Mr. Butters

On Mother's Day the kids were talking about Dale and Mr. Butters on the way to visit Grandma.  On the way home we found Mr. Butters had secretly snuck into the car with us for a road trip to Maple Valley.  

 

On Friday, May 19th  Mr. Butter's dressed up and threw a birthday fiesta in honor of Dale for his birthday. No worries....Mr. Butters is in safe hands until he can be returned home safely.

Michael Jordan #23

Natalie brought this home the other day.  I was dying!!  Love, Love, Love her drawing of Michael.  Ha ha ha

Co-Pilot Rider

We are loving riding our bikes but have had a bit of an issue.  Lucy is WAY to slow for the group to ride her bike and if we put her in the trailer she hates it because she is too big and it is boring for her.  I have known about the co-pilot bike since Julia was this age but could never pull the plug on spending the money.  This week I decided to go for it.  We have had the bike for two days and it is SO worth it.  Lucy is LOVING it. Family bike rides just got so much better.  On the test ride of the new bike, Lucy literally talked non-stop to Mitch about everything and anything that was rolling around in that little head of hers. She couldn't stop smiling and I couldn't either.

Lucy's newest picture she has hung in her bedroom.  It is of her running through the sprinkler with her new swimming suit on.  I think I love her side ponytail the best and the glasses....

20 more days of school

Look what arrived in the mail today.... our summer workbooks.  I am sure the my kids will be thrilled to hear the news when they come home.  Cameron thought he escaped the summer fun because they don't make a workbook for his grade, but instead he is going to be working on 4 of his last 6 required merit badges for Eagle this Summer.  He might be wishing for a workbook by the end.  I'm trying to come up with a grand prize for whoever goes above and beyond and finishes the whole book or earns the 4 merit badges.  Hopefully this will put a little fire in them.  I remember not too long ago when they LOVED the workbooks.  Times are a-changing.

Lucy and her pet snail

Lucy found herself a pet since her parents are unable to provide one.  Well that is until she held it so much that she crushed its shell.  Good thing it will live on in her memory.

The Stuard family pet situation is getting worse......

Track Stud

This guy's track season has started.  He is about the cutest thing ever.  He has had two meets and I think I am WAY more nervous for him than he is.

Our Goats

We have a walk we like to take as a family down in the old golf course.  On our walk are some goats that the kids have named Mr. White and Usain Goat.  This Spring new goats have shown up and boy was the excitement high.  There are now two small goats named Coco and Cookie Dough (As you can imagine Mitch says when we get a pet the girls are not allowed to name it!)  It will be a real disappointment if we ever find out their real names.

Four Leaf Clovers

Last Summer Julia found two four leaf clovers.  Since then Lucy has been obsessed with finding one too.  She needs to do everything Julia does.  On Sunday she came screaming up to me that she found a four leaf clover.  I didn't really think she had but sure enough, she did!  She was so excited.

Our kids are just a bit competitive.  Natalie was not about to let Julia and Lucy find a four leaf clover with her not having one herself, so she got down to business and found herself one too.  Now you might think that might be the end of that but the next day Cameron had his 1st track meet and the girls were playing in the grass during the meet.  Natalie found 3 more four leaf clovers and Lucy found 2 more yesterday.  We are either the luckiest family alive or four leaf clovers aren't as uncommon as you might think and people don't spend time searching clover patches like my kids!  I have a feeling it is the latter.

Pine cones

The weather around these parts has been horrifying terrible but we finally have seen some nice days.  Last Saturday we finally got around to doing some yard work.  Normal Maple Valley Winters are filled with notorious strong winds but this Spring we have had lots and lots of wind too.  Wind around here = PINE CONES.

As Mitch was trying to mow the grass he decided that he needed help with the pine cones.  He told the kids that he would pay them 10 cents a pine cone that they picked up.  Once they got started Mitch realized his MAJOR mistake in judging exactly how many pine cones we had on the ground. He then reduced the fee to 5 cents a pine cone.  That still was not within our budget because the kids picked up nearly 1,700 pine cones!  In the end we opted to pay them a small fee and take them out for milkshakes.  I think Mitch and I learned our lesson.

A random side note... We got these lights from Costco for the yard.  Really good deal and really cute at night.

Mother Daughter Activity

The girls and I attended a Mother- Daughter activity for our Stake.  They got to choose a cute saying and paint on a canvas board.  We had a fun time and Julia reminded me this is her very last activity like this because she is going into YOUNG WOMEN'S next month!

The road to 40

I am official 39 and as Natalie so lovingly put it, "On the road to 40."  Really is there much more to say about that?  I think not.

Kindergarten Orientation

Last Thursday, Lucy and I got to spend the evening visiting the kindergarten classrooms, playground, and practice riding the bus.  Lucy is ready to skip Summer and move right on to September.  I think her siblings might have something to say about that, but to say the least she is EXCITED!

Lucy-ism

Me:  "Lucy, one more spoonful and then you need to stop so you don't get sick."

Lucy (As she is digging into the bowl):  "I already said that to myself."

Milestone

Today was my last Story-time at the library.  Ever.

I have been going to story time since Cameron was a little guy with the same story lady, singing the same songs, reading the same books week after week, month after month, year after year.  Today was the last story-time before summer starts.  Lucy will be going to all day Kindergarten in the Fall and so today was my swan song.  What a strange feeling.  There are becoming more and more things like this as Lucy is preparing for school.  I have no more babies.  I do admit I am both sad and glad.  Today looking around the room I felt like the old mom in there.  I think it is time, but now what to do with my Tuesday mornings at 10:30?