Dance Camp and Kids College

Kendall got to go to Kids College again this summer! She loved it last year and was excited to add a third class to her schedule this year. Sarah and Caleb went too, so they coordinated some of their classes and we car pooled. It was a fun week!  They went everyday from 9-12 and Kendall went to a horses class, an animal class, and a class called Sweet Science that showed the science behind some candies. So fun!

In her animal class, she made a play toy for Molly, and she was so anxious to give it to her and for her to play with it. She didn't really love it so much, but it was a fun idea!

While Kendall was in college, I had signed Cooper up for a three day dance camp. We got a call the week before that it didn't make because there weren't enough participants, and so Randy had the idea to call a friend of ours whose daughter is on the drill team at the high school. We asked Laura if she would want to teach Cooper in her own little private dance camp, and she agreed and was so excited! Cooper didn't even know the difference, and she fell in love with Miss Laura. I took Cooper to her house on Tuesday and Wednesday for an hour each day, and then on Thursday, we went to the church where she did a little "recital" for us on the stage in the Bounce room. It was precious. Laura asked before the week started what her favorite movie was, so I told her it was Frozen, and she choreographed a ballet to "Let it Go" and a tap dance to "Summer," the Olaf song in the movie. So stinkin cute. We loved how excited she was, we loved how much she was able to learn from Laura in just three days, and we loved that she had the confidence to do it all by herself.

Posing before her first class 

Her first lesson at Miss Laura's house 

And her recital at the church!

She adored Miss Laura! 

Debbie, Erin, and Michelle came with us to watch her!

 And Laura even brought her flowers because "every ballerina needs flowers at her recital." So sweet!

 Dance camp and kids college week was a great success!

7-4-2015

We were so excited and thankful to celebrate July 4th again this year at our friends the Gryseels' house! We look forward to their 4th party every year and the girls have started remembering it and looking forward to it, too. We headed over there around dinner time, the girls immediately jumped in the pool and on the water slide, we ate lots of good food, and then watched the fireworks! It is so fun to us to get to hang out with friends and enjoy just being with everyone. We're so thankful for Tony and Laurie's generosity every year to host us!

Calli and Cooper enjoyed eating hot dogs. All the girls enjoyed lots of Cheetos. :) 

Laurie must have stock in Oriental Trading. She always has such fun stuff for the kids to play with. Well, maybe not just the kids...

The swimsuits Gigi and Peeps got the girls for Christmas were great for the 4th! They loved this water slide they got this year.

The fireworks were awesome again this year, and Calli and I were able to enjoy them from inside the house while Randy, Kendall and Cooper stayed on the driveway with everyone. We are so close to where they are set off, that they are super loud and really bother Calli. She liked looking out the front window though, and we talked about which ones were our favorites. I just love these sweet traditions with our family and friends.

Our First Astros Game!

We got to go to the Astros game for the very first time at the end of June! It was our friend Steve's birthday, so we went with the Erskines, Pickerings, and Michelle to the baseball game. Randy and I had never been to Minute Maid before, and the girls had never been to a baseball game at all! We had a great time and enjoyed a new experience all together!

Debbie and Steve's daughter Laura, her husband Justin, and their kids Easton and Tessa were there, too, and Cooper and Tessa were buddies.

Group selfie! It was so crazy to us to be in a baseball stadium with a roof! And we were thankful for the roof - it was a very rainy day and we even had a little trouble getting to the game because of flooded streets.

The girls loved watching the baseball game, Kendall loved learning about how it was played, and they loved the Minute Maid train and fireworks at the end. We ate hot dogs, popcorn, and cokes, and the girls loved every bit of it!

Thanks Debbie and Steve! We had fun with you guys and loved getting to go to the game!

June misc

Here's a few extra pictures from June that haven't been posted yet!

I took this picture of Calli at Amber and Garrett's birthday party. I couldn't find her when it was time to go, and we looked up on the porch and she was sitting just like this, chowing down on some watermelon. She is usually attached to me when we are around a lot of people, but she felt comfortable enough at their house to just go grab some watermelon, find a cool place, and sit down to eat. I love this!

We had family pictures taken with Gigi and Peeps one of the times we were up there in June. It was a lot to coordinate outfits with 12 people, but we are pleased with what we have seen so far! Fun to have updated family pictures!

It rained so much the first part of June that we finally decided we had to get out of the house somehow! I let the girls put their swim suits on and go jump on the trampoline and they loved it!

Another rainy day, we loaded up and went to walk around Target. A bag of popcorn and an icee and these girls are good. :) Cooper had some money she wanted to spend so she picked out this Lego set and was pretty proud of it.

Our sweet friend Mrs. Trish invited us to come swim in her neighborhood pool with her at her new house in Pearland. We went one day and had such a blast! Their "pool" is more like a waterpark and was just so perfect for the girls! We were so thankful for such a fun day!

Amber came over to play one day and we had a picnic out on the playhouse!

Granny got the girls these cute July 4th dresses! We wore them a couple weeks to church and of course I had to get pictures. :)

 

Camp KMotion!

Kendall got to go to her very first overnight camp this summer! Our children's ministry has a one night event in the summer called Camp KMotion for students who have completed first and second grade. They spend the night at the church, have large group and small group time, lots of messy games, swimming, and then competitions with their families on Saturday morning. Granny came down to stay with the little girls because both Randy and I wanted to volunteer so we were very thankful for that!

Randy and I were also on the lead team as some of the ones that were in charge of decorations. We decorated the stage to look like outer space - the theme went with the movie Home - and it was a busy week leading up to Friday night!

 

When it was time for the messy games, we threw color run powder on the kids as they ran outside for the games. We didn't intend to get dirty, but we got covered in paint as well! It was pretty fun.

After messy games, the fire dept came and hosed the kids off and then we loaded them up and went swimming at the Clute city pool. So fun!

Kendall had lots of friends there too, which made it so fun!  

We were so thankful Granny came to stay with the little girls! They went to the concert on the plaza Friday night and then we had lots of fun on Saturday when we got home, swimming and playing! We love you Granny!

This was Cooper's outfit for the plaza concert.

 

 

We are proud of Kendall for trying some new things and new experiences! It was fun to be able to watch from a distance (some of the time) and see how big she is getting. We're thankful for our church and how they invest in kids and families! Looking forward to KMotion next year!

Ms. Tiller's Wedding!

Kendall got to be part of such a great day earlier this June. Her teacher, Ms. Tiller, got married! It was a small ceremony with mostly family, but she invited the girls in her class to come and be a part of it! Kendall was elated that she got to go and watch her get married, and she had so much fun! I feel like this is something that she will probably remember forever - getting to go to her teacher's wedding! Ms. Tiller has been such an important part of our lives this year and we are so happy for her! Congratulations, Mrs. Filla!

 

Out on the dance floor!

Kendall loves weddings and she loves Ms. Tiller, so everything about this was just so awesome. She loved the cake, the food, the ceremony, the dancing, watching her toss her bouquet, and then blowing bubbles as she left. Such a wonderful day!

 

We love you! Thank you for including us in such a special day!

Swim lessons 2015

The week after we were in Vegas and Ft. Worth was our first official week of being home for summer and we spent it (partly) doing swim lessons! This year the plan was for Cooper and Calli to each have a session with Mrs. Carol, because Kendall is doing great and doesn't need lessons anymore. We love Mrs. Carol and love how well the girls swim because of her teaching!

We went to lessons on Monday, but couldn't go on Tuesday or Wednesday because of Tropical Storm Bill. But we were back Thursday and Friday and the girls still were able to learn a lot! This was Calli's first year to have lessons - she got in the pool for about 5 minutes or so at the end of the girls' lessons last year - and she did so well! She has so much confidence and is already swimming all over the pool without floaties. All three of our girls are great swimmers!

 

 

Kendall tried hard to be very patient during the girls' lessons. Mrs. Carol asked her to demonstrate some things a few times. :)

 

We're so thankful for Mrs. Carol and the girls just love her! Yay for swim lessons!