the clarks make the rounds

Jeffrey and his family are moving to Singapore this summer, but thankfully they are making the rounds to see family before they head across the world!  Their first stop was Texas, and we were sure excited :) I picked Brooke up early from school so that we could get to the airport on time, and then began the carseat shuffle.  We eventually fit everything and everyone in the Armada and were on our way to the house. Brooke and Colby were especially excited to have their cousins here, and they all began playing so well together. 

The next day, Brooke had school, so we had a mellow morning at home.  I had to go to a fertility appointment, but thankfully Jeffrey and Madi were willing to watch Colby so I could get to the appointment. We then went to Clayton Chandler park for an hour or so until we were all hot and sweaty.  Jeffrey kept commenting on how hot it was and that he was going to have a rude awakening when he arrived in Singapore, haha.  

We had about 30 minutes to hang out until it was time to get Brooke from school. so I was just chatting with Jeffrey while Owen played near us.  Colby and Ellie were upstairs playing, and Madi had gone to have a quick nap.  Well, I totally lost track of time and the next thing I knew it was 3:24 and Brooke gets out of school at 3:30.  I told Jeffrey that we needed to hurry and get everyone in the car because we were most definitely going to be late to get Brooke.  On her last day!!  I was so mad at myself.  We decided to let Madi sleep, and rushed over to the school.  Brooke was the second to last kid to get picked up, but she didn't seem to mind because she was excited that we all came to get her.  

The kids played for a bit at the school, then it was time to head to the pool!!  Madi was still asleep (she had a busy few months preparing their home and family to move across the world!), so we went to the pool without her.  The kids had a blast and Jeffrey was the fun uncle that would throw my kids, give them rides on his back, etc. They were in heaven!

Friday we headed to the Dream Park in Ft Worth, which is a new and AMAZING place!  The city spent something like 4 million dollars on this project that would serve children of all abilities.  It really was the coolest park we've ever been to, and we spent about 2 hours exploring the place.  After having a picnic, of course :)

The highlight of the whole park was the zip slides.  We spent the majority of our time there, and the kids loved both the rope swing and chair options.

These two were so sweet together and Brooke kept hugging Ellie in line.  The novelty of having her cousin here clearly hadn't worn off yet.

My kids both preferred Uncle Jeffrey to push them down the zip slide, which was great because then I could spend my time capturing pictures.

Since it was Friday, we ended the day with our tradition of pizza and a movie. Well, we actually watched a few short shows because the kids needed to get ready for bed so that we could enjoy a full lake day on Saturday.  Sidenote: We were letting Brooke and Ellie have sleepovers in Brooke's room, and it was working out great! Ellie slept on an aerobed on the floor, and although I could hear her talking in her sleep on Brooke's monitor, it didn't seem to faze Brooke.

Saturday was lake day, and it was perfect!  The kids all did really great out there, and we made lots of fun memories.  Owen was in love with the watermelon I brought and ate at least 6 slices, haha.

He loved his cousin Brooke, probably because she was total sweetheart to him. Unlike Colby, who was not super inclusive or kind to him.  I talked to Colby about it a thousand times, but my speeches only changed his behavior for short periods of time.  It was really embarrassing, but at least he played well with Ellie.  Thankfully, Jeffrey and Madi weren't high stress about it and were happy that him and Ellie were playing so well together.

I love my little brother and the fact that he has an amazing wife :)  She really is so easy going and fun to be around.

We got all four kids out on the tube, which was pretty comical.  Kevin reviewed all the signs for "slow down", "speed up", and "all done"...but as he was driving, each kid was giving a different sign. Kevin is a very conservative tube driver, so it was a mellow ride, but the signals were pretty funny.  We stopped multiple times to get different kids on or off the tube depending on who wanted a faster ride, etc.

Jeffrey and Madi had fun taking turns surfing and we kept teasing Jeffrey that his wife was showing him up :)

We spent lots of time jumping and splashing despite the chilly water, and had an overall great time.

When Brooke climbed out of the boat, her ponytail was flipped forward which totally made it look like she had bangs.  I was cracking up and of course she wanted a picture so she could see. At least we know she could rock bangs if she wanted them.

After cleaning the boat, we were gathering our stuff and Owen kept wanting Brooke to hold him. He is so big, but Brooke managed to pick him up every time he asked :)

Sunday we went to church, then had Jerry and Bev over for dinner to see Jeffrey and his family.  J & B always show so much kindness to my family, and I know Jeffrey appreciates that they cared enough to come see them. Kevin smoked a brisket, which was insanely good.  His skills are getting better and better each time.

Monday was Memorial Day, which was also opening weekend for Hawaiian Falls. I was expecting some heavy crowds, but was pleasantly surprised.  Kevin had to park in an overflow lot, but yet it didn't seem like that many people were there.  We spent about 4 hours there, and had so much fun riding the slides as a family.  Kevin commented that he spent more time that day than he did all last season, which is probably true!  They close at 6 most days, so he's always at work.  They do Friday Night Slides till 8 PM, so Kevin would join us for the last hour before the park closed, but I think they only did that in July.

Owen was so great, but eventually crashed!  The sun sucks all the energy out of you, haha.

I will miss these guys when they live so far away, but I am SO thankful for the memories we made in our week together and I look forward to their next visit!!

last day of kindergarten

This girl is done with Kindergarten!!  She had a wonderful year, but was excited for her last day so that she could begin summer vacation!  The last month of school was different since her teacher was out with a new baby, but she still had a great attitude about going to school each day.  She especially loved art, computers, and music.

I walked her to class and snapped this picture before she entered the Kindergarten wing.

And when I picked her up, they had this cute chalk writing on the wall for pictures. Let the summer begin!!

Oh, and because I love a good comparison picture, I suggested that Brooke wear the same dress she wore on the first day of school.  Luckily, she also liked the idea and I LOVE this comparison.  Her hair was obviously in a different style, but Brooke just commented that her hair "turned darker" by the end of the year, haha.  I think it's mostly the style, but it does tend to get really blonde during the summer.  The biggest differences I noticed were with her face, and also with her confidence.  Looking back at the first day of school picture, I remember how nervous she was at the unknown of school, but she handled it all like a champ and I have no doubt that she will rock First Grade :)

Mother's Day

I have always wanted to be a Mama, and I am so incredibly grateful that I get to fulfill that calling with Brooke and Colby.  When I really stop and think about it, I am humbled that Heavenly Father trusts me with their little spirits and I know what a big responsibility it is to raise them in a way that would be pleasing unto Him.  Sometimes it's hard to focus on the bigger picture when day-to-day struggles creep in, but I want to do better at organizing myself and my responsibilities so that I can give my kids the best version of myself possible.  When I get stressed about church stuff, or household duties, my patience isn't what it should be, and I hate that.  Brooke and Colby are so precious, and I want them to always feel of my love and adoration.  Except for when they make poor choices, haha.  Then I want them to feel a need for correction, while also feeling my love :)

I also strongly feel that I will get to see the two babies that miscarried again someday. The first was a little girl, second was a boy. Sometimes I think about how different our life would be if we had two more children running around the house, and I imagine it's something I will always wonder about.  The losses impacted Brooke as well because she will bring it up on a semi-frequent basis.  (Usually after we have spent time with a baby or small toddler.) We still hope to have another child (or possibly more?), but if that's not the plan for our family, I hope that I can be at peace and just enjoy raising my Brooke and Colby.

We hosted our Mother's Day Celebration this year, and by that I mean that I prepared my house and set the table :) Brooke was helping and had opinions about where everyone should sit.  We decided to make place cards and she was pretty pleased with herself when she finished.  Jerry offered to get all the food for the men to prepare at our house.  They made a yummy chicken pasta, salad, and grilled zucchini.  He brought Nothing Bundt Cakes for dessert, and we were all stuffed to the max by the end of the evening.

It was a fun and casual Sunday afternoon together, and I'm grateful that we live close enough to spend the day together.  I was missing my own Mom, who I haven't spent Mother's Day with for many, many years, but I was able to talk to her on the phone and express my love and admiration. Kevin and I both really lucked out in the mom department, and I'm grateful for the love and support they are to our family.

I am also so grateful for friends who are wonderful examples of mothers. They inspire me to be better, do better, and be more like our Savior. 

end of year program

Three weeks before school was out, the Kindergarteners had an end-of-year program that was completely adorable!  The kids were told to wear their Sunday best, and Brooke was thrilled that I let her wear a new dress that I bought a few years ago on clearance :). She felt SO fancy, and even requested lipstick that morning.  She also asked that Colby and I wear fancy clothes as well.  She likes a good reason to dress up, I guess. (Kevin didn't get to come to the program due to work circumstances, which he was so sad about.  Brooke understood, but I know it was really hard on Kevin.)

I felt myself getting emotional as I waited in the hall to enter the cafeteria.  My baby girl was graduating Kindergarten!  It all seemed pretty surreal.  Colby and I had arrived early in hopes of getting a good spot, but as soon as we walked in and I staked my claim on 4 seats, I started doubting my positioning.  I knew which side of the stage Brooke was on, but I realized that I would be too far to the right to see her well.  I tried to get Colby to stay there while I grabbed some other seats, but everything filled up instantly and I was stuck. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but I was so devastated.  I didn't want to be sitting where she couldn't even see me and I couldn't see her.  A few minutes later, Jerry and Bev showed up and sat with me, but I was still stressing about the bad seat selection.  I determined that if I couldn't see Brooke, I would go sit on the floor in the front by the teachers, haha.  I didn't even care if I was "THAT mom".  Once the kids walked in, my heart filled with happiness because Brooke was beaming :) I could see her decently well, but when Colby complained of not seeing her, I made the move. Luckily, I wasn't the only crazy parent, but I was the only one in a dress on the floor, with a child on their lap, haha. 

But guess what?  I had a great view and I didn't even care :)  They sang 4 or 5 songs, my favorite of which was "Kinder-garten" to the Greece song "Summer Lovin".  The lyrics were adorable and it was obvious that the kids were having fun singing it for us. 

After the songs, they announced each graduate and when Mr. Casner (the permanent sub) read "Brooke Meador", she popped right up and I have a cute video of her doing so. The kids then moved to the floor (by me, haha), so they could see the slide show.  So many cute pictures and fun memories from Kindergarten at Daulton Elementary.  

Before they dismissed the kids back to class, they allowed parents to come take a few pictures.  I took this cute one of Brooke and her bestie Jerzey. These girls became fast friends and have remained close all year.  I'm just grateful that she found such a sweet girl to become buddies with. 

Then it was time for the class party :) Unfortunately, siblings were not allowed, so I encouraged Jerry and Bev to attend with Brooke.  Bev offered to go home with Colby (so nice!), but I thought it would be fun for them to do this special activity with her. Each place was set with their graduation certificate, food, and a goody bag. 

Jerzey and Emma's mom both sent cute pics of the girls, which I SO appreciated. 

Jerzey, Brooke, Emma, Riley, and Janae

Students were allowed to leave after the party, so Bev brought Brooke home and Jerry had to get back to work.  We took a few more pictures to document this big day, then spent the rest of the day playing and having fun.

We have had a great year at Daulton, and I am so proud of Brooke for the incredible student, friend, and learner she has become :) Mrs. Hickerson had nothing but positive things to say about our girl, and we couldn't be more proud!