End of Summer

Just like that, summer is over.  I would say we had a great summer over here!  Even though it was somewhat low key, it was fulfilling and I think we are all ready to have fall arrive.  Okay, I am probably the most excited!

Now for some pictures! I would say that some of the best memories that were made this summer consisted of fishing with grandpa and grandma Wilson and their cousins out on Lake Washington.  The kids got to catch a lot of perch!  I think Braedon has inherited grandpa's love for fishing.

As for Adi, well she thought the fish were gross and ran and hid behind a chair after she got her first one.  I think she will continue to "fish" from the bow of the boat sprawled out on a towel in her bikini.

Another fun memory?  Adi's first mud run and Braedon's second!  So. Much. Fun.

I hope their love for fitness and being active stays with them forever.

They also got to play with Gina in Seattle for the day!  The kids came home SO EXCITED to tell me all about their adventure.

It makes my heart happy knowing that Gina will always be a part of their lives, just like she will always be a part of mine.

Braedon LOVES parkour and has decided he wants to do it forever.  I'm totally ok with that!  It is such a good workout and is so good for his motor skills and coordination.  Adi loves it too, but is wanting to try gymnastics this month, which is at the same time as parkour, so she had to pick one or the other.

Oh, and everything MUST be done in a tutu.

Another fun memory!  Seeing the musical Beauty and the Beast!  Our whole family enjoyed this evening together.

Soccer started in August and it was hot! The kids and I also spent the day together playing at Remlinger Farm.  We spent some afternoons walking the trails around our neighborhood, playing at the park, and blackberry picking.  We had lots of play time with friends and neighbors. We also did a trip to Bend, OR with our favorite neighbors!

My mom came to help out end of August after I was hospitalized AGAIN with another blockage.  For Labor Day weekend, we got to spend some time hanging out with grandma and grandpa Peterson!

We spent the day in Seattle and experienced Wings over Washington and the Big Wheel for the first time.

This year, Braedon started school on August 31, and then Adi turned 5 September 1st!  For us, that was the end of summer and the start of fall.  Ah summer, we will miss you, but we welcome fall with open arms.

Welcome Summer

Well, I officially have an adorable 2nd grader and a feisty little Junior Kindergartner on my hands now.

Braedon: Age 7...last day of 1st grade (ok, not technically the last day but the closest picture to the last day that I have.)

Adilyn: 4 years old...last day of Preschool.  One more year to go until Kindergarten.

The last week of a school was a whirlwind of celebrations, and special end of year activities.  Braedon loved school so much this year that he came home in tears because he didn't want school to end.  My sweet, sweet boy who is nothing like his mother.

We kicked off the first official day of summer break at my parents house where we spent a few days soaking up the sun, playing in the water, climbing trees, feeding horses and eating veggies straight out of the garden.

We all had a blast and it was the perfect mix of relaxation and summer fun.  Even though we weren't excited to leave, we were very happy to come home and see daddy and our puppies.

Since we have been home we haven't slowed down.  Braedon has been at an all day tech camp called Camp Invention, which he is absolutely loving.  Adi and I have been playing with friends, swimming in the pool, and taking afternoon naps.  Glorious.  For her and me.

Braedon and Adi took a parkour class earlier this week and loved it, so starting in August they will both be taking classes once a week.  It is such a good workout for them!  They were doing lunges, and other awesome strength moves that left them both super sweaty by the end.  So obviously I was all for them doing this!

Braedon has also been busy losing teeth!

The tooth fairy has been at our house twice in the last week.  So there you have it.  Our second week of vacation is winding down and so far we have had so much fun!

I wanted to leave you with some pictures from Adi's dance recital that she had at the end of May.  This little lady loves to dance!

Until next time.

Braedon turns SEVEN!!

Yesterday was Braedon's 7th birthday!  I can't believe how fast 7 years can fly by!  It was a beautiful day to celebrate, and that is exactly what we did.  We had a great afternoon and evening full of friends, fun, and food.

Doesn't he look so old? Man do I love this sweet face!

 Braedon was lucky enough to share his special day with his closest friends.



This group of goofballs makes my heart so happy.

And this little family of mine....no words can explain how in love I am.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAEDON!

WE LOVE

YOU!!!

Lately

As the days move on and the kids continue to grow at a rate that I think is way too fast, I wanted to document a few tidbits of our life as of lately...

Work hard.  Play hard.

I feel like that has been our theme for awhile.  Derek is knee deep in work, but still really liking his job, Braedon spends his days in school and has started baseball,  Adilyn is going to school three days a week, is taking ballet, and has lots of play dates, and I am training three days a week, volunteering in Braedon's classroom, and watching another little guy two days a week.

The weeks go by way too fast!  The kids only have 7 weeks left of school before summer vacation and I have decided that we are going to take a break from camps and just chill, take spontaneous road trips, and really live it up this summer on the fly!  I'm so excited to have my posse for three whole months!!!

Our weekends have been spent working in the yard, which is really coming along, and playing!  We have gone on our first hike of the season, spent half the day at the lake having a picnic, and have had many BBQ's and fun with our neighbor friends.

Braedon is absolutely loving baseball!  In fact, we have spent the last two evenings watching the Mariners on TV before bed.  He is really catching on to how the game is played and is showing great improvement in throwing, catching, and batting.  His little team is just so sweet and practices are very entertaining to watch.  He can't wait for games to start!

Adilyn has been in dance since January and has been getting ready for her big spring recital in a couple of weeks.  Usually parents aren't allowed to stay and watch their practices, but yesterday we were allowed to stay and it was so cute!  Adi definitely takes this seriously, but has so much fun with it.  I can see her little AdiTude come out in her dance and it makes me laugh.

I am absolutely loving this stage of life.  My family is my everything and I'm more in love with Derek everyday.  My kids are so much fun to hang with.  I love the conversations we have, the games we can play together, the stories they tell me,  and not to mention the fact that they are getting older and much more independent.  I love seeing them figure out how to do things themselves, even though it makes me a little sad at the same time.  I sometimes miss those tiny, chubby hands, and those squeaky little toddler voices.

Along with the fuzzies and rainbows, obviously my awesome, little family isn't perfect.  This stage of life is also filled with many tantrums and emotional outbursts from a certain spunky four year old who is learning everyday about this so called life, there is afternoon after afternoon of bickering, whining, and fighting between a brother and sister who love each other very much, there are days where I am so fatigued that the thought of having to climb the stairs to bed makes me wince just a little or the stomach pain makes me want to lay in the fetal position.  There are days where Derek will put in 10 hour days and comes home emotionally exhausted, or he will get up at 5 am to head into work and come home physically exhausted.  Although one thing is for sure, I wouldn't change any of it!  

Miss Adilyn Paige

Braedon loved his trailer that Derek and I put together so much, we decided to make one for Adi too. These guys love watching their movies and it makes them feel so special!

Here's Adi's!

I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have Braedon and Adilyn!!!

The light in our life

This week Braedon is star student in his class.  Every week a different student gets to share his likes, info about his family, and his family gets to share some special things about them as well.  Derek and I put together a little video just for Braedon.  He definitely is our little star and we love him so much!!

Here it is!