Free at Last

For some strange reason, the school district decided to give the kids Monday off for a teacher work day - 2 days before the end of the school year.... So we took the chance afforded and went to the Museum of Nature and Science.  The kids never seem to tire of that place - there is always an old favorite to visit or an exhibit they haven't seen but want to.  They had a blast as usual.  Our friend Heather came with us to help out with the kids and to have something to do out of the house.  My little scientists loved doing experiments! 

Tuesday morning, Aaron had his Kindergarten graduation ceremony - he was once again on the academic honor roll.  He had a blast and then he got to come home with us after - since that was the end of school for him.

We then dropped Evie off at preschool and then I took the boys to the park to say goodbye to a friend.  They are moving out to California and we will miss them!!!  We all had fun playing together one last time.

Wednesday was nuts.  I went to go pick up Eileen and Anna from their last day of school and was sitting in my car in a hail storm/tornado warning waiting to pick up the girls (who they thankfully would not let out of the school until the tornado warning was over)  for over 45 minutes.  All that white stuff on the grass behind Eileen in the picture is hail....

After the last day of school - the kids came home and had a blast splashing in the puddles and getting soaked!!

Anna was especially goofy....

Dan got back late Wednesday night and stayed home Thursday and Friday - we worked on cleaning up the house and having fun together.  There was supposed to be a Daddy-Daughter camp out on Friday night, but the weather was so bad that it was cancelled - so we set up a tent in the front room for the girls to camp out in.

Saturday, we went to a graduation celebration that Aaron's friend Ethan was having at his house - we had a fun time hanging out and chatting with them - and they live really close which is nice, so hopefully the boys can still hang out even though they won't be at the same school next year.

Countdown

Well the kids are counting down to the end of school - they are in the midst of all the fun things to be done at the end of the school year.  Projects, Field Day, field trips, and parties.

Anna had a class project on Michigan due this week, Eileen had her science project due this week and Aaron had a field trip.  The girls had field day on Friday, Anna had a poetry reading on a poem she won an award for.

It snowed on Mother's day and the whole next day too - I can't believe that there was 3 inches of snow on the ground less than 2 weeks from the end of the school year.....

Monday we made cookies for Family Home Evening.  The kids had a blast cooking with Daddy!

Like I promised before - a pic from our prom last weekend!  

Dan took off on another trip this week :(  we all miss him, but we have had our friend Heather over here hanging out and keeping us busy.  The kids had a blast chatting with him on Skype tonight - James kept wanting to put his face right into the screen near daddy's face.... and they were all trying to talk over each other - it was kind a insane, but fun!  

This week has also been rather rough for another reason.  My great aunt has been battling cancer for over 3 years now and at the end of last week she went into hospice and we all began waiting.  I went out to see her Monday evening - she was already past the point of consciousness - but it was really nice to spend time talking to her kids and remembering her and saying goodbye.  She was like another grandma to me - she and my grandpa (her brother) had been close and she was always a fun smiling face at family events.  She was also a kindred crafter - it had been so much fun living near her and talking about projects and seeing what she was working on and showing her what I was working on.  The kids loved her - she had an amazing doll collection and would organize a "Dolly and Me Tea Party" that the girls and I went to last year and LOVED.  She passed away on Friday and it's hard to imagine what it will be like to not see her at the cabin and at Bagna Caulda and to chat with her about what she is working on next.  But this is the Aunt Joan that I will always remember and love.   

We've had a fun week - at least we did once everyone got healthy again.  Eileen was home sick for a day and a half but thankfully got well just in time for "Immersion" a fun couple of days at school where they get to pick a fun subject and study it for a couple days with kids from all different grades.  Aaron was home sick on Monday and James was iffy for a couple days - but we seem to have finally beat the sickies....  Eileen spent most of her days at home reading and resting - she is happy for hours with a book - I had to twist her arm to do anything else.  

One of the other things i had to twist her arm into doing was her science project.... sigh... she and I are going to have to have a long talk before her next science project about how to to science projects....  Or maybe I'll just have grandpa come out here and help her.... :)

This pic is just in here because it's so darn cute!!!!  

Saturday evening, our ward Young Women hosted a grown-up prom.  They set up a fancy dinner and dancing and pictures and fun - lol - we haven't gotten our pictures yet - but i'll post them when I do - until they you'll have to be satisfied with a pic of the friends we doubled with - Dwayne and Nicole.  We had a blast goofing off and turning it into everything i remember church dances being when i was a teenage - except I got to have a guaranteed cute dance partner for every slow song!  Now we are recovering - lol - i'm a bit out of shape for dancing all night (or even just until 9:30....)

Today was a kinda momentous occasion for me - I have looked forward to getting to sing with my kids since the day Eileen was born.  Today for Mother's Day, Eileen and I sang a musical number at church.  Anna was supposed to sing too, but she grumped out at the last minute.  But it was still a wonderful occasion - It was wonderful to sing with my beautiful and talented daughter!  

Home Sweet Home

Well, we are finally home!  The kids had a blast with Aunt Tina (and were well behaved enough to not scare Tina off forever)  They went to a Skate City night and had a blast, they got to go to the library, jump on Aunt Tina's trampoline and hang out at her house.  

Evie got to roll the dice for a game at Skate City and even won a prize - she was so excited about it!

This weeks pictures are more interesting (meaning that they have people in them)   I don't do selfies :)  Weather was mostly overcast and a bit drizzly - but we grabbed our umbrella - snuggled up together under it and enjoyed Paris anyway!  Monday we moved out of the hotel and into a little flat just south of Sacre Coeur, then we set off to Notre Dame followed by the Pantheon, We saw the cutest little family of ducklings wandering around behind Notre Dame!  The Cathedral is just amazing!  Dan's favorite part of the Pantheon was the crypts.....

The next day we went back to the Notre Dame area to visit the Archaeological Crypts - it was really neat to see the beginnings of Paris - and humbling to think that that was over a 1000 years ago.  After we headed over to the Eiffel Tower - Dan and I waited in line to go to the top (took 3 hours and most of that was waiting)  the view is just incredible!  Then we took a little boat tour on the Seine.  That night we went to a production at the Hotel des Invalides.  It was an incredible light show about the history of France shown on the facade of the building.

Wednesday we went to Versailles.  We walked around the gardens then after another LONG wait, we went inside and were herded like sheep around the palace.  It was stunning - but the crowds were rather overwhelming.  After, Dan and I went back to the Hotel des Invalides to check out the museums there.

Thursday was a national holiday (May Day) which meant that a lot of things were closed - we took it easy in the morning, then headed over to Trocadero in the afternoon and wandered around - we hit a Chocolate Museum and then met up with the rest of the guys from Dan's work and did a Boat/Dinner trip on the Seine.

It was a fun close to an amazing trip!  The next morning, we started home.  A lot of hours later (lol - i lost count) we arrived home to some very excited kids who just about stampeded us as we walked in.

Dan and I spent yesterday working in the yard, and unpacking.  And dealing with some sick kiddos - James was sick in the morning, but seemed to mostly be feeling better in the evening.  Aaron woke up last night throwing up, but once again, seemed to be feeling better by this evening.

Now it's back to the normal - at least for a few more weeks until school gets out....