Maggie's 5th Birthday

We had so much fun celebrating our little girl's 5th birthday...Mermaid style!  She picked the theme and Mama had fun with the cake, making her swimsuit and coverup.  It is nice to have a pool in our neighborhood to celebrate these summer birthdays!

Maggie's 5th Birthday

Tyner's 7th Birthday

 This is the mask that the "red" ranger wears

 It was a power rangers theme this year

We celebrated Tyner's 7th birthday a little early with his school and baseball friends.  We love having a pool in our neighborhood and it made for a perfect birthday spot!  The kids swam, played baseball, ate pizza and cake and just had a blast.  The adults had a good time, too! 

Baseball

 His coach made these baseball cards for each player

We have really enjoyed Tyner's first baseball season in J.C.  His coach was incredible.  He not only taught these boys a lot about the game of baseball but he was such a wonderful role model.  Tyner has fallen in love with this sport!! We have not only had fun watching him play but we have met some great people through this baseball team.  We finished the season #1 and are getting geared up for the tournament.  He is going to a baseball camp at ETSU in July and is counting down the days.  He played second base and right field.  His hitting improved tremendously!  We are so proud of our little slugger!!

Maggie's Dance Recital

 My little dancer!

 Can she pose or what?!!

 They danced to the song if all of the raindrops were lemondrops and gumdrops...If you can't tell she is catching the raindrops! hilarious!!

 She loves shaking her hips!

 They danced with a partner from an older class.  It was a precious dance!

 Yes, she is waving to us from the stage!!

Maggie loved dancing again this year.  We found a wonderful dance studio here.  Her teachers were wonderful.  She wasn't the least bit shy on that stage.  She couldn't wait to get dressed up, wear make up and have curls in her hair.  But what girl doesn't like all that?  Of course it thrilled my soul to have a little girl to do all this fun stuff with!  We have been joined at the hip this past school year.  I still don't know what I am going to do without her at home with me every day!  I can't think about it right now or i will start crying...again!!...for the 10th time!  Anyway, the recital was such a success.  She is already looking forward to starting back in the fall!

Field Day and End of First Grade

 Part of Field Day included enjoying the fun bouncies!

 Tyner with a few of the girls from his class

 3 of his friends from his class at Field Day

Speedy running and jumping hurdles

Field Day was a blast.  Everything they did at school this year amazed me!  I must say again how thankful I am for such a wonderful public school!  We have an outstanding principal and a PTA that is just awesome.  And not to mention fabulous teachers!!  Anyway, we enjoyed our first Lake Ridge field day.  Maggie, Hunt and I walked up the hill to the track that is behind the school and watched Tyner.  After he completed the field events with his class they went to the playground and jumped on bouncies.  Needless to say he was worn out by the time school was out!

 Acting goofy during computer time

Tyner and his wonderful teacher!! 

My son finished first grade with a bang.  He had an incredible teacher that developed in him a LOVE for writing!! Those of  you that know me well know how much I love kids to write in the classroom!  Well, they did a TON of it at Lake Ridge Elementary.  I took Tyner to Target the other day to get a new swimming suit and a journal for the summer.  He was more excited about his journal than his new suit!  I was one happy Mama!  He is quite the reader, too!  He had a precious class and made lots of new friends.  We continue to love our neighborhood and all it has to offer.  It is wonderful living across the street from the school.  I could step out the front door in the afternoons and see Tyner's class at recess.  It kind of felt like it was something out of a storybook.  I am so very thankful it is real and we are getting to enjoy this "Mayberry" type place! We are truly blessed!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day weekend we met our cousins at Dollywood!  Although it was very crowded (we saw a glimpse of Dolly!!) the kids and adults had a blast.  We spent the night with Kacky and Roger.  It was so much fun watching all these cousins laugh and giggle!

Red Fork Falls

Red Fork Falls is one of my very favorite hikes we have done since we moved to Johnson City.  It is interesting in the fact you start the hike at the top of the waterfall and hike down beside it.  It is lots of rock climbing and hanging from trees but that is the way I like it.  And my kids do, too! It is absolutely gorgeous!  When we went this time we had friends join us.  The kids (and adults) had a blast! 

Fairy Tales

After our Eric Carle study we did a unit on fairy tales.  So perfect for a little girl!  We read Cinderella, The Princess and the Pea, Rumplestiltskein, The Enormous Carrot and a few more.  We discussed the different elements of a fairy tale...how they begin with "Once upon a time"...and they usually end with "and they lived happily ever after"... we talked about how some fairy tales have a princess in them.  Making a crown was a perfect way to end our study!  Maggie wore it most of the day,  Are we surprised?