Preschool Graduation

Monday night was her Preschool Graduation...
a picnic at the park, by the lake (that really matters, since that is by far the best park to go to)
Here she is pausing for a moment, from her busy play schedule for a picture with her teacher Mrs. Malmgren.

so rare

to get these older three in same place at the same time...
so glad I captured a photo or two...

Gracie's birthday

Celebrated on Saturday May 22nd...with family and friends.
The theme...Luau
games included bowling with coconuts, and a hula hoop race...all of which generated a lot of laughter.
Gracie's Grandpa and Grandma Piercy were here to celebrate with her this year, what a special thing that was.

sand box

a new addition to our playground.
(well we tried it once many years ago, but found that the cats were determined to use it as a litter box, we eventually conceded defeat)
but, with the ages and numbers in my daycare this spring it was time to revisit it...so we cleaned it out, filled it with sand and found a new(better) strategy to keep the cats out. It is where they head as soon as they go outdoors, it is where my little ones are long after daycare hours are over...there is something about your toes in the sand, they love it!

strawberry patch

after a few dismal years in the strawberry department this year is showing some promise...
of course our tiny little patch doesn't give us much more than enough fruit to just enjoy for the all to short season.
But we do love that we can simply walk to the patch and help ourselves to a handful of fresh picked berries.

a quiet place

Our yard is not a large expansive space, the house itself takes up most of our space. When we bought the house 21 years ago there was not a single tree or shrub on the property, we set to work changing that the very first spring. One of the first things I planted was lilac bushes, soon followed by other shrubs and trees, a garden a strawberry patch, and a raspberry patch. Little pieces carved out of our small space some intentional some quite unexpected. like the space here from a distance it looks ordinary, perhaps a bit overgrown but take a few steps closer and suddenly the whole space changes and becomes one of our favorite places to be.

a quiet space, sheltered from the loud and busy sounds of life around us, a spot where I find I pause a few times each day, a place where my kids will get lost in a book, or drawing or just staring at the clouds in the sky. This space was not intentional but just happened with the addition of this or the removal of that becoming in the past three years this little nook, a quiet place to visit, to recharge, to just pause.

there is the garden gnome, and rosie is certain fairies live here, she is forever on a quest to find one, often building intricate little homes for them...we have a singing frog, who's tune is quite spectacular when it rains. (yes we enjoy this little spot in the rain) birds visit regularily (even tho in the picture the feeder is empty) the wind chimes play soft music that often calms me even when I am indoors. There are spots under shrubs that make the perfect place to hide, or explore, and right now the lilacs are in bloom filling this space with the most amazing scent soon the fireflies will return.

this small space is one that fills our days with unexpected moments and countless memories...

a place where the kids and I look forward to rediscovering each spring and reluctantly leave when the season turns to winter.

Syttende Mai

yesterday we attended the annual Syttende Mai parade in Hanska.
A perfect day for viewing with clear skies and warm sunshine...
the kids were ready to start the parade watching season and quickly remembered just the right way to gather up candy...the youngest was fascinated by all the sites and sounds, a wee bit different from her response to last years parades...she screamed.

love these!

Dance

when we visited Katie to do pictures of all the little ones a few weeks ago we brought the girls' dance outfits along.
The studio that does the pictures for dance is not a favorite place for Rosie, acutally she is downright frightened of this photographer so I knew that getting good pictures was not going to happen. So glad Katie was able to fit in a few photos of them, love how she captured their personalities...love that their were no tears involved and rosie was excited to take the pics

Spring 2010

dance recital

the photos are blurry, out of focus and simply stink.
I need a new camera, or my camera needs a new operator.
sigh...
still, they capture those two tiny dancers in just the best way...
Rosie peeking at the audience when everyone else is turned the other way...just so her.
the look of concentration on Yahaira's face as she does each move perfectly...yes that is so her.
Rosie off away from the crowd, arms thrown in the air as if to say here I am are you ready for me? no surprise to me, I live with her remember?

Prom 2010

my nephew Brandon attended the Junior/Senior prom this year.
We gathered at one of his friends house to take pictures before they left to go out to eat.
Then later gathered at the high school to capture pictures of the couples entering the school.
I brought the girls along and they were of course awed by all the dresses and pretty hair styles.
The theme this year was Candyland...the gym looked pretty amazing.