Haircut!

Brinley has been wanting to cut her hair for a long time. I have been kind of dragging my feet, but I told her if she really wanted to she had to wait until after the ballet recital. She has been excited for her hair appointment all week! We talked about donating it to Locks of Love. She has been really excited to give her hair to some little girl that doesn't have any due to cancer. This is Brinley's before picture:

This is while she was getting her ponytail cut off:

And this is Brinley when she is all cut and styled!We all love her new hair and we are proud of Brinley for thinking of others!

Last Day of School!

Our last day of school was on Wednesday. This is always a bitter sweet time for me and my children. We have been blessed to have great teachers at our school, Harmony Elementary, and we are sometimes sad to end the year. Some years we have really loved our teachers and this year was one of them. Both Mason and Brooklyn had fabulous teachers. They have both made great progress and are excited for their new teachers but sad to say goodbye to their current ones. On the last day of school they had a big assembly with the whole school and then went to their individual classrooms to say their goodbyes. This is Mason with his two teachers Mrs. Wright:

And Miss Hannah:

Brooklyn's teacher, Mr Schiewe, was awesome and we were both sad to say goodbye to him! She got really emotional when she had to leave her classroom for the last time. When I saw her I also started to cry:

Brinley also had her last day of preschool a week ago. She had a great teacher Miss Tracy that we loved !!!
It doesn't seem possible that my little 35 lb. girl can be going into Kindergarten next year! We had our official first day of summer yesterday. It was beautiful and 80 degrees! It was filled with sprinklers, water fights, friends, and lots of otter pops! I'm not so sure that big costco box is going to last all summer long! Happy Summer!

Super Stacey!

I wanted to thank my friend Stacey for running with me this morning. I told her last week that I needed to start running more miles. I was a little nervous because she's a great runner, biker, um a mean athlete! She planned a route for us that was fun, challenging, and beautiful. We went 9 miles, my longest EVER, in 90 minutes. I was so excited that I finished and I felt great. Thanks again for pushing me along to reach my goal of doing a half marathon in September!

Ten Days in Turkey

It has been ten days today that Jon has been on his business trip in Istanbul, Turkey! It has been busy with only me here to manage the troops and all their activities! At one time Jon and I considered me tagging along on this business trip with him. We decided against it because the airline tickets are very expensive and we didn't have anyone to watch the kids for two weeks! It is a good thing that I didn't go because I would have missed so many "end of the year" activities! These are all the Extra things that I've had over the past ten days!

Wednesday May28
A three hour track meet that Mason participated in with other Harmony Huskies. He competed in four events and received two third place finishes, a second place in their relay, and a fourth place.

Thursday May 29

Pride Night at the elementary school. Brooklyn's holding a story she wrote "The Very Clumsy Caterpillar"

Friday May 30

Another First Grade field trip to Lacamas Lake Park. Saturday May 31

Mason's basket ball game that ended in a nail bitter! I also participated in a 5K run with six other friends from my ward. It's called the Starlight Run which is associated with the annual Rose Festival in Portland. There is a run just before a big parade called the Starlight Parade which happens usually around 9pm. Many people dress up in costumes, so my friend Tamara had the idea of being bumble bees. It was great fun and we got lots of cheers as we buzzed by people!

Wednesday June 4
Morgan marched with her Dance Team in the Junior Rose Festival Parade. She also had an end of the year Banquet for Dance Team that evening. She got a certificate for Perfect Attendance and got "Dancer of the Month" given to her by her team leader for the month of March!

Thursday June 5

Brooklyn had a musical performance where she was a praying mantis in their play "Over the Garden". I also went to Mason's tennis class for the first time.

I did have to say "no" to some things these past few days . We did not attend Morgan's recognition assembly for the National Junior Honor Society. I skipped mutual once and I didn't attend Enrichment. Somethings I just couldn't do with everything else going on. It has been hard trying to juggle all these extras and the normal stuff all by myself. I have realized these past ten days just how much Jon helps me out! I never want to be a single parent and we are all counting down the days until he comes home! Just three more!!!

My only son!

Mason is the only boy amongst four sisters! He is such a good boy, brother, and son. He puts up with a lot of drama & whining, the color pink & hair bows, ballet recitals & dress ups, skirts & shoes, baby dolls & polly pockets! Just give Mason a basketball and he will be happy. Mason really wanted to have a brother, and was convinced that Maddie was going to be a boy! When we told him after my ultrasound that he was going to have another sister he started to bawl! It was so sad. Jon and I both started bawling with him. He has adjusted well with only having sisters, and takes great care of the three little girls. I feel blessed to have at least one son! For Mother's Day at school he made a card for me titled Mother:

M: other

O: f five children

T: rying to get all of her work done

H: as to work every second

E: very day trying to get a break

R: eally great

I just thought that this was hilarious! I laughed and cried at the same time. He has been helping me out tons lately by babysitting for me on Wednesday nights when Morgan, Jon, and I all have to go to Mutual. Yesterday I bought him this Kobe Bryant jersey for a reward for all the babysitting he has done!

Thanks for being such a great son, I love you Mason!