Memorial Day Weekend

 

Once upon a time a mommy takes her two girls to the library and then to the Ice Cream Parlor for lunch.  She is feeling tired and sticky-hot carrying her third baby in her belly- yet ecstatic for the life ahead of her.  Mommy is trying to pass the time while they are impatiently waiting for their house to be built and living with her in-laws.  As they are looking over the menu, the mommy notices a family with their head bowed in prayer about to eat their simple little grilled cheese sandwiches in front of them. 

That mommy is me and I say a little prayer myself that I want to meet that mommy.  Two girls with her and pregnant as well.  Months later, while we are admiring our house being built, we notice two girls and

their daddy playing in their front yard, which made us even more excited for our move.  Our old neighborhood had all boys.  As all fairy tales have a happy ending, I realized that we were building in the same neighborhood as the family that I absolutely adored at the Ice Cream Village that day.   And we've lived Happily Ever After...  :) 

Dana and I immediately connect- we graduated in the same year- she went to Lebanon and I went to Edgewood, so we knew some of the same people, we both taught, and we both grew up with the same kind of country-simple-living upbringing.  We each had three girls the same ages, with two husbands with the same interests, and there is not a day that I don't thank God our paths have crossed.  

We've made so many great memories together- cookouts/swim parties like these, as well as an annual lake trip (no kids) where we just relax and just "be."  So thankful for the Cropper family, where great memories are made!

Nothing like kicking off Memorial Day weekend with two pool parties in two days!  Saturday we got together with the gang from our high school years.  We have been on vacations and have had lots of family grill-outs, as well as lots of fun (without kids) nights.  We have so much fun together, we can be ourselves without any worries.  Our kids have grown up together and we are in awe just how much they change from one time to the next.  We feel so lucky that the kids get along so well like they've not lost any time together since the last time they've seen each other.

Dulle Memorial Tribute 3.wmv

Need...sun!

Really, REALLY need these skies, or I'm going to lost my mind- yes- the rain is starting to affect my moods and I am REALLY grumpy- needing Vitamin D and the girls to be able to get outside and run without stomping through a water-saturated yard- ugh! 

Yet, I look at these smiles and tell myself that this is all I really need (and the sun to peek through for a bit and stay awhile)

Boat Races

We had a drizzly, yet fun day at Grant Park for the Indian Princess Boat Race.  Comparable to the Pinewood Derby for the Boy Scouts, the girls receive a boat kit with pieces of wood and a few rules and let their imaginations go. 

The girls had a blast in the creek, but this year was colder and muddier than we are used to.

Erika won two awards- one for the boat's physical appearance, and she also won in the race.

Em won in her age group for the race.

Rob is the Indian Princess Chief this coming year, and this is our tribes' event that they are in charge of. 

Rob getting ready to announce the awards

Erika's boat is the Eiffel Tower boat that is about to win- she helped her Dad at the finish line.

Feeling so blessed to celebrate in these memories after a pretty sad week, when the officer lost his life trying to protect the community.  What a loss.  Making the most of everyday is what it's all about.

May in Progress....

My sweet beautiful niece on her First Communion day...  Angelic.  You can look into her eyes forever and ever....

she's alive and loved....

Working on a paper engineering project.... 

working on a historical research project

....growing up...

where my dad asked my mom to marry my mom.. (they built this gazebo in honor of them_ not really, the gazebo wasn't there when dad asked  her to marry him outside of Golden Lamb, now it is a monument in lebanon!--- pretty cool!!!)

                                     One of our favorite places in Lebanon, Manna Cupcakes

One of our favorite people in the whole world, Dana, lived here with her husband, Spencer Cropper.  A Historic home.

Daddy showing offf

just another one of erika's crazy pieces...

a cutie

my girls are obsessed with chocolate...

A Henri' Matisse project

Grasshopper Dissection

 

Science has been a favorite this year for the girls, but when I told them they were going to Boonshoft to dissect a grasshopper, there were some mixed emotions.  Emily was excited about it (although I don't think she was picturing the grasshopper to be so big) and Erika was very sure she did not want to partake in tearing limbs off of an insect.  Once they were immersed in the lesson and learning some amazing things, they knew they needed to dig in, in order to learn more and see first-hand.  Since we are learning about the Human Body at our co-op, they were able to compare and contrast a lot of traits between humans and insects- what a memorable experience!