May

Oh my goodness.  So behind. This is going to have to be a quick game of catch up. 

The kids enjoyed visiting my mom for an early Mother's Day celebration. 

Charlie loves pretending to talk on the phone. He kept giving my dad this old cellphone and was fascinated watching him have pretend conversations. Whoever was on the other line kept telling my dad to tickle Charlie, which only increased the fun. :) 

My sister and Braelyn came for a quick visit, and it was so great to see them and to get to spend some one on one time with that little cutie. The kids adore her so much. 

Our sweet Bailey girl really started slowing down this spring. We knew her days were numbered, and we really tried to enjoy her as much as we could. Such a pretty girl. 

The kids were amazed by how much Braelyn had changed since last time we saw her. They couldn't believe she was walking/running. 

Reese kept making motions, and Braelyn kept copying her. It was so sweet. 

We got to spend some wonderful time with our Princeton clan, including Eli, Emily, Eva, & Ella, who were in from Phoenix. The kids had so much fun playing together. 

They loved playing in Jeff & Mary's garden, and it was so fun to listen to their imaginations run wild while they went on their adventures. 

My cousin, Matt, is so great with all of the kids, and they adore him. 

There were a couple things that needed to be documented before Reese finished kindergarten. The first was Charlie's races with the bus. Charlie loved waiting for Reese's bus, and when he would see it was getting close, he would wait for it down at the corner. When it got to the corner, he would race it to our house. The bus drive was a great sport, and would narrate their race on the bus speaker. The kids would cheer along, hoping the bus could win the race, but Charlie won every time. :)  It was SO much fun, and we were very thankful for Reese's wonderful bus driver who made Charlie so happy! 

Reese's final sleep as a kindergartener. I can't believe how quickly the year went by. She blossomed so much this year. Academically, she has excelled in every way, but we are most proud of the way she has grown in her confidence and friendships. She is such a sweet, caring little girl, and it has been so fun to watch her grow and change this year. <3 p="">

I had to get these pictures at the end of the school year. If our front door was open, Bailey was always waiting for Reese's bus to come home. That dog was so old and tired, but she always eagerly waited for the kids to arrive. No matter how old she got, and how much she struggled, her tail always wagged for those babies. <3 p="">

Matt built 4 beautiful cedar boxes for our vegetable garden. We were so excited to have a garden again, and the kids had so much fun helping with the planting. We planted tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, chives, and basil. Well, we actually planted beans too, but...spoiler alert....none grew. ;) 

These two. Always cracking us up. They thought their pajama swap was hilarious (it was).

We put camping on our summer bucket list, but decided it would be best to start in the backyard. We had a backyard camp out, and the kids did great! They enjoyed the campfire, slept all night, and had a ton of fun. I think we are ready for the real thing! 

Reese loves to write, and spends a lot of time writing books and letters to friends. This particular literary work was actually a note home to us--the parents (as Charlie's pretend teacher), letting us know of all of the misbehaviors Charlie exhibited that day. hahaha

Charlie loves showing off his muscles. 

And just like that, Charlie has completed his first year of preschool.

And Reese has completed kindergarten. It felt like the blink of an eye. 

We are so crazy proud of these two!