The Unity Tree

My girl is in first grade... I have a hard time still processing that. My girl is ending her year as a 1st grader. I have an even harder time dealing with that! It is crazy for me to think that in a few short months she will be in 2nd grade. She will be 8!!! Before we jump a head and this momma gets all teary eyed. I have some pictures from her 1st grade music program called "The Unity Tree". It is a beautiful story about a puppy and a kitten wanting to play together and all the Dogs (boys) and all the Cats (girls) are trying to tell them what a bad idea it is and how it just isn't done. It was such a sweet program! Some photos...

Leanna and her classmates worked very hard on their program and it was a wonderful night for everyone! And if this momma does say so herself I have one cute kitten!

Fall Fun with Friends

Hudson's very best friend Craig got to come over and play while his momma went on a field trip with one of his brothers. I decided since it was a cold and rainy day to try and have some kind of plan...

So thanks to pinterest we made fall fingerprint trees. Thankfully everyone had a good time and it took the better part of almost two hours. Which for the boys is a long amount of time of sitting still and being interested in what I have them doing!





It was a fun afternoon :)

Outside Adventures

We have been spending a ton of time outside lately. It has been so pretty and the sun has been shining and the breeze has been blowing. That and there were a couple of really really hot days in there and it was get out or turn the AC on. We chose to get out.

So bike riding has been high on the list of to-do when we are outside which is just fine with this mama. Nolan, thankfully, LOVES his stroller for exactly two hours. Think I am joking take two days ago for instance we were outside for 6 hours riding bikes and walking and stopping at the playground not to far from our house.

Jaunt 1:

Nolan placed in stroller at 9:58am. We walk the bigger small people ride bikes. At 10:22 we arrive at small park on street. Swinging and jungle gyming (yup just made that a verb)take place. 10:42 we begin walking riding again....there is a mail box circle at the beginning of our subdivision it is a great place for riding to take place. At 11:01 we begin our walk back down the street. 11:22 more swinging and jungle gyming (there is that word again) take place 11:33 Nolan begins to quietly protest. Walking/Riding home 11:52 Nolan is wailing I tell him we are almost home shhhh shhhh shhhh. We arrive home at 11:57.

Repeat that from 2-4 = Jaunt 2.

Repeat that again from 5:30 - 7:30 = Jaunt 3.

We came home took showers and baths. Had Taco Bell (it's what's for dinner), which was brought home by Daddy, for a late dinner. Then myself, Leanna and Hudson all curled up on the couch to watch a little Kung Fu Panda together and that is where (apparently as I do not remember) all three of us fell asleep.

It was a great and exhausting day for us. A later than normal day as bedtime usually happens between 8 and 8:30 here. So a 9:00 bedtime is pretty late. A successful day at keeping outside and busy, exhausting energies of small people and thoroughly exhausting this momma's socks off!

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

Every Good Boy Does Fine

A couple of months ago someone purchased (through silent bids) the church piano for my children. Anonymously. I have no idea who gifted my children with such a special thing. I can "pluck" a tune out and can read music but a pianist I am not.

Enter my wonderful friend Melissa (Leanna and Hudson call her Aunt Mel). She however plays the piano beautifully. She offered to give Leanna piano lessons for FREE! Just so she could spend some time with the kids. So we go on Thursdays for piano lessons and afterwards we all go swimming together at her apartment complex. It is a great night filled with fun and laughter and learning. Leanna is still a little young as far as when Mel likes to start lessons (usually around age 6) but she thought she would give it a shot and Leanna has surprised both of us with her eagerness to learn and her ability to retain the information.

Some pictures from lessons...

Leanna and Aunt Mel.



Learning to read the notes.

Her with her fingers positioned and playing.

Hormonal mommy moment warning: I look at the little hand and I get teary eyed just thinking about all the new things she has been doing and learning. Yet I still can remember her chubby baby hand reaching for something. Now it is learning to play music. Amazing how fast the years go by. Sad and wonderful and amazing.

Tumbling Time!

Josh and I have discussed for a few months letting the kids get involved in something they were interested in. So of course we went to the kids to ask what they thought....

Leanna of course was full of things, swimming, singing, dancing, gymnastics, horseback riding...on and on and on. She is very active and enjoys so many things. She has a huge imagination and an even bigger (if that is possible) love of learning new things.

Hudson well he is big on Walker Texas Ranger. He loves all things cowboy and martial arts and dinosaurs. He wanted to take karate (to learn how to beat up bad guys), fire fighter lessons (he also loves all things fire truck and fire fighter related) or animal hunting helper... he is soooo funny. I am amazed some days that the little guy is still just 2.

So Josh and I discussed it and talked about it and did some research and then we talked to the kids about it. Leanna narrowed it down to gymnastics and dance lessons. She was very diplomatic about it and it made me smile (well we go swimming a lot and Pappy and Grandma Kathy have horses...) I was impressed.

Hudson decided he wanted to do karate (after we told him the others were impossible *grin*).

Unfortunately for Leanna dance wasn't enrolling any new students until the fall and for Hudson we couldn't find ANY martial art studios to take children under the age of 4.

So gymnastics lessons it was. They LOVE it. Hudson is having some listening issues (cause he would much rather be moving than sitting still and listening) but he loves going to his class and learning without mommy (major bonus point for this gym I don't have to be in the class with either child one very pregnant happy momma about this). Leanna is amazes me at how much she is picking up and how much she has learned. She is trying new things and getting over fears (like heights and falling). She works very hard to do everything she is told as best she can.

I leave you with some pictures of our little gymnasts.

This is Hudson's class. He is with all girls. His exact words to his teacher "Are there ever any boys?"


She is keeping the hula hoop up for around 3-10 seconds which is pretty major for a 4 year old.


As you can tell this is shot from above as we are not allowed in the gym. The beam is actually almost a foot of the mat.


Hudson was supposed to be "Elephant walking" this is about what it looks like.

We are pretty proud of how hard they have been working. Inside and outside of class. I am always amazed at how much they dedicate themselves to something. They go at it 110% and I am so thankful for kids who are enjoying while learning and trying hard