First Camp Trip of The Season....

We went camping for the first time this season, last month. We only stayed one night but that was a perfect start to the season, you remember what you need to add to your camping supplies and different tricks that make the trips fabulous, we call these "trial run" trips. The kids of course had a wonderful time, the Heckly's came to visit for the evening, so our kids had lots of fun playing in the dirt, eating lots of yummy camp food, and just being in the hills.
We are looking forward to a lot more trips this year, yeah for camp season!!!

I Know I Can Graduation

Braidens Preschool Graduation was the End of May, talk about mixed emotions! Let's just say Mrs. Macrae did it again, the Graduation Program was amazing!!! It started with the kids waking out in thier caps and gowns to the graduating song, then they sang songs, each recited a poem and were given their diplomas. The whole program was about as cute as could be, and I stood amazed at how much these kiddos have grown since there first day 2 years ago. After the program I realized I officially have a kindergartner, CRAZY!!

A Cute little story, Braiden has been thrilled with the thought of going to his "big school", so much that he hasn't asked a lot of details, just pure excitement. Well, I was talking to Trevor because he gets to go to "Braidens Old School" this fall and I told him that Mrs. Macrae and Mrs. Faire are going to be his teachers, when all of a sudden Braidens eyes got HUGE and he says "Trevor is not going to have MY teachers they are going to my big school". After a lot of convincing and calming him down, it was finally okay for Trevor to have his teachers. He thought that they were just going to keep going with him to every grade!

(I would advise turning the music off at the bottom to get the full affect, the first video is of his poem he memorized and the second is when he got his diploma. I don't think that you will be able to hear it vary well, but when Mrs. Faire says what Braiden wants to be when he grows up, he was the only kid that added something while he was up there, he added "and a Knight!", it was really funny.)

Mrs. Macrae and Braiden
Mrs. Faire and Braiden

Little Jack Horner

What Braiden wants to be when he grows up

What a Difference a Year Makes...

Braiden's First day of (2nd year)Preschool.

(Below)

Braiden's Last Day Of (2nd Year)Preschool.

Submission Wrestling Tournaments......

At the end of April Jeremy competed in a submission Wrestling Tournament in Seattle, he did Great!! He was in the largest bracket with over 20 competitors and he got 5th place. I was extremely proud, anyone that is familiar with wrestling, understands that in regular wrestling you have a match and if you don't pin the person in said time you would go to the score cards and win by points, this IS NOT how submission wrestling is, it is exactly what the name says. You have a 4 minute round to submit you opponent and submitting is the only way to earn points to advance. Jeremy had 6 matches with in 3 hours.

By getting 5th over all he earned a spot in the Submission Wrestling Championships in Portland, OR at the End of May. I didn't take many pictures from the championships because they had professional photographers taking far better pictures than I would have, but I do have video to follow soon. Anyways, my husband ROCKED the championships in May. He had another fantastic talent pool and did awesome. 4th overall, he had 8 matches in 1 1/2 hours, and he was exhausted but no one could tell but me. Sometimes, I think that he is part machine because he just keeps pushing on, when a normal person would be done. One of the amazing qualities I love about him.

Back to the first tournament, we had my mom watch Trevor and Audrey so that Braiden could have a special date day with us and as you could see in he pictures he had a lot of fun. I have to admit that kid is a great travel companion, he always has something great to say. I think his favorite part was me letting him have the camera, I got so many pictures of shoes, floor, torsos and actually some really good ones.

***On a side note I included the top picture to show part of the "family" that Jeremy and our whole family has in Jiu Jitsu. Just one more shout out for Jiu Jitsu!!! When our school in Ellensburg closed Rodrigo from Gracie Barra Seattle opened his arms and let everyone train with our professors but "fight" under his banner.

In this sport I have seen the "family" slip money into people shoes that are down and out, I have seen helping even when it isn't convenient, I have seen a camaraderie between people that don't have anything in common except the love for this sport, and I have seen strangers cheering for my husband just because he wore the Gracie Barra Gi.

Who would have thought!***

Little Slugger....

Braiden was finally old enough to play t-ball this year. Funny, that is all I have to say, I got such a kick out of watching these little kids play. The first practice, they had no clue how to play the game, run to the base, etc. but by the end of the season they were being pitched to and playing like they had been for awhile. I think my favorite part of t-ball is when a ball gets hit to the outfield and the child that is in the position to catch it doesn't and all the other children with in a 20ft radius go running for it. It was so fun, and Braiden is very excited for next year, but for now he has Jiu Jitsu again and Soccer in the fall. Busy, Busy, Busy.

Farm Day 2009

Braiden's preschool teacher out did herself yet again with farm day. It was set up the same as last year and just as much fun for the kids. With games, a bouncy toy, horse rides, baby farm animals to pet, and face painting, what more could these kids ask for. One more reason why I LOVE the I Know I Can Preschool.

Easter, A Few Months Late!!

Finally, Pictures of Easter! We had a bittersweet Easter, Sweet because of what Christ did for us on this day, and Bitter because Jeremy was working in Seattle so he wasn't around. The kids did great, we went to Church first thing Sunday mourning and then we went to my mom and dads for brunch and an Easter egg hunt, then we all came back for dinner. This year Braiden started to understand why this day is so important, yet there are still tons of questions, he is defiantly starting to understand the Love God has for us!

The boys also finally both got the idea of an Easter egg hunt, while Audrey got one egg and was completely thrilled that it had good stuff in it that she didn't try to get anymore, until Uncle Scott and Aunt Brilee helped her.

Oh, and notice in the pictures Audrey's awesome pink crocs, she had the cutest Easter dress on and then she paired it with the delightful pink crocs and cried every time I tried to talk her into a different pair of shoes. GIRLS!