Adopting a Flower Garden

For years Great Grandpa Richardson has adopted the flower garden at Teagarden Park, right across the street from their house.  Each spring Holubs donates marigolds for him to use and he has members from the family help him plant the garden.  This was the first year that Ava and Isaiah participated and they were so excited!  Here are some of the pictures I took while they were doing this...

Jody, Ava, Isaiah, and Great Grandpa starting to plant

Ava and Great Grandpa

Isaiah and his Aunt Jody planting a yellow marigold together.

Isaiah loved pinching the plants out of the packaging and planting them all by himself!

Ava too!  I think after so many years of helping Andy and I with our flowers and our vegetable garden, they were a pro!

Grandpa was making the last row for the orange marigolds.

Tim and Ava working together

Tim, Jody, and Miss Ava

Isaiah was all about watering the flowers with the hose...Uncle Darrell was encouraging him to squirt "other things" too.

Ava and Great Grandpa

Ava, Great Grandpa, and Isaiah...a job well done!

Look for one of these two pictures along with a short story in the Ames Daily Tribune.  We submitted this last week.  Keep your eyes out!

Not only was this fun for the kids, but it was also a great way to teach responsibility and to teach helping others.  They know that they were responsible for this to make the park look nice and I'm sure we'll be back soon to weed it.  I know the city waters the flowers frequently, so that's nice.  Now when we go to Great Grandpa and Grandma's house and look out the window and play at the park, they will know they helped to make the park look even more beautiful!

My Three Happy's:
1) School's out and summer vacation has officially started!  Life couldn't be better!
2) We go to Disney in 3 1/2 days...the kids don't want us to tell them which day exactly we are leaving.  So we'll start packing this week but won't tell them until the morning we wake up at 4:15 am!  Last time we had donuts and juice ready for them in the car and I think they want that to be the same again this time.  So donuts and juice it is!  We are so excited!
3)Yesterday morning we were out playing and all the vegetables were really starting to come up.  We then went to Target to get some supplies for our trip and when we got home later in the afternoon...I kid you not...the beans had all sprouted, the corn seemed so much bigger, the sweet peas were showing, and Andy found a huge radish that he swears was not there that morning.  Crazy how fast plants grow with a little rain and lots of sunshine!

Ava Graduates

My baby graduated preschool today.  They held a nice little program at the school this afternoon to celebrate the accomplishments and fun things they did this year.  They sang songs, danced, had a slide show, and received their diploma.  I was so proud of my Ava.  This little girl just seems like she was born yesterday and yet today she became a kindergartner!  How amazing is that and how quickly time really does fly.  We are beyond proud of our little girl for everything that she is and will become.  She is a wonderful daughter, sister, cousin, niece, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter.  Her smile is worth a million dollars and she has a heart of gold.  This is just the beginning of her journey and we will be there cheering her on every step of the way!

Ava with her friend Lainey

One happy Bootles!

They were singing the "Hello" song that they sing at group time.

Time for a little dancing!

Ava and her best friend Reagan

More singing and clapping...

...and more dancing.

Ms. Shanna, Ava's teacher, went around and asked the kids two questions.  The first one was, "What was your favorite thing we did in preschool this year?"  Ava said, "When we made gingerbread houses."  The second question was, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  Ava said, "A princess."  Do I see a possible Disney princess in the making?

She smiled the ENTIRE time!

Ava receiving her diploma

Great Grandma and Grandpa Richardson came to cheer Ava on.

The kids with Grandma and Grandpa Richardson

Ava and Isaiah with Grandpa and Grandma Van Slyke

Our amazing family!

Ava with her Aunt Jody...these two take the most beautiful pictures together!

One goofy little brother!  My parents took Isaiah to Dairy Queen before Ava's program and he got this fake mustache from a machine.  What a hoot!

Ava with Great Grandma...we're so thankful she could come!

Ava and Reagan again.  These two talk about each other all the time.  They are so much alike!

Ava with one of her preschool helpers Ms. Linda

Ava with her preschool teacher Ms. Shanna

Ava with one of her preschool teachers Ms. Ann

Ava with one of her preschool helpers Ms. Jami

After the program we went back to the room for cupcakes and the kids each got a bucket filled with a new story about going to kindergarten, a DVD of the slide show we saw, and the "real" diploma...the first one was just rolled up paper.  :-)  It's hard to believe that Ava's preschool days are over and that Isaiah will be in that room next year.  I am so proud to be their Mom and look forward to a summer of laughs and fun!

My Three Happy's
1) Ok...I'm really going to start blogging more.  My nights have been filled with checking end of the year assessments, working on report cards, finishing up all of my end of the year paper work to turn in, falling asleep with the kids and waking up at midnight just to crawl back in bed again, and playing outside with the kids before bed.  Now that we have 1 1/2 days of school left, I finally have time.  So my first happy is that school is almost out and I have a full summer to enjoy with my family!
2) One of my new favorite grilled vegetables is lettuce...strange huh??  Janet, Andy's Mom, told me about a recipe that showed Romain hearts that are splattered with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  I had Andy grill this tonight and I put the grilled meat on top.  SOOOO good...you've got to try it!
3) Our garden is now completely planted.  With help from Andy and the kids we now have sweet corn, green beans, wax beans, sugar snap peas, 4 different types of radishes, red peppers, green peppers, and four different kinds of tomatoes.  We also have a few herbs growing too.  Gotta love that basil!!  Now if it would just rain!

A Wiggly, Jiggly, Loose Tooth

Once upon a time there was this little girl named Ava.  Today this little girl was all smiles and discovered something about her smile.

She found something strange and unusual about her mouth...something just seemed different.

Her tooth was loose!  So all morning this little girl, wiggled and jiggled, and wiggled and jiggled that loose tooth...

...and finally it came OUT!  Now this little girl has ever so carefully placed this tooth in her Mommy's old tooth fairy pillow and is so excited to see what the tooth fairy will bring her.  When asked, "Ava what do you think the tooth fairy does with all those teeth?," she replied, "Maybe she makes a collection and keeps adding to it.  Maybe she makes necklaces with them too." 

Her first tooth...lost on May 13, 2012...one exciting day in the eyes of a little girl!

**My Three Happy's for the day are on the next post.**

Celebrating Moms

What I love about being a Mommy...

...I love being the person that my kids look up to, they value what you have to say and still think it's cool to do things like you do.  I love watching a smile light up on my children's faces and hear laughter.  I love running feet...even if it's at the wee hours of the morning.  I love doing crafts and cooking with the kids...Ava and Isaiah love to help with everything.  I love that our house looks "lived in and loved"...this place is always a disaster...but we have fun here.  I love playing outside with my kids...you never know what new adventure we may discover.  I love teaching them new things or watching them make connections to what they might already know.  I love being there when they accomplish something new that they've never done before and I can see the look of pride on their face.  I love that Andy and I have made such a wonderful little family together.  I love our 8 year old puppy...well dog...that I'm a Mommy to also.  He may drool, splatter water, drag in dirt and sticks, and make a mess...but he's the best dog in the world.  I love looking back at pictures and things the kids used to do and seeing how much they've grown up.  I love discovering and trying new things with the kids.  I love when creativity sparks and they make up a new game to play with me.  I love coming home from a busy day at work and know that they are so excited to see me.  I love that God has blessed me with this huge responsibility to be a parent, He trusts in me to raise these children and love them unconditionally, and He knew from the beginning that this was the life I was supposed to live.  I am thankful for that every day!

 Mama with all her loves

Four lovely ladies

Smiles with Grandma

Andy and his wonderful Grandma

Ava and Great Grandma

Grandma and Ava

The Richardson ladies

Grandpa, Grandma, and their boys

The Richardson boys with Grandpa and Grandma

Our little family...Isaiah was not interested in smiling for the camera today.  You may have noticed that he wasn't in many pictures...we tried!

Dan, Janet, and their expanding family!

A brother and sister

Dan and Janet and their kiddos

Uncle Tim, Aunt Deanna, Leita, and Brad

How gorgeous is this picture of Ava and Jody!  Someone loves her Aunt!

At my parents house this afternoon we had a "Disney" themed dinner.  Here is a picture of the snacky foods they had out when we got there.  Dinner also included Mickey shaped burgers, cheese slices, and cookies.

Mom and her girls

The kids had a blast in the pool and on the slip-n-slide!

My Boo running through the sprinkler!

Miss Isabelle having fun in the pool!

Bootles sliding across the water!



Two buddies swinging away

Me and my Dad

Our attempt at a picture with Grandma...the best you can do with a five, three, and two year old!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommies out there!

My Three Happy's:
1) Celebrating Mother's Day with both sides of the family.  We're so glad everyone is close and we are able to do that.  It means the world to us!
2) The beautiful day!  75 degrees is perfect weather...this week it's suppose to get warmer; but today was wonderful!
3) Two sleepy kids who went to bed pretty quickly tonight...that means more time that Andy and I can spend together tonight.  8 1/2 days of school to go!!!! Whoo-Hoo!