Blooms

Things are already getting checked off the summer bucket list.  I've started going through a folder of recipes I've clipped over the years.  I've decided that it's high time I start doing something with those.  I pulled out a few I am going to try this week.  The first up were flautas.  They turned out great.  I was very excited about this because it was one of those intimidating looking recipes that I forced myself to try out.  I think it's a keeper.

 

That gapped-tooth baby grin gets me every time. 

 

We are going to miss walking around our "big O".  We are looking forward to our new neighborhood though. 

 

Peonies always remind me of Memorial Day's I spent in my youth visiting the graves of my ancestors.  We would picnic there at the Embarrass cemetery with my Grandma and Grandpa, mom and brother.  Maybe my aunt was there too.  Anyway, there were peonies at their graves.  I thought they were so beautiful, but also remember how the ants liked them.  

 

Happy 9th wedding anniversary, Kyle.  We celebrated at our favorite restaurant, Umi Grill.  We went all out with shrimp tempura, fried rice, Dr. Singh's special and plum wine.  Over the years lots of things have changed, but we still do the same thing...move houses and change jobs... It's been fun though and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else!  Mr. Hutson, I love you. 

Little Gymnast

Evangeline has been taking gymnastics for the past year and last Saturday she participated in her first meet.  It was just a small meet, held at her studio for all the students that attend there.  I was so proud of Evangeline.  She had a floor routine, bar and balance beam routine.  She had a lot to remember and not a lot of practice on her routines during class time.  It was cute because she did quite a bit of her floor routine and then forgot a chunk in the middle.  Every time she would forget something she would stand there and wiggle her front tooth.  She ended up doing a great job.  She even placed 2nd in her age division which was the highlight of the day.  She got to stand up on the winners pedestal and everything.  As we were getting in the car she told me that she couldn't believe she got 2nd place because she thought she messed up.  I told her that the judges must that been impressed anyway.  I told her that I was proud of her and she told me that she was proud of herself.  

 

The meet was long.  The kids had to wait forever for all of the girls and boys to perform.  They were getting squirrely.  I had to laugh when I looked down and saw this...I'm not sure that's the best way to win over the judges....

 

She also told me that she was happy that she won 2nd place because the 3rd place trophy was too small and the 1st place trophy was too big, but the 2nd place trophy was just right.  

 

I told Evangeline I wanted to take a picture of her and her trophy as we were leaving the meet.  She wanted to strike her podium pose one last time.... 

 

We think she's going to have fun watching the Olympics this year. 



End of the School Year

Oh my goodness...where to even begin?  I tearfully say goodbye to another school year.  Not just any school year though.  This was the year I delivered that sweet little baby boy just 4 days into the first week of school.  This was the year my girl was in the first grade, my grade.  I have watched both of these children grow so much this year.  It's been emotional.  I've dealt with the anticipation of having my baby at any moment right at the start of the school year, sending my daughter to school...without me, coming back to work after my maternity leave, the pumping: all.the.pumping.  The sleep deprivation, the figuring out how to get everything done with two children and a full time job, the up-in-the-air status of our living situation.  Wow.  What a year.  I will always look back at this year with the fondness of memories.  I wouldn't trade this insane year for anything.  It has been one of the most special and trying years of my life.

Here are my fellow first grade teachers after surviving Activity Day.  I love these girls. 
 

Evangeline is pictured here working out with Mr. Josh from her Healthy Life class, and his super cool car! 

 

Evangeline always likes to write on my white board before and after school.  She usually answers prompts that I have on the board, but sometimes she comes up with her own little sentences. 

We had our annual Lincoln Trail field trip, which was very special this year because my daughter was in attendance.  Evangeline did the nature walk with her class, but ate lunch and did the scavenger hunt with me.  We had a great time.  It was a chilly day!

 

Here is Evangeline and one of my little students, Hannah Simpson.  These two were great friends this year.

Hayden Parris was also one of Evangeline's sweet friends and a student in my class.  These are friendships I very much approve of for my daughter.

This is Evangeline's class. 

Of course we needed school bus selfies...what else are you going to do? 

 

What a whirlwind of a year.  Now I'm busy soaking up all the time I can this summer with my little loves.

Fresh and Clean

Words don't even touch how cute this guy is in the tub.  We just get the biggest kick out of his bath time enthusiasm.  He just splashes and giggles nonstop.   Evangeline likes to hop in and join him.  We all three end up soaked from his splashes. 

 

And he's just so handsome and snuggly once he's out of the tub.  I still can't decide which way to comb his hair thanks to his cowlick right in the front of his forehead.  

 

 

There was a little birthday celebration in Avon for Kristen, Phil, Sabrina and me.  It was nice to see everyone and pig out on yummy food and cake!

 

We sure are grateful to Ammie for watching Jed this school year.  We just aren't sure what we would have done without her.  

 

Evangeline participated in the cheer clinic again this spring.  She did a fantastic job, if I do say so myself.  

Mother's Day

Over the past seven years Mother's Day has found a special place in my heart right up there with Christmas.  It's having the best job in the world and then receiving a bonus just when you thought it was already unbeatable.  Oh, all that precious stuff my daughter brought home from school for me for Mother's Day!  She was just beaming with pride and so excited to give it to me.  I could tell she worked so hard on these priceless things.  They are worth more than all the gold in the world to me. 

 

Mrs. Crumrin told me that the kids planed these plants from seeds right before Earth Day and then she bought a larger flower to plant along side them for Mother's Day.  However, Evangeline's pot was the first to sprout out of her whole class and she was so excited about the sprouts she refused the flower.  She was afraid the flower would harm her little sprouts.  

 

We attended the annual Mother/Daughter Banquet at church with the cousins, Kristen, Ammie and Grandma.  It was extra special this year because Evangeline had a few little parts in the program.  She recited a poem and had a part in a song.  

 

On the actual morning of Mother's Day I awoke to yet another bacon, egg and cheese biscuit and coffee from my sweet husband.  (We Hutsons really like our BE&C biscuits!)  I had cards from Kyle, Evangeline and Jed.  They also surprised me with the prettiest turquois earrings, which Evangeline picked out herself.  We went to church.  It was just a great morning.  

 

Kyle had Jed dressed in the perfect outfit.  It was a nice touch.

 

Little Jed started clapping his hands for the first time on May 3rd.  He also kicked off Mother's Day by crawling for the first time on Saturday, May 7th.  

 

It's become a tradition that we have a picnic at Lincoln Trail on Mother's Day.  It was too cold and wet for picnicking this time, but we did have a picnic at Ammie's house before heading over to Lincoln Trail to kayak in my mom's boats.  The weather turned out to be beautiful and shaped up to be the perfect day.  

 

Yep.  Being a mom's the best.