End of the Year

 Power point presentation.

 Field Day

 Joy School Graduation and {indoor} picnic

 Last day as a First grader.

 Saying good-bye to Mrs. Stegelmeier.

 Awards assembly.

The Mill

 The old grain elevator and mill are at the heart of the town.  It's our small town icon and gathering spot. You can buy your chicks, feed, and garden seeds here while getting in on the latest news.  The kids love running down to the mill.  Every visit guarantees a dum-dum sucker and being called "Bill."

It's so small town and so endearing.

Weekending

Oh how I love the four day school week.  We can leave town Thursday night and be back home by Saturday to get caught up all before Sunday.  Since I couldn't think of a gift worthy of giving my Mom for Mother's Day, we decided to go and help her in her yard.  As an added bonus, Deidra and Millie were still in town so we could play with them too.

The kids adored Millie and loved playing with her. 

Hudson manned the rototiller and became quite fond of the job.  He was finding places all over that needed tilled, Mom had to make sure he didn't put in the back of the Suburban to take home.
 He found an old single-row planter in one of the flower beds, that he convinced Grandma and Grandpa to let him have so he could make me a Mother's Day present.

Hudson kept Grandpa company at Father's and Sons.

The kids stood against the measuring board, man how they're growing- all of them over 2 inches in the last 9 months.

Nothing rounds out the spring yard work like a weenie roast. 

Baby Bunnies

The cute little fur balls had become orphaned and some friends of ours were bottle feeding them.  They won Brent's heart and attention during a visit.  The next night,  he had arranged for us to adopt three of the two week old babies.  So we spent out FHE at CAL Stores buying kitten formula, syringes, and nipples.  

By default, feeding time became my responsibility.  But the kids enjoyed taking them out on the grass, observing them, and playing with them.  It was good exposure, as our kids have a tendency to unravel around animals.  Before long, they were picking them up and taking them for picnics.

 It was a lot of fun having bunnies.  And they were just so cute.  Hudson even talked me in to taking them to show and tell, and boy were they a hit.  They even got to take a road trip with us to Grandma and Grandpa's. 

But in the end we learned that baby bunnies really need a mommy bunny.  Although we tried, we couldn't give them every thing they needed.  I felt like a failure, losing all three (but found a little consolation that our friends had not fared any better.)

Moral of the story:  Not many things can take the place of your Mom.  Moms are given special gifts and abilities to nurture and raise her children.  And boy am I glad that I am raising little children instead of bunnies.

Big Week

 All in one week's time, Dalanie, learned to ride her bike without training wheels, graduated from Preschool, and helped me create plant stakes for Mother's Day.

She had set a goal to learn to ride her bike without training wheels this summer.  I practiced with her one day, but it didn't happen- she was too busy watching the neighbor boy over her shoulder and giggling.  It wasn't until I was in a meeting and the neighbor got her to focus on balancing instead of him.  She's picked it up rather quickly and only had a scrape or two.

She went down to the elementary school for one day a week to get some extra help on her speech.  She enjoyed making art projects, getting speech "homework," and meeting new kids.  Even though it was just once a week, she got to participate in their fancy graduation.  She buried her head in my shoulder instead of reciting her nursery rhyme, Little Bo Peep.  Maybe as a kindergartner she'll outgrow her timid-ness.

 She was delighted with the opportunity to help me make a craft, 130, as a matter of fact.  Rarely a day goes by that she doesn't make a decoration for the house, picture for me, or a project to keep her busy.  She loves to be busy creating.  And she stuck it out until the last one was glued together.

Can't Get Enough

In the the ideal world, cousins would live next door and life would be one continuous play-date spanning weeks and months.  But since family gets spread across states, you do the best you can.  The kids and I made an impromptu visit to Cache Valley to hang out with my sisters.  There was no shopping, no crafting, or real late-night talks.  But the kids got to run and play and there was some whining and complaining and feet dragging when it was time to go.  But that does something for a mother's heart.  It feels it up and makes it proud and grateful- for love and for families.

Planting Time

 Brent started planting corn on May 2nd.  Our planter was among those that got an overhaul and Precision Planting makeover this year.  New row cleaners, the new vSet meters to swap out our finger meters, and hydraulic driven swath control.  I tease him about his "pimped out planter."  He assured me that it's a fine-tuned machine and has the data to prove it- 99.9% singulation!

 

And after traveling extensively as a salesperson, Brent is still such a farmer at heart.  Nothing makes his heart go pitter patter quite like freshly worked ground on his own farm.

Long Anticipated Recital

Finally, the day for the highly anticipated Let's Play Music recital came. . . and went.  Dalanie was sure to extend an invitation her grandmas and grandpas.  Mom and Dad drove 2 hours just to come to it.  They had a lot of fun and took pride in sharing what they have been learning with their family.  Hudson especially enjoyed playing the autoharp, singing El Gallo, reciting his part about skips and playing "do-mi-mi, mi-sol-sol, re-fa-fa, la-ti-ti" with Heidi.  Dalanie was proud to hold the blue triangle and play the Genie in the puppet show.

 The kids and I enjoyed the music class this year.  It was fun to go every other week with them, listen to the cds, and work on homework.  I think we all improved.  We're a little sad because our cute Miss Milly is going to be moving to Mon-tan, just like in the Old Paint song.  But we look forward to continuing with another teacher.