The Merry Merry Month of May

Is is June ALREADY?! The month of May went by soooo fast! It was packed with so many activities I haven't even been able to keep up with my laundry, let alone my blog. So here is what we were up to, as my poor memory serves...

1.Our back patio. I spent most of the spring moving plants getting ready for it. Then in May we spent a week ripping out sod, leveling the ground, dumping gravel, and getting concrete supplies. Finally we were able to pour it. We had the help and wisdom of my Dad of course, and the help of our friends on the concrete day. So after 5 years we finally have a beautiful patio! Our BBQ and picnic table finally have a home! I love it!

2. A trip to Bi-Zi farms with Olivia's preschool! I took the boys along and we got to see the baby animals, learn about bees, and plant a strawberry plant. Olivia's favorite part was the morning when we packed lunches for everyone with special treats. She loves to get organized and pack things for a trip. You just have to mention that we are going somewhere and she is already packing a bag with the things she thinks she will need for the trip. Nathan was in a clingy mood, so it wasn't relaxing at all. But Cody was so excited about the little animals! I picked up the rabbit and it scratched me a little bit and the kids were sooo concerned about it, every day they wanted to see if it was getting better.

3. Kindergarten roundup. Olivia got to go plant a seed in the kindergarten class and get to know the classroom. Us parents got have a meeting about school next year. They changed Kindergarten to all day, 2-3 days a week. We get to choose Mon. & Thurs or Tues & Frid. and then we also go every other Wednesday! I think it is nuts! I am so scatterbrained, I just hope Olivia doesn't miss too many Wednesdays! I think this is going to be stressful for me. Nathan starts preschool next year also, he goes m, w, f. I chose pm for him thinking that it would match up with Olivia's kindergarten. That was a waste! I just think next year instead of the time I thought I would have with just me and Cody, 3 days a week, I won't know if I'm coming or going. Wish me luck...

4.Casey took the kids camping (Brooklyn, Olivia, and Nathan) I stayed home with Cody. Now that WAS relaxing! The kids had a blast. They roasted marshmallows and he took them on a hike in the morning. The girls were especially excited because they felt ripped off that they don't get to go to father's and sons. Casey said they kept changing their clothes every time they got dirty, and decided that they needed their pj's on at 7 o'clock. (I wish that would happen at home.)


5. We helped Grandpa plant his garden. After years of struggling to get my garden to grow, I've admitted defeat. It was just too small and and hard to water. So we decided to put our efforts into helping with my dad's garden by buying some of the plants and helping to plant it. Brooklyn was an excellent tomato planter and Olivia started out well with the pumpkins and corn, but fizzled out and had a melt down saying it's too hot to be outside. Nathan, he was Mr. Invisible. He disappeared several minutes after we got there, but reappeared as soon as he heard the tractor start up.

6. Memorial Day weekend May/Dyer camp out. We haven't gone for a couple years, but this is something we did every year growing up. Thanks to Callie's persistence we were able to get a campsite and go this year. The kids are really loving camping! And it is getting easier now that they are getting a little older. My mom and dad went up first early Friday morning, and took Brooklyn with them. Then a few hours later Callie and I drove up together with all the kids. (Casey and Brandon had to work so they drove up together later.) At first we were pretty proud of ourselves for getting ready and up to the site without the men. But, as I needed my dad's help putting up the tent (I had to take care of Cody) and realizing that I forgot my dutch oven, griddle, a lighter, dish soap, paper cups, etc..... I realized that, "although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, husbands can serve a purpose!" Yeah, it is alot easier with Casey's help! On Saturday morning I was able to go for a run with Rebecca, then we took the kids to the fish hatchery and then to Panther creek falls. So beautiful!

7.Casey's Birthday! This was on Monday, Memorial Day this year. We started out the day with a ward activity. "The Amazing Scripture Scavenger Hunt" was a hike around Round Lake on Lacamas Lake. It was alot of fun, and I can't believe I had never been there! After the activity we went home and I made a couple Strawberry-Rhubarb pies, my mom made some ice cream and we had a pool party at my parents!

8. Fathers and sons campout. For the 3rd week in a row Casey went camping. This time it was just with Nathan for father and sons. Nathan loved rubbing it in to his sisters that no girls were coming.This campout required a little more planning since Casey is in the stake Young Men's pres. He had to buy all the food and stuff for breakfast for the whole stake.

9. Olivia's soccer party. She and Porter had been playing soccer with a group of kids from my parents ward on Tuesday's. They had a nice little end of season party with trophies and a slip and slide.

10. Brooklyn's "Bug Extravaganza"! Her first grade class had an "informance" for the music class. She got to be butterfly. She so excited. She told me exactly what she was going to do for her part. I was pretty excited too, since last year, I had just had Cody and missed it, thinking it was the next week. I felt horrible! She was so excited to see me and my mom there. She kept waving at us when we made eye contact. I brought her pack of gum that said, "Brooklyn you are a butterfly "sensation"!"(fruit sensations gum).

11.A visit from Jess and Lacy! We were so happy to have them come visit! Jess hadn't been out since Brooklyn was born. We love to have visitors, especially Casey's family! We did a little shopping in Portland and then went out to Seaside. Jess and Lacy saw a clam bubbling up in the sand and were able to dig it up. Nathan just thought Jess was the coolest! And Olivia even warmed up to him.(It helped that she was in her own territory) I hope I sold them on the Northwest so we can get them to move here! Casey would be stoked!