Here we are at camp again!

In our first few days of camp, we feel like we have picked up right where we left off last year. MG has spent most of her time reunited with her best bud, Abby. After the first two minutes of greetings, the two of them were off holding hands and running to their favorite camp spots. How fun it is to have dear camp friends! As a family, we have already enjoyed sweet time together filled with good food, sweet friends, an unlimited supply of entertainment, and a beautiful mountain view. MG has her own schedule of activities this year and has jumped right in to camp life. Sam is enjoying the pool each afternoon and thinks its hilarious to drink half of it while he splashes in the shallow end. We feel so incredibly blessed to be back in this dear place again. Hopefully there will be more fun pictures to share soon. . . .

All decked out for her tennis lesson-Sam tagging home plate while eating his apple, core and all--Listening to instructions at gymnastics--

Two Big Days

I'm finally sitting down to catch up and wanted to share a few pictures from some special days. First, pictures from MG's graduation. We have been so thankful for the nurturing care that she has received during the last three years, and I will miss the days of taking her and picking her up from her sweet school. Her teachers have been wonderful and have set great foundations for her next steps in school.


Second, MG participated in a dance concert. As MG took her first dance class this year, I was able to see her get a taste of what it means to work hard and stay committed to an activity even when its difficult. At the concert, she looked beautiful and felt like a princess in her lovely costume. Her dancing was fantastic as well!MG's teacherAlthough Pops thought his days of dance concerts had long passed, he and G., along with Sam, got to attend another one.MG's fan club witnessed her dancing debut as wellWith dance and school buddy, Lexi

The Big Cheese

On one of our family's four daily trips to the grocery store, MG found some cheese that she was interested in. It only costs $214--a true bargain!

Happy Birthday, Big Girl!

Today has been a great celebration of MG's birthday. We can't believe we have such a big girl! These years with MG in our lives have been a joy, a privilege, and a good gift from God. MG's enthusiasm and joy are contagious, and we are so proud of all that she is learning about herself and her world. She is a dear sister to her brother, and we are so thankful that she loves him so genuinely. We also love MG's honesty, care for others, and excitement for new activities. Thank you God for such a gift!

A special birthday donut
Troy and Gabriella made her day
Birthday fun at school
Free Cone Day with a Friend
We love you to the moon and back, sweet girl!!

Cheerleading Party

This weekend was great fun as we celebrated MG's birthday with G.G. and Sae. The highlight was MG's party with friends---appropriately related to our last few months, it was a cheerleading party. . . complete with some of our Davidson cheerleading friends. The weather was great, the girls were ecstatic, and we all loved learning a few cheers. Here are a few shots of the fun:


We love you so much, big girl!

Easter

A few pictures from Easter--such fun!

MG's Easter Parade. . . . She led the parade!
Bunny Cake-a family tradition
Thanks G. and Pops!

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

These are a little old, but I wanted to mark the occasion before it gets too far gone. We celebrated Sam's birthday in the mountains this year and enjoyed watching him be the center of attention. What a joy he is to us! We are so thankful that he is a part of our family. His easy-going nature and joyful spirit brighten each of our days. It's also fun to have our home filled with all things motor-vehicle related. His fascination with tractors, construction trucks, fire trucks, and trains has added an entirely new dimension to my life that growing up in a family of girls never provided. Thank you, Lord, for the joy that it is to be Sam's mom.

The excitement of a truck!
Sam's school celebrated his birthday too. They had me bring in pictures from each year of his life and did a little birthday tradition for Montessori schools. I got to participate in circle time singing and then stayed with the class during lunch. We then had Sam's favorite--my homemade cookies--for dessert. It's so fun to see him so enthusiastic about going to school--how fortunate we are to have him in a place where people care for him and try to know him so well.