun!















Thursday, June 16, 2011

Way Back Wednesday

a day late. oops!

Sydnie 3 months

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

A fun idea from my friend...

WAY BACK WEDNESDAYS!!!


Every Wednesday, I will be sharing photos from long ago. For now, it will be from 2004 and on, but IF I can get my scanner to work, I will be sharing even older photos... like from highschool, you say? MAYBE. Or wedding photos?!? It's possible!! For now, remember when...



Cordel was this tiny? I do.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Cordel's Kindergarten Graduation

My apologies for the length of this post, but this was such a momentous occasion and too important to not celebrate and share!


What a fantastic, crazy, emotional, exceptional year!  Cordel absolutely loved going to school and he had the most amazing teacher.  We were so blessed to have Mrs. Spiker.  

The kids were so stinkin cute!!  Some parent volunteers made the cutest little "set" with big ABC's and 123's and a little archway of 2 huge pencils and a pair of scissors that the kids walked through after receiving their diplomas.  Mrs. Spiker, with the help of her daughter, put together a slide show set to music and then the kids sang some little songs. 








Then it was time to hand out the diplomas!  The principal, Mrs. Alessi, read their names and Mrs. Spiker handed them out.  Side note-- Cordel had been fidgety and a little hyped up all day long.  In fact, he had gotten a "talking to" earlier in the day from Mrs. Spiker!  He did ok through the program but got a little out of hand during the procession... have a look!


(and yes, that is Todd Blackington you see there at the beginning...haha! His son was in Cordel's class.)


Mrs. Spiker also had a photographer who took a photo of each kid under the little pencil arch.  I was so impressed with the whole celebration! It was so special!



 Congratulations Cordel!
You are amazing!

After the ceremony we enjoyed some awesome cupcakes and went into the classroom look through the scrapbooks Mrs. Spiker makes for each child.  Yes, I said EACH CHILD.  This is not a classroom scrapbook. This is a scrapbook sent home with Cordel on the last day of school that documents everything Cordel experienced during the year.  From first day...











To the last day.

 And as you can see, EVERYTHING in between! How fantastic is that? Did you SEE how thick that book is? I will forever and ever AND EVER cherish it!



  If every teacher in this school district taught at her level, we as parents would never have to worry about our kids education again.
Thank you, Mrs. Spiker!!

Cordel and Mrs. Spiker


And then it was off to Coldstone Creamery for yummy ice cream to celebrate!




Way to go Cordel!! We are so proud of you and we know you are bound for great things!