Thankful for family and old friendships!

A long weekend is always a good thing, especially when you travel!  We enjoyed Monday home together and even snagged some time at the park with Ellie!   The girls are eager for when she can swing and run with them.   

Ally and Gracie hanging from Grammy and Papa's tree! 

Helping Papa water his garden.   

Ellie Snuggles (we seems to like the girls Taggies they passed down and it warms my heart)

Gracie started summer camp and has loved it!  She is very active, but is using muscles she has not used consistently and is quite sore.    Ms. Angela, the camp leader, tells us often how much she enjoys Gracie.  This week she said “she has such a sweet disposition and just goes with the flow”.   Jimmy actually laughed when I told him that as her type A personality rarely allows her to “go with the flow” but we are really working on that.    Flexibility in schedules is best learned early....right? (I am not sure I have that down yet!).   

Stunting at summer camp.  Having a blast! 

Gracie Bug!

Maggie enjoyed her last week with Ms. Denise and Ms. Ingrid before moving to the preK class next week.   We are very said about the change in teachers and the lack of a plan for that classroom right now.   We are praying for wisdom regarding what to do with Maggie for this year and the next, as she will not enter into Kindergarten until Fall 2015.    I know there is a balance between academics/ learning and being a kid and that is a hard balance to find.   I don’t want an overly structured environment that is academics all day at this age and I don’t want just a play room for the day with no development and challenge.  We are exploring options and praying for clarity, wisdom and a peace.  

Maggie Doodle 

Playing at the park!   So full of spunk! 

We have had the opportunity to really visit with dear friends, the Bowen’s, that we don’t see often but have such a special friendship.  We pick up where we leave off, we laugh about old memories and new events, we share parenting experiences (and we learn as their kids are older than ours), and our kids enjoy playing together!    While we don’t get together nearly as often as we would like, they are family and they are dear to us!