Emma

Emma played softball this year.  This was her first year, and she had so much fun.  She played coach pitch and had the cutest girls on her team.

She had fun playing catcher

And batting was her favorite part.  She improved so much over the season, it was great to watch her become more confided in herself and just to have fun.

 

This was Emma on the last day of school.  She loved 1st grade and learned so much.  She made so many friends this year and her teacher always told me that she was always so willing to help others and be nice to everyone.  She is loving summer and is excited to go to 2nd grade.

 

This is a picture of Emma after her gymnastics performance.  She loved gymnastics.  I as very hesitant to let her take the classes.  The thought of her doing the splits with her hips has always made me nervous, but after many reassurances from her doctor that she can do anything we signed her up.  I am so glad we did, she had so much fun and looked forward to her class every week.

As you can see there is not a picture of Emma at the dance recital.  She refused to let me take her picture.  She is so glad that dance is over and says she is done with it.  She said the same thing last year too, so we will see.

 I love this silly girl and I am so glad to have her home for the summer.

Madison

I have to say that May can be such a crazy month, almost as busy as December.  There was to much going on to keep up.  Here are a few things Madison was up to last month.

She is always such a great big sister.  Much of the time Allie prefers her to me.  This picture above is a common sight, Madison entertaining Allie and I appreciate her help so much.

She also played softball and fell completely in love with it.  She has played since she was in first grade, but realized this year that it is so much fun.  She pitched in almost every game and learned to pitch strikes very often.  Her next favorite place to play was short stop and her least favorite was catcher. She hit 3 home runs in the season and switched it up by batting both right and left.  She still goes around carrying a mitt and ball and had decided that she is going to learn to pitch both right and left handed.  We will see if it lasts, but right now she is obsessed.

I went down stairs one morning to find these two asleep.  Madison had taken Allie down to play and they both must have been worn out because a half hour later they were both asleep.   It didn't last long, so I am glad I got a picture.

Before school was out the 4th grade went on a field trip to Capitol Reef.  It was such a fun day.  We went on a hike, played games

and learned about what it was like for the kids who went to school in the old school house.  The weather turned out to be perfect.  I am so glad that I got to go with her.

She danced in her recital and was as beautiful as always.  She loves to dance and is still dancing this summer, four mornings a week.

This was the last day of school.  She had a great year.  She loved her teacher and was so excited to go everyday.  She also learned so much.  She was in the advanced early morning math program and earned a presidential award for education for scoring so high on her end of year testing, and she still hasn't missed a spelling word.  She works hard and enjoys learning.  We are so proud of her.

 

She also performed in her piano recital.  She played the song Cookoo.  She played so well and although she complains a lot about having to practice and go to lessons but I think she really likes it and enjoys being able to sit and play.

Memorial Day

We decided to take our kids to visit the grave sites of members of our family.  The picture above is where my Grandpa is buried.  He died before I was born but my grandma has told us many stories about him and what an amazing man he was.

This is where my Great-Grandparents are buried, next to my grandpa.  My Great-grandma Esther was the most amazing woman.  I remember going to her house as a kid and she always gave us vanilla ice cream in a cake cone.  She died when I was about 14 but I remember so much about her.  Her maiden name was Jensen and that is where C.J. got part of his name.

My Grandma came up to the cemetery while we were there.  It was really good to see her there and visit with her.

We then went to see where Tom's grandparents are buried.  Tom's grandpa died before he was born, but he remembers spending time with his grandma.  I thing he talks about the most is when I flew to CA to stay with her and she took him to his first MLB game.  She is also Maidson's name sake.  The kids like to talk about grandma Iris and learn more about her.  C.J. was also named after Great- Grandpa and Grandpa Bogh

So Tom always makes fun of me when I come home from the DI excited about something that I found.  I will admit that our DI is not the greatest, but every once in a while there is something worth purchasing. 

I found this suitcase, it is a little battered, but I thought it might be a cute picture prop and for 2 bucks you can't beat it.  I do have plans to paint it, but who knows when that will be.

 

I think Allie felt trapped atop the suitcase, and she only started smiling when Emma and C.J. came running towards her, she knew that she would be saved from her snap happy momma.  I just can't help but take pictures of her sweet cheeks, and show Tom that this old suitcase can be of use when you stick a darling little girl on top.

You've had a birthday shout hooray

Yep she did it, she went and turned 10, double digits, without even asking me.  I guess there is not much I could have done, but really...this just makes me feel old.  We started out the day with breakfast in bed, a family tradition.  After church we celebrated with lunch and a zingers cake,  I will admit that I didn't have a lot of time to put it together since we had been to Lagoon the day before, but Madison loved it.

She blew out the candles and it was official she was ten years old!

We played some minute-to-win-it games

Then it was time for presents.  She was so excited to get some new books from g and g Bogh.  I swear I can't keep this girl in reading material, so they were the perfect gift.

 

Madison wanted a new bike for her birthday.  We gave in and let her have it early.  She had sold her bike at a yard sale where all of the money was given to someone in need.  Her old bike was too small and had about a million miles on it so she was due for a new one.  We kept telling her that she wasn't going to get anything for her birthday because she already got her bike, and she was ok with that, to it made the rollerblades an extra surprise.  She was not expecting them so it made it even more fun.  

She also got to skype g and g Thalman that evening which is always fun.

Happy Birthday to my sweet and spunky 10 year old.  I hope the next 10 years go much, much slower.

Lagoon

A few weeks ago we got to Lagoon.  The kids had never been there, and Tom and I hadn't been for about 11 years.  Madison's would be dancing there with her class in a competition so we decided to make a weekend of it.  We drove up Friday afternoon and stayed in a hotel.  I think for the kids that would have been enough.  They didn't need Lagoon they were just excited to stay in a hotel.

We made sure the hotel had a pool, that was the only thing the kids requested.  It was actually a very nice pool that was very warm, just the way I like it.  We don't do a lot of swimming in the winter and since it has been so cold at home swimming was just what we needed.

Tom ended up toting the kids all through the pool, they loved it.

It took Allie a little while to get used to it.  She hates the bath, so I wasn't sure if she would ever warm up to the idea, but in the end she was splashing and playing in the water with the rest of our little fish.

The weather turned out to be perfect on Saturday, it had been raining all week.  This is Madison's class practicing for their tap dance

This is the very end of their ballet dance on stage.  We lucked out with the timing of her performances.  They were really close together and early enough that we had the rest of the day to play.

The rides were fun as usual and the kids couldn't get enough.  It surely wasn't Disneyland, but for a quick trip it was a fun day.