June Family Update 2018

June was a super fun month!!  School ended, several children became ill but healed, 4 of us attended a beautiful wedding, Jimmy was given an incredible award, mommy accepted an amazing full-time position, and we had our annual family beach trip.  The beach trip is going to be in a separate post but enjoy this month's update!!

This was our reward after the end of one rough sick week.  Anna had a fever so I took her in to the doctor and in the middle of her appointment Wesley had to run to the bathroom because his "tummy hurt".  I'm just thankful we made it home because he ended up with the stomach bug.  Every time Wesley got sick he would be in the middle of sleeping and would just sit up and get sick e v e r y w h e r e.  #momlife  I wouldn't want anyone else taking care of my babies so I'm grateful that I was in a flexible job and could miss work.  I don't remember if Grace ended up getting sick or not...I don't think she did this time!

Caroline and Thomas are both in our church small group and we were invited to their backyard wedding which was just lovely.  We got a babysitter for Anna Ruth.

Sunday brunch cuties

I caught Jessie off guard here requesting a picture but I HAD to get one!  I can't tell you all enough how much we love this teacher and friend.  She's the most patient soul I've ever met and loved Grace so well this school year.  She loved all the kiddos equally and that's the mark of a caring educator!  It was a challenging year at times, but we all made it through!  LOVE YOU, Jessie.

My mom had some serious sympathy on us after our sick week and offered to take Wesley and Anna for a WHOLE WEEK!  Well, she offered to take all the kiddos but Grace had golf and her last day of school so we kept her with us.  Grace and I got to have some serious girl time and it was so nice to spend quality time with her!

Spontaneous photo booth opportunity

Mellow Mushroom, her request.

Toenails, mommy's request

Incredibles 2 just the 3 of us

Retirement party for 3 educators at work...they will be missed and it was a truly sweet time of stories.  I will miss this crew of people that I have worked with for the past 3 years!  I recently accepted a job called an Early Learning Coach/Partner with the school system.  It's a grand funded position in which myself and two other coaches will work in different schools to focus on the kindergarten teachers.  We will be supporting and coaching in the classrooms and it's just a dream job for me right now!  Next year I'll get to work with first grade teachers.  It's a great opportunity and I feel like a great fit for myself, professionally, but also for our family with some flexibility involved.

Golden Apple Award Recipient!

Jimmy was voted and awarded the Golden Apple Award for teaching resident anesthesiologists!  All the residents vote on this each year and to say that I'm proud of Jimmy for receiving this in his first year as an attending physician is an understatement.  So proud!

The past few years we have met up with the Kittners before the end of year banquet.  This year: The Porch.  Those margaritas...yum!

My date

The Kittners, our framily :)

Lake Party for Jimmy's department

Thanks Doug for taking Grace on her first jet ski ride! 

Dan Nicholas Park with the James crew

My little priss

Gem mining

Liz and Violet

It was toasty by the time we headed out but a perfect meeting spot for both families!  It was about 45 minutes for each of us.  

Grace (in the chair under a cover) and Wesley (under the grill cover there to the right) have been trying to catch a bird for some time.  Yeah.  

Splash pad with the Hooper family

Mall walking and cookies

Grace's golf tournament

My company in the golf cart as we rode around to the different holes to watch Grace.  It's hard keeping these three fed and quiet on a golf course!  Fortunately Jimmy is normally the one that brings Grace.

I don't normally do selfies BUT this was right before my call-back interview for an amazing job I was offered and accepted this month!!!  I'm going to be one of three Early Learning Coaches/Partners in the school system.  I'll be working with several schools and focusing on kindergarten teachers for this first year of implementation (it's a new position and grant funded) and then first grade teachers in year two.  I cannot express how excited I am especially after finding full time day care at a great place.  It was a long process but I truly feel that a miracle was worked out...thank you Lord! I start July 16 so prayers are in order for all the new changes our family is about to undergo.

Pool time with the Kittner crew

Thank you Rachel for letting Grace come play while I finished up work!

Thank Mr. Mike for taking Grace for the day so I could finish up work!

Videos

Grace plays for a PGA Juniors league and has golf tournaments almost every Tuesday.  I had to haul all three of them out to the course, lather everyone up, load up on a golf cart, and keep Anna AND Wesley not only quiet during the 9 holes but also keep track of them as we drove to each hole.  It was exhausted.  But then Grace hit this shot on the third hole and I thought, "Wow, she's really good and she really seems to enjoy this".  That made it worth it!

Anna's infamous onion tasting video.  If you haven't seen it before, it's totally worth the laugh.  I told her, "Anna, that's an onion...you probably won't like that"  And she, being our most stubborn and spunky child decided to prove me wrong, I think?

I teared up multiple times during the taping of this video.  Grace's school did a talent show for the younger ones this year when they normally just offer it to the older grades.  She kept telling me all these things she was going to do but settled on singing a song from The Greatest Showman.  She practiced herself and I could just cry tears of joy watching this over and over.  

Trampoline maddness, or normalcy.  Wesley did get in trouble for that last part.  They aren't allowed to jump hard or near Anna like that because she would get hurt.  ;)