Catch up

So it's been a little while since my last post.  I guess I should catch up with what has happened and what is going to happen.  I'll post pictures soon.

April

• Easter weekend was spent here.  The kids enjoyed an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.  We were grateful there was no snow this year so they found all of the eggs.  They got some fun stuff in their Easter baskets.
• Lisa turned 11 on the 16th.  She had a big birthday party and decorated t-shirts, roasted hot dogs, and marshmallows, decorated cupcakes, and played games with her friends.
• We had an early surprise party for Jim's 40th birthday (it helped make it a surprise).  I decided that throwing surprise parties is NOT my thing and told Jim to enjoy this one while it lasted cause I'm not throwing another one for who knows.....maybe never.  It's not easy keeping secrets....especially when kids are involved.  : )

May

• Jim turned 40 on the 7th.
• Grandpa Hollingshead came to visit for a few days for Grayson's baptism.
• Grayson turned 8 years old on the 9th and was baptized on the 12th. It was such a great day, and he had Grandpa Hollingshead give a talk and confirm him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Thanks, Dad, for being there for his special day!!!  I just can't believe that 3 of my 4 kids are baptized now.  Will life ever slow down?
• Mother's day was awesome! Jim did everything for the day, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the kids did.  It was even more special because Dad was here to celebrate with us.  I received some very beautiful flower baskets to hang outside.  Yea, for pretty flowers!  : )
• We celebrated Jim's and Grayson's birthdays with Dad and Alan and Linette Roberts on Mother's Day, too; mostly so the Roberts could give the "boys" their gifts.  I made Jim a special book of '40 or more memories of Jim', and he LOVES it.  Thank goodness, because it wasn't easy putting it together without him finding out about it first.
• The kids had their spring piano recital and did wonderfully.  I'm always so impressed with kids' abilities to memorize songs and still play them in front of people all while being nervous about it.  I'm grateful for kids that enjoy playing (and practicing, too, with little complaint).
• Tanner finished preschool for the year and wished it would last longer.
• Mom and Regan went on a 5-mile hike for girls' camp and Regan had another temple trip with the youth in our ward.
• All four of my kids started swim lessons at the U of I indoor swimming pool.  The boys have never taken lessons before, and the girls haven't had lessons for a few years.  I figured it was time to refresh the girls' minds and enlighten the boys'.  They LOVE it, and have even advanced to the next class level.  Tanner swims by himself now, so I feel much better about taking them to the pool this summer and letting them have fun (and if I'm lucky, I won't have to get in the water myself.  It's always so cold, and the Moscow wind doesn't help any).

June

• The kids had lots of end-of-the-school-year field trips, parties and other activities. 
• The last day of school was on the 6th.  The kids couldn't be happier (and neither could I).  We love summer!!!  : )
• Tanner will start kindergarten in September and can't wait to go to "real" school.  : )
• Grayson finished 2nd grade with flying colors and is excited to move onto 3rd grade.
• Lisa graduated from elementary (5th grade) and will be transitioning to the middle school next year for 6th grade.
• Regan finished her time at the junior high and will be starting high school in the fall.  Can you believe it?  Now, if she'd just grow a little so I wasn't so worried about her going to school with such big kids.  
• It's still cold.  We had record amounts of rain the last two months, and we had a light snow storm the beginning of June.  Hello, Summer?  Are you coming soon?
• Mom and Regan went on an over-night camp-out with the young women in our ward.  This is because our girls' camp is at a place with cabins, electricity, toilets, showers, a heated pool, and other nice amenities.  As camp director, I felt the girls needed a "real" camping experience.  It rained the whole time, and everyone was soaked through by the time we got home, but we still went on a 3-mile hike and shared LOTS of laughs and hot chocolate and just a few tears (mostly from Regan since she had her mom there to complain to).  : )
• Father's day was celebrated quietly with our good friends, the Roberts and a single sister in our ward that we Home Teach, Teresa Vazquez.  Jim got his very first pair of Wrangler jeans and wonders if he'll like them.  He wanted some for a mule pack trip that he'll be going on at the end of July with a couple of his friends.  I think it's funny he hasn't ever had Wranglers since he grew up in a ranching family and that I had to be the one to buy them.  : )
• The kids all started their second round of swim lessons and Grayson started baseball.  He's having a great time playing bball, and they all enjoy swimming even more this round.  Phew!  But that just means I'm out and about every night of the week, except Friday.  I've definitely had to be more organized with dinners so that we can eat before 8 at night.
• Lastly, we're getting ready to go on our first family camp-out this weekend.  We'll be camping at Winchester Lake State Park, one of our favorite places to camp with the kids.  Our friends, Steve and Christy Lewis from Oregon, will meet us there, and we'll have lots of fun fishing, canoeing, hiking, biking and playing games.  Can't wait!!!  Yea for summer!!!