sUmMeR!!!!

Summer is moving along....hard to believe that my Ella will be in kindergarten in a month. Our school starts the end of July here....which I think I love. We have 2 weeks off in fall and spring...when the weather is better. Ella is ready...I am actually kinda sad that she won't be in full day....I think she is my first one that is really ready to be there all day at 5....but oh well. Sadie is happy about the half day...she will miss Ella.
Let's do a little person by person recap....in case you are interested. :)
Sadie : well, the swearing is a bit better...she still insists on telling every bug we kill..that they are stupid...but better that than her nursery teachers. She is sad she is too little for swim team...like her siblings..but we try our best to distract. She continues to be the world's best snuggler...demanding snuggles randomly throughout the day. I love it. She keeps me laughing and smiling most days and yelling and punishing on others.

Ella: Ella is enjoying her Summer classes she is taking twice a week. She does swimming, crafts and fitness. She feels very big to go off and do things herself. She is learning how to read and is getting better every day. She keeps us all smiling with her awesome one liners. Last night at dinner, she pipes up with
"Mom.....I love you!!!.....Dad! I love you!!!!....you guys are the love of my life."
priceless!
She is rockin' on swim team...with a 3rd place in the back stroke race! She is more excited about the color of the ribbons she brings home than the number! Love her!

Hope: Hope has been enjoying her summer and doing amazing on her swim team as well! She had to take off a week for bad cut on her foot...but got right back to it and got a 2nd place in breast stroke...her fave stroke! She has had a few fun play dates and is looking forward to a trip to Utah this next month. She is so easy to have around...I miss her when she is gone! I am really blessed to be her Mom.

Luke: Luke has been working hard at swim team too...and has improved his times alot!!!He looks so cute in his little speedo ( the knee length one) and is so tan! We tease him that he is our little Mexican. When he was born he had olive skin and jaundice....we called him our little Jose. :) HE has been reading and playing and swimming like crazy. He attended a week long basketball skills camp with Seth...and came home with 2 of the 3 trophies given to the kids. The coach told Seth that Luke should have got the third one too...but they thought they better let someone else have one!
He sort of has the little brother he never got, in our neighbor Nick. He is a 7 yr old that I babysit a few times a week...and they play hard! They enjoy each other's company and play well together.
Luke will be starting the 5th grade next month...and going off to a different school than his sisters ...SCARY!...I am way more nervous than he is!

Seth: Seth has been keeping really busy with work and basketball. He is an assistant coach for the Higley High school team...which has been busy for the month of June. There have been camps and open gyms and all sorts of fun stuff. HE got to meet the head coaches for ASU and U of A.....which really was exciting to him...and his dreams of coaching stay alive! The Fall will be insane...but hopefully he can be a help the boys and learn along the way. At the camp that Luke attended, the HS boys helped out...and I think Seth may have been paid the best compliment of his life up until the point:
Seth to HS player: Hey...Don't go easy on Luke!
Player: Luke is your son?
Seth : yes
Player: Dude....he is a BALLER!!!
Ah, boys...I am so glad they have each other!

Me: I have been babysitting a bit...reading and forever cleaning and doing laundry! Just getting the kids to Swim team practice each day has been crazy...but I am glad we have that to break up our days this summer. I just finished reading A soft Place to LAnd....it stunk!...and The Book Thief....it was really good. I enjoyed it alot.
I was bawling in it this morning when I finished it.
I was elected as Vice President of the PTO for the girl's school...so I have been doing a little of that too. I am excited about it...it should be fun! I do have a little something coming up that I am super excited about....my friend Becky and I are taking off to San Diego for a few days in July....KID FREE. yep...no worry ing about kids drowning in the ocean or who is eating sand.... just relaxation!!!! Can't wait!

I am ready for a monsoon! I think it is monsoon season isn't it?

A New Week

Well, I though we had a pretty good schedule of things going last week...with the swim team, seth's b ball, babysitting, etc. But, a new week with one car....everything is messed up!
Hope cut her foot open quite badly after a party on Saturday....no idea how...just gushing blood all over the place! I ended up taking her to Urgent Care yesterday ...cause it wasn't looking good. Should have had stitches...but too late.:(
Sad! So, she is all bandaged up and no pool for a week! ( and she can barely walk)

The boys are off at basketball camp all week. That should be fun. Would be more fun for me if we had 2 cars!
Luke had his Angels team party on Saturday....it was fun. We had a really good team this year...with great coaches. Coaching makes all the difference! Hopefully Luke can play another season with Coach Contreras! Coach gave out 4 awards at the party...and Luke got "The Closer" ....and that he was!!!!! So fun to see kids gain confidence through these experiences.

I am a little worried about this week with Sadie. She is going through quite a stage here...loving to say bad words...( not too bad...like f bombs or anything)....but calling your nursery teacher and your aunt and uncle STUPID...when you don't get your way. UNACCEPTABLE. She has a few other choice ones...and heard someone use the Lord's name in vain in a movie and drops that one now and again. My way has always been to nip things in the bud...show you mean business...and it has usually gone away. But...my Sadie......nope, not her. She now asks me which soap we are going to use to wash her mouth out with. ????????? I am stumped. I have tried time outs, taking away toys, tv,...she barely turned 3!!!!!!!
Please be a phase......that ends soon.
I am sure my mother is smiling on the inside right now...that I have a sassy little stinker like myself.

Clear Eyes..Full Hearts...CAN'T LOSE!!!!

So...the kids are growing up sooo fast!
alright then......back to Friday Night Lights...









just kidding.







Summer has officially arrived. May was beautiful here...not as hot as normal. The kids are out of school...they finished out the year with awesome grades and liking their new school. Luke will be off to the middle school next year for 5 -6 grades. Ella will start kindergarten with Hope at the school they were at this year. Exciting...and scary! I hate the idea of them being different places....but oh well!
And...what to do with just Sadie at home. I have never had a 3 yr old and not have a baby!
So much has happened...I am going to have to be brief:

Went to Pittsburgh for Cory's graduation from dental school...left the kids...they are survived...SAdie still tells me everyday..." Don't leave me". Had a blast!

Sadie turned 3...and is officially binky free. She still says...Mom..I'm cold....I need a blanket and a binky. MAn, she loved that thing! Shame in me for letting her slip past my 2 yr limit!

Luke's baseball team the Angels made it to the championship round...and lost....but go there in no way due to the awesome pitching abilities of Luke! The rules are they have to rest for so many days...so we actually ran out of pitchers and had to start a kid that had never pitched. IT was a busy, crazy season....but we had a great coach....that makes all the difference.

Luke and Hope made the Principal's list for good grades! woo hoo! ( they forgot Hope..so she didn't get an award in front of the school...but her loud mouthed mother took care of that.) Luke won PE kid of the Quarter too...which he loved...the sports nut that he is.

Luke and Hope did fantastic at their piano recital this year. Christine has been patient with us and our flakiness and doing a great job teaching them...the kids are learning so fast and I love to hear them practice.

Seth is now one of the Higley High Schools basketball coaches. Those that know him, know he is super pumped. Fall should be interesting...but we will take it one day at a time.

Kid's started swim team this week. They have their first meet on Saturday. I certainly didn't miss sweating like the dickens while 3 separate groups go....I had forgotten how hard that is. Sadie makes it hard. Yesterday she stripped off her clothes and was freaking out. It was super fun.

I am watching my friend's son 3 days a week this summer...and week one was a success. He is super easy to have around and is like the little brother Luke never had!
I am trying to get caught up in scrapbooking over the summer and trying to read at least 5 books. I am currently addicted to watching the tv show Friday Night Lights....just finished season one. It's like crack! I think I may even have Seth slightly into it too! Win Win!

So, here's to a good summer....