Home School Pre-school

Jonas also started school today.  We are doing at home preschool and a preschool co-op with some friends that will start in a few weeks.  He had a fun time on his first day.  I'm excited to be working with him more intentionally.  Callie and Tobin joined in on the fun.  It's like we have our own little school :)

First Grade

Sara started first grade today.  Her teacher is Mrs. Sutherland.  Sara is in the Multi-Age Program and is super excited about it. She had a great first day.  She was like a pro when I dropped her off this morning.  She said goodbye at the front door and didn't wait for me to walk her down to the cafeteria.  I can't believe how much she has grown up.  I really am going to miss having her around.  I'm also so excited to see her growing up.  She is so amazing!

Final Summer Outing

We took the kids to the Toledo Zoo on Labor Day for one final summer outing.  We had a great time seeing all the animals, riding the carousel, and just being together.  Callie and Tobin rode the carousel for the first time and loved it.  Callie started to cry when we had to get off.  It was so hot we all thought we were going to melt, but it was well worth it :)

Tobin's First Haircut

      Tobin got his first haircut just before turning 2.  He was laughing almost the first time because he is so ticklish.  It was hard to have him sit still.

Bowling

          All 4 kids went bowling this summer for the first time.  They loved it.  The bowling alley has a special ramp for little kids.  Callie and Tobin couldn't lift the ball by themselves, but they had willing volunteers to help them.  It was so cute and really fun!  Just look at how cute those little bowling shoes are :)

In the Fair Parade

    Our friends, the Smiths, took Sara and Jonas on thier tractor through the parade.  They had a great time waving at everyone.  The rain even held off for them.  We love living in our small town and having so many friends to share life with.

Callie and Tobin 2

      I can hardly believe Callie and Tobin turned 2 on May 30th!  They are so fun right now.  They are learning new things every day.  Tobin loves to figure out how things work.  He takes things apart & observes things closely.  Callie is very adventurous.  She likes trying new things and seems to be pretty fearless.  Both are beginning to come out of their shells and are more comfortable with other people.  They love to be together most of the time and look for each other to see what the other one is doing.  We are really enjoying this time with them, and feel so blessed to be their parents.

Jonas 4

Jonas turned 4 on May 12 - this is a little late.  He had fun celebrating with our family.  He is really into superheroes, so I made Spider man cupcakes.  He is really fun at this age.  He is super active, hardly sits still, has a really fun sense of humor, loves reading & coloring.  He is really thoughtful with his siblings, often sharing and offering to help them.  We feel so blessed by him and are so glad to be his parents.

Sara the cook

Sara has become quite the cook/baker.  She made her own cake a few weeks ago, she makes marshmallow truffles, she made an italian pasta dish, and a cherry turnover.  She is really talented and enjoys it.  She makes her own creations and adds spice I'm not sure about and it turns out to be delicious.  I think pretty soon, she'll be doing all the cooking at our house :)

Camping in Living Room

  On a hot July night, Sara and Jonas camped in the living room near our window AC because their room was so hot.  They had a great time together, but it took a long time to negotiate the space and their things so that everyone was happy :)

Mississippi

              My mom and I took a road trip to MS in April during Sara's spring break.  We enjoyed seeing our family.  We had lots of fun outside, went to the Children's Museum in Jackson, had lots of yummy food, and met Katie and Alyssa for the first time.  The road trip was long, but we survived.  We have lots of great memories that made the trip worth it.  We stayed with Jimmy, Brenda, Georgia, Patrick and Jacob.  The kids adore Jacob!  Rebekah made a great big delicious meal for everyone.  Sara is pictured with Granny Ann and Katie.  Alyssa is on the big trampoline with our kids.  Hopefully, we'll see them again before too long.

Zoo Days

    We still enjoy going to the Toledo Zoo.  Callie and Tobin are now at an age that they really noticed all the animals and had a lot of fun.  It was great going on a cool day too because all of the animals were really active.  We saw baby tigers, a baby elephant and giraffe.  My mom helped keep track of everyone.  As you can tell from these photos, the new challenge is getting everyone to look at the camera.  I guess my journalistic photography skills will just have to emerge.

Summer in March

        Summer in March has brought sun hats, sprinklers, water table, and outdoor dining.  Too bad it probably won't last. 

Outnumbered!

      It's official, trying to take these 4 kids to the park alone is not a good plan!  They are everywhere and into taking risks.  We have been loving the warm weather - we jusgt have to plan for a good child to parent ratio.

Cousins from PA

  We had a great time visiting with Kelsey, Carson and their mom, Anne, earlier in March.  It was a beautiful day, so we played outside.  Kelsey is now 4 and Carson is 8 months.  It's fun to have cousins close in age to play with!