Life

I have a feeling that my blogging is going to suffer over the next, oh, say year or so, but I hope to keep it up when I can because it is a form of stress relief for me and a way to journal our lives, of course. 

Here are a bunch of pictures from various things we have done over the last month or so. This is probably going to be very boring for most of you, so feel free to skip it. I won't be offended (I won't even know!).

Freezer Meal Extravaganza:
Once very six months or so, my cousin Che' and I decide that we want to make a whole bunch of freezer meals...so we plan and prep for a week or so and then go to town ALL day in order to fill our freezers. Carlie came to help this time, which was amazing because an extra set of hands can be a HUGE difference. The ipad/tv/trampoline/chicken nuggets/candy entertained the kids (and Hallie even went to our neighbor's in our ward a block away to play and I didn't even know it until later that week when the mom told me that she had showed up...Yeah, mother of the year award!) and we just go go go all day. It is ALOT of work, but 73 meals later...I think it is wellllll worth it!

No need to use the fridge for anything else in the days prior...

I was in charge of meat this time...purchasing and pre-cooking what could be while Che' did all the shredding of cheese and cutting of vegetables ahead of time. I am telling you, we have this down to a science nowadays.

We tried some new recipes this time and this chicken pot pie freezer meal is a huge hit--- although the recipe we made (we quadruple each one and then we each get two of that meal) made like 15 pies instead of the 4 we planned on. Hilarious. Good thing it is yummy.

73 meals and a full freezer later...

 Visit from Jana/Grady:
Aunt Jana and cousin Grady came for a visit a few weekends ago and it was a blast to have them, even though the visit was short. The kids rode bikes (ours and our neighbors, they just roamed into their garage and got theirs too so that they could have variety...good thing we have nice neighbors!) while Jana and I chatted. It was fun getting some of her childhood/teenage memories of growing up in their home because Devin always says he doesn't remember much. Ha. It was interesting to hear about Devin and his old girlfriends from her perspective too. :) What are little sisters for?

Jace, Hallie, and Grady. Flor was sleeping at this point.

Isn't she such a good aunt to read to Hallie on demand? And those are the only pictures I have from the visit. Do forgive.

Camille's Baby Shower:

Camille was in town for her baby shower the first weekend in May. It also happened to be her birthday, so it was perfect timing to celebrate both. I also got to see and spend time with Kylee, my other BFF who came for the shower from Boise. Love these two and I am so excited for Camille to join the world of motherhood come August. I failed to take many decent pictures here, too, but oh well. 

I got to meet Orik, Kylee's little boy, for the first time!

BFFs forever.

 The weekend was extra great because I got to go to breakfast the next morning with Kasie, another high school friend and also mine and Mille's roommate our freshman year of college. She was in town for Education Week, so it as perfect for us to get together for a minute. I haven't seen Kasie in years it seems- since Hallie was a baby- and it was fantastic to see her.

Hallie's Preschool graduation, Round One:
Hallie has participated in a co-op pre-school for the past two years. It has been so great as a group of moms in the neighborhood and I rotate teaching. There are three different classes within our neighborhood based on age. Hallie and her friend Abby were the only ones from their class to come to the graduation, so they got to sing a song alone (each class had a little act, one did the pledge, one did a nursery rhyme, and Hallie and Abby sang "The Wheels on the Bus." They were very loud and enthusiastic. Haha). Hallie has one more year before kindergarten, but she is going to go to a regular preschool in the fall with her friend Brooklyn, mostly because she can use the extra time in school and because I will have zero time to teach.

Singing their song

Getting her diploma

All the kids that attended the graduation from all three classes

These two are great friends. Abby is our next door neighbor, and she  and her sister Hannah play with Hallie daily.

5th Annual Celebrating Adoption Walk/Birth Mother's Day:

The Saturday before Mother's Day is always Birth Mother's Day (yes, it is a real day!) and we love to celebrate by going to our local Families Supporting Adoption sponsored Celebrating Adoption Walk. The day is more meaningful now that we have a child who has a birth mother that we want to honor and remember. 

Letting our balloons go. It is always fun until one child throws a fit that they let their balloon go and they don't have another and another child refuses to let theirs go. To each their own.

They do races for kids by age group and the 4 year olds were supposed to run like 50 feet through a ribbon marking the end of the race. Well, these 4 year olds just kept on running and running and running and made it all the way around the track before they realized that the race had ended long ago. It as hilarious. Hallie was one of them that ran the whole way. With balloon, if that gives you any clue as to which child was the one who refused to let theirs go...

Face painting if always a huge hit. They also had a cupcake walk, candy toss, and  a snack station this year. So much fun.

Hello dirty face. It also appears that he has no hair in this picture. Haha.

Her heart face painting did not last long. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

And, that's it for now! Whew.