Mallory's Preschool Graduation

I can't believe that my baby has finished her first year of preschool!  She had such a wonderful year at Carousel House.  It's such a great school.  We were very excited to attend her first graduation.  It was nice for her to finally have a time for us to come and watch her do something special.  How adorable!  Her class said the pledge of allegiance and sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Itsy, Bitsy Spider.  Then they were presented with a diploma.  Mallory did an awesome job.  She takes after her sisters and likes to put on a show.  We shared cookies and punch afterwards.  Mrs. Blankenship, her teacher has been teaching for 33 years.  She is just the kind of teacher you would hope your child would have for their first school experience.  She was so loving and enthusiastic.  Mallory loved her.  We look forward to Mallory returning to Carousel House in the Fall.

Memorial Day Weekend

We were thrilled to take a little break from soccer.  It was wonderful to have a relaxing weekend at home.  Even better was the fact that the pool opened for the season and Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit.  We packed up the cooler and spent the afternoon at the pool.  It was a beautiful day!  The girls had fun swimming with Grandpa.  That evening we had a cookout.  They brought some West End steaks, which is always a treats that we enjoy.  The girls and I made an American Flag cake with fresh fruit.  It was delicious!  After dinner we had a fire and made smores.  We layed on sleeping bags and looked for constellations.  The next day Molly  taught Grandma and Grandpa how to play Wii bowling.  Duane and I planted flowers and got the garden started.  It was a relaxing Memorial Day weekend.

Mother's Day Weekend

We started the weekend with an awesome soccer again against Springboro.  They were neck and neck the entire game and finished with a tie.  We drove to Massillon right after the game.  Saturday morning we went to the Amish Door for a Mother's Day Princess tea with my mom Grandma Scott and Aunt Susan.  Of course the girls had to wear their prettiest dresses and get their hair fixed and their make-up done.  It was a busy morning for me but well worth it.  We were happy that Brooke got to come along with us.  Everything was beautifully decorated right out of a fairytale.  Singers performed while we ate a delicious lunch.  Then we rotated through stations with different activities.  The girls colored princess pictures, got their nails painted and took a horse drawn carriage ride.  It was really chilly that day but everyone had warm hearts.  On Mother's Day I woke up to precious homemade gifts from the girls.  They made cards and books for me.  I was brought to tears by their priceless gifts that they put so much time and love into.   We went to church, then the family got together at Grandma and Grandpa Scott's house for lunch.  We celebrated Grammy and Aunt Janet's birthdays.  It was wonderful having the whole family together.  I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day!

Easter

We were excited to have family at our house for Easter this year.  We hosted Thanksgiving for Duane's family and now it was my turn.  We have enjoyed having the chance to host for the holidays this year.  The kids get so excited.  They think it's a party.  As always they were showered with gifts.  I appreciate how everyone makes them feel so special.  We had a small cook out on Saturday evening.  Then we colored eggs.  As I was telling them to be careful not to spill the dye, I knocked over an entire bowl of hot pink dye all over Mallory in her new, favorite Tinker Bell night gown!  She was not very pleased with me.  What a mess!  Believe it or not there were no stains.   The next morning the hunt began bright and early.  Madison was a great big sister.  She found Mallory's basket, but didn't spoil the surprise.  She gave her clues and helped her look for it.  The Easter Bunny was very good to the girls as always.  Their baskets were overflowing!  We all got ready for church which is no easy task with four girls on Easter Sunday.  But we managed to get out the door on time.  I was so proud sitting next to Duane and my three beautiful girls at church.  I felt so blessed!  When we got home from church the girls had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.  It's amazing how excited they get over a little plastic egg!  We had beautiful weather.  We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for the big feast.  I was grateful that my family was willing to travel to Centerville to share Easter with us.  I was especially happy to have Grammy here.  Traveling isn't easy for her, but she did it anyway for us.  Being surrounded by your family are the most precious times in our lives.  I cherish those times and I know my girls do too!

Spring Things

We had a busy and wonderful spring.  After being cooped up all winter, it was such a blessing to finally be able to open the windows and be outside.  I felt like a new woman.  The winters can be challenging.  We all love being able to go outside.  Soccer started up again in March.  Training, practice and games kept us on the go.  Molly and Mallory spent a lot of time playing at the playground and playing on the sidelines with other siblings during games and practices. They were good sports.  We went to Coco Key indoor water resort for the first time over spring break.  It was a nice place to go for an over night family trip.  I also took the girls to the movies to see Alice in Wonderland during the break.  Mallory took swim lesson's at the rec center for several weeks.  She loved it and really developed her swimming skills.  After much hard work Duane finished up his electric boat that he built from the ground up.  He enjoyed taking it for a run at the pond when he had the chance.  Duane took Jax and the girls to the dog park at Oak Grove for the first time.  The all loved it.  Jax loved being able to run free and the girls loved being surrounded by dogs of all shapes and sizes.  It's a great place!  It was another great spring!

Gymnastics at Twigs

Molly and Mallory have really come a long way in gymnastics this year.  Mallory is showing her strength and getting much better with following the routine and waiting her turn.  Sometimes she sneaks and skips things to get back to what she likes doing the best.  But for the most part she does really well.  Molly moved up to level 1 and has moved over to the big gym.  She loves the bars.  Her skill level and focus have improved a lot.  We continue to be happy with the teachers and the program at Twigs.

Molly's 6th Birthday

I can't believe our Molly girl is 6! What a year of milestones it's been. A few weeks ago she lost her first tooth. It was wiggly for what seemed like an eternity, but it finally came out! A second tooth followed a few days later. This year Molly celebrated her birthday at the rec center. She had a dolphin theme, which she was very excited about! Our trusty cake lady came through again with a beautiful cake. We opened gifts and had cake and ice cream and every one was ready to jump into the pool. The next two hours were spent jumping, slidding and splashing. She enjoyed having friends from school and family friends there. It was a bummer that her cousin Logan had the stomach flu and couldn't make it, but she still managed to have a blast! One Molly's actually birthday she chose to have dinner at Olive Garden. She was very excited when all the waiters brought her a cake and sang happy birthday. We all enjoyed celebrating Molly's birthday this year!