Donuts with Dad

Kyle took his Quatama kids to "Donuts with Dad". Poppy was able to come along too, since they were at our house helping with the kids (while I was out of town). My kids are so, so blessed to have so many people who love them.

Also while Poppy was here, he took Marcus up to the
Hillsboro airport for a tour. Lucky kid!

Celebrating Katelyn

My second niece has turned 12! Which is the magical age where their mother has gathered together the women of the family to bless and affirm a daughter as she comes of age. Many of the aunties, a Nana, and the Momma (of course) all gathered together at the Corrigan Cabin with my sweet niece Katelyn to speak life, share stories, pray for God's beautiful girl. As before, we each wrote her a letter for her scrapbook, and my letter was a mixture of cautionary tales (I had many embarrassing moments as a young teen), and personal stories of how God whispered invitations to me as a young girl to draw closer to Him. I hope and pray Katelyn will hear her own invitations, and continue to experience deep and satisfying love from her Creator and  Father in heaven. God bless you my baby Katy Bugs!

Prayer time

Preschool Graduation

Well... this is a big milestone. Our youngest baby graduated preschool. We have continuously had our kids all in this beautiful preschool for the past 8 years (with only one year "off" during the potty training delay of 2012), including a year of half-day kindergarten for Max as well. I have spent the last 8 years driving this same road, learning the tricky back ways, learning the best place to park, the best time to arrive, when the classroom door will actually open, the best kind of snacks to bring to preschoolers, and much more. I could tell you like the back of my hand about every single field trip, class party, room celebration that happens in these preschool years. Our beloved preschool director (and teacher of all our kids) Carolyn Meier, retired this year as well, so basically we ALL graduated! She and I discovered that we are both entering into a new season of life (she is retiring, all my kids will be in full time school this fall). It was amazing how much we had in common, and were able to encourage each other in our new stage.

Here is a little something I wrote about our preschool, as part of a parent evaluation for considering the new direction and leadership of the school.

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I love his little blazer :)

Family selfie with the graduate!

Favorite picture ever - all four kids with Mrs. Meier!

Waiting for the procession

Celebration lunch at Waffle Window!

Drama club

The girls tried something new this year - Drama Club! Marin got a big role as the queen :) Maddie did not want any speaking parts (she was hoping to be a stage hand) however she did great as one of the theives in an Iranian folktale they performed at the end of their session. Marin loved it so much, we signed her up for drama camp this summer with Journey. Fun!!!

The yearbook picture!

The blonde in black!

Timbers field trip

The most coveted field trip of Madeline's 4th grade, the annual trip to see the T2 Timbers play and attend a big event at Providence Park downtown, is one of my HIGHLIGHTS of volunteering. I love all my volunteering actually, but it is super fun having a little pack of 4th graders in my care, spending the whole day riding the MAX downtown and navigating city streets with these little hooligans (some of them this year were actual hooligans, I'm not kidding you). The kids got to go through various sports stations, watch the game, weaving through zillions of people while we plugged our noses to the strong smell of weed on the Max ride back (honestly punks, GET A ROOM or whatever people say about smoking pot on public transit!!).

It was an awesome adventure, and reminds me how much I love love love being with my kids and their friends.

Always a fan of Captain Jack!

Front row!

Memorial Day weekend

Our Memorial Day weekend was very eventful. Poor Kyle had his second sinus surgery in two years. The recovery on this one was brutal. So, so brutal. Multiple complications and secondary infections (possibly from sterilization issues, YIKES!!!!) despite have an awesome doctor (who was furious about the abovementioned issues at the surgery center he uses). It was a rough weekend, but the silver lining was lots of people loving and caring for us/him, and an amazing community of friends and family supporting us with meals and help. I took the kids to Nana & Poppy's house for a BBQ to give Kyle a quiet house, and the boys ended up staying over on a whim! You know you are out of the "hard little years" when your kids can spend the night spontaneously at grandparents with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Kyle is doing much better now, and is hopefully on the road to complete recovery.

He gave me permission to post this. One thing
I learned about "anesthesia Kyle" is he is overly
polite and thankful. It was pretty funny actually!

One of the many beautiful friends who brought us dinner.
(Marin just had to offer her a chicken!)

Hot tub time

Crazy pose

I want my own trampoline!

Big cousin time

School fundraisers

My big kids raised money for their school in the annual jog-a-thon, and the little one had our last ever trike-a-thon for St Jude Children's hospital. Maddie sadly got the stomach flu the morning of their run. BABY DOLL :( The other kids had a great time working hard and beating the pavement!