First Grader

How is it that we have a first grader already?!  Time goes WAY too fast.  This little lady has just finished her third day of school, and she is definitely rockin' it!  I know that she was experiencing her typical nerves about the first day, as she hesitated to leave my classroom, but since then, all has been awesome.  She's settled back into some fun friendships and is on her way to making some new ones.  We're so proud of you, Audrey, and we can't wait to see how much you grow this school year!  Believe in yourself, take a few risks, and have fun in first grade!  We love you!

This poor girl did have to start first grade with the stuffiest nose she's had in months.  She swore up and down that her teacher had NO tissues in the whole room, so she couldn't blow her nose at all.  Since I teach there, too, I know that can't be true!

Goodbye, Summer!

Since school starts for kids tomorrow, it's time to officially say goodbye to summer vacation.  Man, was it a fun one!  We were reflecting Sunday night about our favorite part of summer, and this one was pretty awesome.  We had library visits, pool days, attending an outdoor play, visiting the PlayStation, jumping at AirFX, a vacation to Decorah, seeing the cave and waterfall, times spent with family, picnics, splash pads, Chuck E. Cheese, a new puppy, Great Jones County Fair, a garage sale with a cookie stand, birthday parties, and SO. MUCH. MORE.  It was awesome!  Even though I am so looking forward to starting another wonderful year of school, saying goodbye to my relaxed days with these two crazies is hard.  Luckily, they will both be with me at school this year, so we're going to get a little more quality time than normal!

Sadie

On August 9th, a new member joined our little family.  We picked up sweet Sadie from her mom, and wow, has she quickly wiggled into our hearts.  She is playful, happy, loving, mischievous, and definitely curious.  We all love her to bits, with the exception of her furry older sisters.  Right now the inside ones seem very confused, while the outside one (with claws) has swiped at her a few times.  Sadie is staying outside and/or in the garage right now, so Mila and Belle can still feel as if they rule the indoors. 

We all do love her, especially Audrey!  She petitioned very hard to get a dog, and so far, she has been a wonderful help with the care.  Kate has been much more hesitant to interact with Sadie, but even today, we see her confidence growing.

Welcome, sweet Sadie!  We love you!

Great-Grandma's 90th

We traveled back to Elkader last weekend to celebrate Great-Grandma's 90th birthday.  It was wonderful to get all the cousins together to play, and we loved the restaurant, too.  It was delicious, and it even had noodles with sprinkle cheese and butter as an option on the kids' menu.  Perfect for Miss Audrey and Miss Kate!

Happy Birthday, Great-Grandma!  We're glad we could celebrate with you.

Dad was working all weekend, so he wasn't able to join us for the celebration.  We sure missed him, and he surely missed out on some delicious food!

Dance Camp

To try something different this summer (and to help Kate ease the heartache of missing dance), we signed the girls up for week-long dance camp.  It was through their same dance program and centered around a Frozen theme.  The girls absolutely LOVED their week!  Even Audrey, who is often luke-warm about going to dance kept saying, "I'm so excited about going to dance!  Are you, Kate?"  By the end of the week, Kate's answers became less and less patient.

On Friday, the dancers were encouraged to wear Elsa and Anna themed dresses, and thanks to Annie, we were able to borrow an Anna dress that worked perfectly for Audrey.  Our ladies looked beautiful, and their performances were flawless! :) 

Other Vacation Pics

Here are a few other memories of our sweet trip to Decorah...

These are two pictures taken at a beautiful overlook near a park we ate lunch at.  If you put them together, it's a family picture! :) 

We HAD to build a campfire and have s'mores at the vacation house.  They were definitely going to taste differently than s'more made at home!