Izzy's 6th Birthday Party and Some Picture Updates!

Over the weekend we had Izabel's 6th Birthday Party! Her official birthday post will hopefully come tomorrow. She had her party at gymnastics again and had a great time. Since her new school is so far away we did not have a lot of people come from her class but some of her friends came and then some family friends as well. Her best friend since she was 3, Sadie, joined us as well and Izabel was so excited to see her! They are adorable together and we need to do a better job of planning some play dates. We are hopeful that Izabel will have Sadie's mom for first grade next year at our neighborhood school so that will help :)

Izabel got a lot of amazing gifts and we are very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. We had a great weekend together! After the party we went to dinner at Friendly's since Noah will not be able to be here for Izzy's actual birthday dinner. 

I also added some pictures from the past couple weeks. October is another super busy month but my comprehensive exams for my Ph.D. are at the end of the month so I will be able to breathe easier when this month is over! 

Noah and I have been having a great time at ODU football games! We are 4-2 right now. Go Monarchs!

The kids have been spending a lot of time in the car going back and forth to school. They read in the mornings and sleep the whole way home! Their school is doing the million minute challenge so we have been reading a lot more than normal and loving it! Tanner's favorite book right now is Wacky Wednesday and Izabel loves anything with a princess :) Izabel has finally started getting some real homework and takes it very seriously!

They made self-portraits at school which I adore and can't wait to hang them up at home. They have also been enjoying gymnastics and have made great improvements in their skills!

First Day of School

Both kids are going to an elementary school this year. I work in Hampton where full day pre-k and kindergarten are offered. In Virginia Beach we have to pay for preschool and only have half-day kindergarten so we decided this was the best choice for our family at this time. The kids are going to the school right down the street from where I work so they are nice and close and I know a couple people in the building who can help spy check on them from time to time and give me a little reassurance...I may or may not have sent our SRO to check on them during their first day :)

Orientation was good and they both went right to work checking out their new classes and meeting new friends. I got them all set up for after care and asked some, but certainly not all, of the questions I have. Their school is from 7:30-2:00 and mine is 8:20-3:09 so we needed something for them to do after they get out. The aftercare goes as late as 6:00 which they will never be there for but it gives me a little flexibility for days that I have meetings and such.

On Labor day (the day before school started) Izzy and I went for mani/pedis and hair cuts while the boys went to the baseball game. It was an awesome way to close out the summer before getting back into our routine.

The first day drop-off was a little rough. They did not allow parents to walk the kids in so I didn't get to take any pictures in the classroom or really say goodbye the way I had imagined, but the kids were fine and went right to their lines with the other students. I was so anxious all day to pick them and finally ran over there as soon as I could. The kids had such a great time and they both got excellent reports. We did homework...practicing the pledge...and they are super excited to go back! All-in-all it was a great day and they looked super cute if I do say so myself :)

4th of July!

2009-2013 4th of July Family Pics

4th of July was a low-key holiday for us this year. We started our day with the beach and Tanner's friend Kaylee came along. We had a great time and then Noah had to head to work and we headed to the Michaels' house for a pool party and cookout. The kids were fast asleep long before any of the fireworks started, but we had a great time instead. We managed to grab a family pic before the beach so we can continue our comparison! Izabel managed to wear a new dress two years in a row even though she can still wear last year's dress, however Tanner actually wore the exact same outfit :) We had a great day and finished out the holiday week with Despicable Me 2 at the movie theater today. The kids head to Massanutten for vacation with my parents tomorrow while I complete my second residency at ODU. Hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day!!

Summer Fun!

This summer is super busy with school and my internship, but we have been trying to include some fun into our summer as well. The kids and I have been hitting the gym 3-4 times a week, which they love because they get to play. We've met up with Jackie and Jackson a few times and they love the play place at the Great Bridge YMCA. We've also been using the pool there. 

Last week we met up with Tanner's best (girl)friend from school for play time at "jumpy jump" and lunch. It was so cute watching them play together. Kaylee literally squealed when she saw Tanner and he was the kindest sweetest boy I've ever seen while he was playing with her. We was just on cloud nine the whole time....I think we're in trouble! We're planning another play date this week. The kids get along great and I have a good time with Kaylee's mom. Hopefully we can keep this up since they will be going to different schools next year (more on that later)!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to our wonderful Daddy and Granddaddy! We love you both so much and are so thankful for all that you give to us and do for us. We are also thankful for our Papa, uncles, cousins, Godfather's and other father figures that make our life so wonderful. We hope you all have an amazing, relaxing, and fun-filled day!

The Bittersweet Last Day of School

I've been watching everyone post about how sad they were to see their kids finishing preschool and going to kindergarten and I get that it is a milestone, but I really didn't understand all the tears and emotions........until today!

For the past three years our kids have been taught, nurtured, and most importantly loved by the wonderful teachers at Greenbrier Manor. We have loved our experience there and highly recommend it to anyone on the hunt for a preschool starting as early as age 2. We are waiting to find out if Tanner gets accepted to the preschool program in Hampton, so right now this may be the end of our experience at Greenbrier Manor, and that was sad. 

Tanner with Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Amy...Izabel had them when she was 3 as well!

Izabel with her preschool teacher Mrs. Cathy

 Watching my kids go into school for the last time and watching their teachers get teary eyed was all it took for me to start crying. Especially Mrs. Bridget. She has loved my kids more than we could ever have asked a teacher to love them and she is so sad to see them go! We are more than grateful for her and all she has done for our family and she will be missed more than she knows.

Then there was the first day and last day picture comparison that got to me. They have grown SO much this school year. I couldn't believe how much more grown up my Izzy looks since she started preschool. Now we walked out of the building with a kindergartener and yes it is a little sad. She is so smart and friendly and wonderful and I know she will be happy and successful throughout her education...but it is sad to see her growing up so fast. 

First day and last day of preschool and pre-k 3 2012-2013

For now we will enjoy the summer, anxiously await our placement for preschool and kindergarten, and try to slow down this crazy life of ours....well at least a little bit!! 

Tanner with his girlfriend Kaylee....they are so cute together!

Happy Last Day of School :)

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial day weekend is such a tease because we have so much fun doing summer things for three-four days and then we have to go back to work/school and finish out the year! We had a great time this year even though the weather was not as nice as we would have liked. Friday Noah and I went to see Fast and Furious 6 and then Saturday we took the kids to see Epic! We recommend both movies. After church on Sunday we headed to Busch Gardens with my parents and the kids had a great time. Izabel is enjoying trying out all the big rides that she is tall enough for now. On Monday we headed to the zoo with the Ingrams and enjoyed spending some time with them before they make the move to South Carolina. Summer can't get here soon enough!