Nothing Runs Like a Deere...

It is no secret that Dennis is an avid fan of John Deere. Sometimes I swear he bleeds green. So it comes as no surprise that the love of all things Deere has been passed on to the next generation. After having lunch with Daddy one day, the maintenance crew at the hospital had their John Deere Gator out working on the landscaping. We took the opportunity to play a little...

It is so fun to play with my kids and take joy in life's simple pleasures!

It is definitely an inherited trait... Andrew loves to be behind the wheel of a tractor.

Getting the Gator all to himself for a moment - couldn't be more pleased

Watch out for those silly girls!

I'm a sucker for my boys. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!

Congratulations Graduate!

Sarah graduated from pre-school this week. It has been such a great experience for her. She has learned a ton, gained more confidence, and made lots of new friends. They had a graduation ceremony for the class, and they gave away two awards to each child. Sarah received the "scissor skills award" because she's really good with the scissors... should I be worried or pleased about that one? And, she also received the "great attitude award" because they said she was always happy to be at school. I love that about her. Every night before bed she asks us what where we're going when the sun comes up. If I tell her that we're going to school, she gets really excited. On days when there won't be any school, she says, "Oh... I want to go to school tomorrow!"

This fall, Sarah will start Pre-K. It is a program funded by the state for all children to take part in the year before Kindergarten. We start in late August and it's Monday-Friday half days. I think she's going to love it, but I just hope that she doesn't have too hard of an adjustment going every day as opposed to two days a week that she's been doing.

So proud to be a big girl... waiting for the ceremony to start

Saying the "pledge of allegiance"
I think it is so great they do this every day!

Accepting one of her awards

Practicing classroom etiquette with her little brother and sister

Mallory, Sarah, Paige, and Emmalee
Sarah talked about her friends "Paige and Mallory" almost every day. They are cousins, so Sarah kept telling me that she was their cousin too. After the graduation ceremony, we realized that Paige and Mallory's grandma is actually Dennis's secretary at work. What a small world... or town.

The proud graduate

Memories Made on Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, we had a little party just the five of us. After Dennis worked part of the day, we went to the store to buy a pool because our old kiddie pool fell victim to the Oklahoma wind this past year. We also picked out some lovely flowers for my flower bed. It has become my new project to keep my flower bed nice this year. I get so much satisfaction from looking out my front windows and seeing colors, life, and beauty!

We then came home, made homemade ice cream, grilled some ribs, let the kids swim, planted the flowers, and enjoyed a wonderful night with our kids.

Happy Memorial Day!

Everyone helping made homemade ice cream... or everyone eating the salty ice in the bucket. Call it whatever you want!

Emma making faces to pass the time

Look at me too!

Sarah's new "funny face." A little more funny and a little less grumpy would probably work better! It makes her laugh, though.

I LoVe Emma's face here - so excited to have the first homemade ice cream of the year!

Andrew's first ever homemade ice cream

Emma... opening up wide just in case Andrew mis-aims and gets her mouth instead of his own!

Six Years...

Last Friday, Dennis and I celebrated our sixth anniversary. I had it all planned out for about a month that I would get a babysitter for the night and we would stay downtown somewhere just enjoying time together. I had a hotel room reserved, plans for dinner (a gift certificate for somewhere simple), and our babysitter was scheduled. I told Dennis about my surprise a few days in advance so that he wouldn't plan anything in conflict. Well... my sweet husband one-upped me (in a good way). We cancelled the hotel, threw the dinner plans out, and kept the babysitter. When we headed out on our date Friday, I had no idea what was going on. Dennis told me he re-booked the same hotel, but then on our way to dinner we got low on gas and began looking for a gas station. He kept turning here and there and started driving me crazy. He said he was going to stop and ask someone where the nearest gas station was... then we pulled into a super nice hotel we'd talked about earlier in the week. I didn't want to get my hopes up until Dennis got out and gave the keys to the valet. He really had me going!

Our hotel was built in 1911 and redone about 2 years ago. Everything was gorgeous! Marble floors, a two-story lobby, restaurants in the hotel, and 11 floors (I think). We were right downtown, so we walked to dinner at a fondue restaurant. It was amazing, and we learned a ton of new tricks to use on our own fondue pot at home. After stuffing ourselves until we were sick (how can you not eat all that yummy food), we walked around some more, took a boat ride on the canal downtown, and talked and talked about how wonderful it was to just focus on each other.

The next morning we slept in. I had almost forgotten what that was like! We ate breakfast at 11:00 and shopped for a little while. It was the best anniversary!

Not the best picture, but I wanted to remember it!

I am so grateful that I get to spend eternity with my best friend. He surprises me, loves me, challenges me, complements me, adores me, makes me better, and makes me happy!

I Zoo, Do You?

Sarah's cute little pre-school class went to the zoo for a year-end field trip last week. I wasn't planning on going, but the night before the trip Sarah started begging me to come. What mom could resist that? That morning was a whirlwind of running to the bank, accidently stealing the canister at the drive-up window, getting gas, forgetting to put the gas cap back on, going back for jackets, and then hurrying to catch up to the school van before we missed the turn-off for the zoo.

It was all worth it to be able to enjoy the day with my three little ones.

Sarah loved riding the school van with her classmates and then having Mommy at the zoo. She got to have her cake and eat it too!

Emma thought she was just another one of the pre-school kids. She followed the group and tried everything they did.

Andrew... well... he didn't quite enjoy being confined to the stroller and so there are no pictures of him this time. Sorry buddy!

Most of the class (purple shirts), Emma, and a few other tagalongs
Emma is in the pink shirt on the leftish middle. Sarah is the little head poking out on the tallest lion's back.

Wyatt (neighbor/best friend/playmate/future firefighter) and Sarah

What a cheese!

Emma as she considers the best way to mount the giant lizard... I love the little boy in the front. He looks like the future "crocodile hunter"!

I can't believe she is getting so big - love that girl!

Puppy Love

We've had a few days of break from the rain we've had this spring, which has given us ample time to hit the park a few times this week. Andrew is just discovering that there is so much more to the park than eating sand! After a few times down the slide, he's a natural...

(no need to turn up the volume... it's not really important on this one)



I love that he goes down like a little puppy dog. What a huggable, kissable, loveable little guy!

Circus in the sky?

Sarah is really inquisitive these days. She will ask a question, and then follow it up with about 10 more "Why"s.

While we were driving around running errands last weekend, she took us off guard when she said, "Why are all the people having a circus up there?"

For a minute, we couldn't figure what on earth she was talking about... until we looked around and saw this:

To the untrained adult eye, this may just look like the town is repainting the water tower. But in the eyes of a child, they are having a grand old time in their circus tent!

Stylin' Sisters

A couple weeks ago (am I really that behind!?), my mom came into town and we went to Old Navy one day. Before I could blink, the girls would disappear around a clothes rack or around a corner. When they came back into view, they would always have something new they'd picked out.

Sunglasses....

Hats....

Volleyballs and Flip-flops...
I guess we're ready for summer around here! And good thing too, because it can be blazing hot some days.

By the way, I had the absolute best time with my mom while she visited. She watched the kids for me a few times so I could go do those things I never have time for, like going to the dentist and getting a haircut. The rest of the time we spent having fun, shopping, making cards, watching chick-flicks, and eating brownies. Thanks for coming, Mom! I wish I had more pictures, but I guess we were having too much fun to take very many!

You say it's your birthday....

How do four years go by so quickly? Our little Sarah is growing up before our eyes. Tuesday she celebrated her 4th birthday. It is so funny how in just four short years your life can change completely. It is truly a miracle, a blessing, a challenge, and an adventure to be a mother. But it is, after all, the best job in the world.

To celebrate her birthday, we got dinner at "Old McDonald's", had cake and ice cream with a few neighbors, and then used our web cam to open presents with Grandma and Grandpa Hunger. It is fun that even though we live away from family, we can still have a little party with the fam.

The old standard "blowing out the candles" picture

So excited to be 4
For the last few days she keeps saying, "Yeah, I can do that because I'm 4 now!" (no matter what it may be, she thinks she is big stuff now she's four)

I think Emma must be really excited Sarah is four too... or maybe she's excited for the cake?

I love this picture. It's like she's thinking, "Okay... if I just smile one more time, maybe they'll let me open my presents!"
The chair she's sitting in was what Dennis & I gave her for her first birthday. We made it with the help of my parents and grandma. I love to see how big she's gotten!

And here she is... ages 1, 2, 3, and 4!