Minnesota in May

May 25-June 4

Well, IMMEDIATELY after school got out, we took off for a summer kick-off trip to Minnesota. As in, school got out at 11am and we were in the car driving by 5pm that night. It was a complete whirlwind. If I can be totally honest, I think that next time we'll add in a little buffer of time so we don't feel quite so rushed. :)

We did the usual drive through the night routine and arrived in Fergus around 10:30 on Friday morning. The drive went really well as we now have come to expect. Matt headed out to Ten Mile to spend the weekend fishing with the Rustand men around noon on Friday. The kids and I spent time with Lake Grandma and Grandpa before Swensons and Edwards' came later that day/weekend. Matt hopped back and forth and the kids and I joined him out at Ten Mile a bit as well. It's always a frenzy of activity, grabbing quality moments together while still shepherding and parenting children. 

Molly had a fun time with this little bike at Lake Grandma and Grandpa's. She does pedals really well on her balance bike and tricycle at home, but unlike a trike, you can't pedal backwards on a bike with a chain. She struggled on the first day but the very next day was showing huge improvements. By the end of the week, she was riding that thing all over the driveway! Proud of you, Molly Girl!

 Grandpa was helping Alanna practice casting in the yard using a fishing pole without a hook. 

 We grabbed a quick casual cousins picture and it turned out great! Our years with crying babies and toddlers that take off mid-shot are potentially within grasp. :) 

 Leave it to Lake Grandma to do some fancy (time consuming, took forever, might-not-be-worth-it) snacks! Colorful donut pops with sprinkles! 

 I love this one of Molly and Leah. 

Last Week of First Grade

5-23

Like I mentioned, the last month of school was wild. A few days before school was out, we were able to go to Charlie's classroom for an awards program. Each student was called up one at a time to receive whatever awards they were given (science excellence, math something-or-other, a character award, etc). It was a really efficient way of doing things. Charlie received five or six awards which I filed away in a packet of his first grade papers. It was a nice way to celebrate the kids' accomplishments!

 5-24

MVCKS put on a field day for all students on the second to last day of school. After a morning of activities and games, families were invited to join their kids for a barbeque at the park. The girls and I went to have lunch with Charlie. His group was just getting done with all of their stations when we arrived so we didn't see any of the things set up for field day, but I know for sure there was a few bounce houses and some stations with water games. I grabbed this picture of Grayson, Charlie, and Luke, a few of his buddies from his class. 

 Charlie's three R's poster won first place! 

 I put together bouquets of flowers for Mr. De Herrera and Mrs. Reish; three different gift cards taped to foam tulips along with notes from Charlie and me. Done! 

 5-25

The very last day of school was a half day so we picked Charlie up at 11. He wanted to stay and play at the playground for a few minutes (which I anticipated) so we hung out for a bit after school was out for the summer. And just like that, first grade is over and Charlie's on to second grade! 

Luke and Charlie

 In front of the school on the last day of first grade

 Great job in first grade, Charlie! We're so proud of you and all that you have learned and accomplished this year! 

Popcorn on the Patio

5-21

We had a snack on the back patio one Sunday afternoon, and I snapped a bunch of pictures of Hattie in this adorable light blue and coral romper. She looked so precious!

 Her 'I'm going to be sneaky and see if you're looking at me' look. 

Gorge Hike

5-20

 Wow - the month of May flew by in a blink. I didn't realize just how busy it was going to be until it felt like we were running a marathon and I was exhausted halfway through! Sheesh! Charlie had several things going on school; a field trip, a fun(draiser) run, classroom awards, etc. WOW. May's busyness rivals December in my books. Tossed in there as well were several end-of-the-year things (MOPS, a Young Life women's brunch, YoungLives club) AND prep for a trip to Minnesota immediately after school got out. 

Anyway, one Saturday we went out to the gorge for a little family hike and dinner at White Water Grill. It was so fun!

Sisters helping Daddy in the kitchen. 

 Little explorers

 Hattie was booking it down the trail... and managed to stay upright for most of the trail. 

Mother's Day

5-14

These four made me a mother! Not always a very good mother, but a mother nonetheless. I hope they forget all of the frustration, anger, and bad moods and remember the giggles, books, games, and sweet moments. I am stretched beyond belief most days but this is hands-down, 100%, no 

questions about it the best place to be - at home with our children. I am crazy thankful even on days when I forget to be. 

 Matt and the kids made this sweet banner that hung in our living room for a full month before I took it down. Cute!

 The kids (ahem, Matt) got me a pretty teal watering can for the flowers outside. And, because he's a genius, Matt also snagged a little kids can for my many helpers. Well played, Babe. 

 I snapped this picture one day when our neighbor Tylee was over playing at our house. She came bearing a gift (a picture) for me and then I invited her to stay and play for 30 minutes or so before we had to go run errands. Somehow that translated into 'if I bring Julie a gift, she'll let me come in and play'. The very next day, Saturday, Tylee knocked at the door, handed Matt a beaded bracelet, and was about to head on in to play! Ha! 

Great Sand Dunes National Park

5-8

After the turkey hunt and the blossom festival, we had planned to go camping at Great Sand Dunes National Park, the much lesser known national park in Colorado. Due to some potential wet weather, we decided to make it a day trip instead of an overnight. Charlie had Monday off of school and we had booked the campsite months prior, but it wasn't a big deal. The sand dunes are over near Alamosa on the other side of the Sangres which makes it just under 3 hours to get to from our house. We packed a lunch, grabbed our plastic sleds, and headed out for an adventure.

We found a nice picnic area in the park to eat lunch before we headed out onto the dunes. It was cool and breezy with a chance for some showers, and as luck would have it, it actually did rain for a time in the afternoon. Bummer. 

 Some big sand dunes in the middle of the mountains... so bizarre. 

 One of the main reasons why we wanted to go to the dunes in May is because there is a little creek that runs through the dunes in the spring. By mid-summer, the creek dries up and is nearly non-existent. It was supposed to be a nice warm day so we could splash in the creek.... but alas, it was a bit different than we planned. The creek was still there and will be tons of fun to splash in next spring (when we finally get the timing right)!

 The sand dunes are big. Really big. Super big. Alanna and Charlie are headed out to find a little place to try out their sled. 

 I think it was just starting to sprinkle in this picture. 

 So after we played in the sand dunes for a tiny bit, it started raining so we headed back to the car. We sat in the car for a bit enjoying the rain. It looked like it was going to shower on and off for the rest of the day. We went up to our assigned campsite and built a fire so we could at least roast marshmallows and have somewhat of a camping experience. It was great! Day camping could be the newest and greatest thing! When it started to sprinkle again, we headed down to the visitor's center and spent some time looking around. We went home a different way and circled around the south side of the Sangres before making it home that evening. It was a different day then we had planned, but it was such a fun time out exploring. Plus, we got to check another national park off our list! 

Crayons, a Parade, and a Turkey Hunt

5-5

Hattie loves to be up to the table with her siblings, so I pulled the high chair up to the table so she had a little place for her own. Cute, right? A few days later, I did the same thing since it went so well the first few times. I was working in the kitchen when I heard the high chair roll back despite the fact that the wheels were locked. It's laminate floor so the locked wheels don't mean much. Anyway, I turned around and saw Hattie completely stretched out between the high chair and the table. Her hands were gripping the edge of the table and she was literally horizontal with her feet in the seat of the high chair. If I thought she would have been able to hold the plank position, I would have grabbed my camera! It was super funny, especially since she didn't get hurt. I turned around and grabbed her as soon as I heard the high chair slide backwards on the floor. Silly girl. She loves to stand up in her high chair!

 5-6

The annual Music and Blossom Festival parade in Canon. The girls and I scored great seats and a few pieces of candy during the parade. Win! 

 Meanwhile, Matt and Charlie were out on a turkey hunt over the weekend. They backpacked in to a canyon in pursuit of a spring turkey - and Matt got one! He'll have to share the story at some point. It involves a turkey, a fast running creek, and a little bit of a swim, but it's a happy ending with a turkey in our freezer!