April Shenanigans

Molly's "house" is St. Peters and they won the Thunder Cup for the 2nd year in a row!  No house in Saint James history has ever won it 2 years in a row. Lots of excitement around here!! Love the school spirit and community system at Saint James so much!

Kate's friend Isabel turned 13! More celebrations!

Mike taught Molly how to put new windshield wipers on her car - 

Kate had her first "Bells Concert" - it was beautiful!

{Ruby, Lucy, Kate, Caroline}

Do you even live in Kansas if you can't play "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on every instrument?

Kate is still climbing trees!

Molly's friend, Mary, turned 16! More celebrations!

{Vivian, Molly, Ellie, Mary, Anna, Isabel}

Love how much these girls celebrate each other!!

Katy Unruh surprised me Sunday afternoon with these beautiful peonies from her garden!  

Kate & Bear waking me bright and early to watch the bunnies run around the yard . . .

Just an Ordinary Day

 

Today was just an ordinary Spring day. 

I picked up Kate from school - a couple of other kids piled in needing rides home too. A younger girl stopped to say HI to Bear hanging out the front seats window.

Kate requested popcorn when we got home so I got the air popper out and made it her favorite way. I went for a walk before starting dinner and as I returned I saw Molly's car in the driveway which brings me joy knowing she is home from high school and practice. This spring she is helping manage the JV Soccer team with friends. She is so busy these days with tennis, soccer, leadership stuff at school, as well as all the fun friend activities and babysitting too which she loves. I truly love all this for her, but I'm also so happy when she's home.

Kate is swinging on the tree swing, asking me to give her a big push like I used to do when she was little - underdogs were my favorite. I start to make dinnerand hear Molly in the shower - as she gets out she lets me know I bought the wrong face wash, not in a spoiled way - just in a "letting me know" way. I tell her I'll get it for her tomorrow - knowing these errands and to do's for my girls are fleeting and soon I won't have the chance to get the right face wash or pick them up from school.

I continue making dinner and hear Kate now playing the guitar in our front room, a skill she taught her self this past year and it's so wonderful hearing her play. Just then Mike walks in the door from work with a smile on his face. 

My eyes fill with tears, and I don't know why at first - but then all these little moment memories come rushing from this ordinary afternoon. Not a vacation, birthday or a holiday - just a typical day. 

I think I will miss them them the most.

Desert Rats Race!

Mike signed up to run the Desert Rats Race in Fruita, Colorado this weekend and he was so excited to get to camp and run in the Colorado desert with family and friends!

Bear really wanted to go with him for the 16 hour drive west - but luckily he got to stay home with me. I can't have BOTH my boys gone at the same time. 

Explaining to Bear he will only be gone 4 days . . .

He made it!  He met up with the Provinos and friends to camp together!

Mike's new tent we gave him for Christmas - for the back of his truck so he doesn't have to sleep on the ground. He loved it!

The race is about to begin!

Go Mike, Go!

He met up with our friends, Mike & Mary Freivogel as well the day of the race and then they all cheered each other on!

Creighton friends are the best friends!

{Mary & Mike Freivogel and Mike}

Happy Easter!

 

It was the quietest Easter weekend ever! Except for 2020 during COVID pandemic, we have always either hosted grandparents or visited grandparents for Easter Sunday. 

This year, we had plans to host the McGinnis Crew, but it didn't work out at the last minute for them to travel - so it was just the 4 of us for Easter morning mass together! The Easter Bunny still came and brought lots of goodies for all of us, even for Bear!

Our dear friends, the Schlicks, also had their family cancel - so they invited us over to have a big  old-fashioned Easter dinner together around 4:00! It was fun!! I made 3 dishes and a Carrot Cake, and Megan made a delicious ham with potatoes and the best pineapple jello salad! We had a delicious dinner, and then played cards together while the kids ran around outside together playing with neighbors/friends!

Molly was in the front yard with Anna and some other friends - but had to snap at least the cute Schlick kids with Kate before we left! 

Kate, 13 - Selma, 9 - Bo, 11 - Ruby, 13

Teen Life Lately . . .

 

7th Grade Recess at Cure' of Ars!

{Vivian, Harper, Della, Lucy, Lottie, Ruby, Victoria, Kate, Reece, Maggie}

Molly's had many 16th birthday parties to attend this year with friends!

Kate's friend Reece (in gold in the middle) turned 13!

Father Daughter Dance was a fun one - unfortunately Mike's head didn't make the cut. :) 

The "friends" pix turned out spectacular, however.

If this picture doesn't scream Middle School girls at a dance, I don't know what does. 

Glad they had fun!