Sisters

Love these girls :-)  90% of the time they get along well and Ella is surprsingly sweet to her most of the time.  She does a lot of teaching which is adorable ("Sadie, this is how you brush your teeth, watch me")  and a lot of "aww Mom, Sadie's being so cute, come look!"  I am a huge fan of this age difference so far and I pray their good relationship continues.

Summer has been crazy and uber stressful so far with our move but we're feeling super blessed by the new house, being closer to family and friends, and all that God's doing in our lives.  Looking forward to things, hopefully settling down a little in the fall :-)

watching sesame street :-)

Imagination Festival!

We try not to miss a local art festival each year-it's a lot of fun and free!!  This year some friends from our Life Group joined us and we got a few pics :-)

A good dad helps you catch the drips ;-)

Three Piggy Opera!

For a few months, all 3 kindergarten classes at Ella's school have been working on a show for the end of the year.  I got notes home about it, heard about auditions from Ella, and purchased a shirt for her to wear for it.  However, I was NOT prepared for the type of show they put on!  Who takes on coralling 75 5 and 6 year olds and teaching them a 45 minute play complete with narration, many parts with memorized lines, choreography, costumes, moving sets and scenery, and numerous songs???!!???  I was extremely impressed.  The cuteness factor was through the roof and no one forgot lines, cried, ran off the stage, threw up, peed...what are the odds with that many tiny people? My hat is off to her teachers.  It was awesome.  

Ella was chosen to be a narrator because she's one of the top 3 readers in her class!  She hates being up in front of people and performing and always says no in any opportunities I've given her but she LOVES her school and had no qualms about doing her part.  She narrated loudly, clearly and with no apparent nervousness or stumbles.  Who is this child?? I'm so proud of her since, like me, I know it's not her thing to be up in front.  I'll stop gushing but suffice it to say, the Three Piggy Opera was wonderful!

Thanks also to my parents, grandmother and mother-in-law who came out to watch!

Peeking through the scenery after the play

Last Day of Kindergarten

Ella has LOVED kindergarten and fell in love with her school.  She seemed to really connect with being a part of something bigger than herself-she loves being a "jaguar," loves her teachers and her friends.  She is very sad we're moving and this will be her only year there.  Thus, her last day of school was tough.  She actually held it together well but I was a mess as soon as she got on the bus.  I know she'll be fine in her new school but it's tough taking her away from a school we've been really happy with and that she loves.  The girl has literally memorized her yearbook from reading it for hours daily.  But, she acclimated quickly to this new school and will likely do the same this fall :-)

Here are some pics from her last day :-)

Sadie's "cheese" face :-)

Thanks God for a blessed first year of Elementary School for our girl!

Letters

The day before Ella's last day of Kindergarten (and her last day at this school since we moved a couple weeks later), she asked if she could give something to her teachers.  I suggested she write or draw something for them since we'd already given presents to her main teachers the week before.  Over the course of the next few hours, she wrote all of these...with zero coaching, prodding, direction, wording help from Chris or me.  I cry every time I look at them.  She is such a sweet girl.

To an admin/helper in her classroom

To the principal

For the Assistant Principal

To the Cafeteria Ladies:

To her Art teacher

To her Music teacher

To her Gym Teacher

To the teacher who was in Ella's class everyday as the one-on-one help for Ella's good friend Dennis who is in a wheel chair

Love this girl.