Update

Cason - 3/3/16 - Learned to tie shoes

3-10-16

Cason - 45.8 lbs, 45 1/4"
Cole - 55 1/2 lbs, 51"
Kaylee - 99 lbs, 59"
Chad - 75 lbs, 60"

Stats

10-20-15

Chad - 75 lbs, 59"
Kaylee - 93 lbs  57.75"
Cole - 55.2 lbs  50"
Cason - 43.6 lbs  45"

Summer Update and Back to School

We had a fantastic summer but boy did it go too quick!  This will explain why!

Memorial Weekend

We traveled home for my 20th High School reunion.  I so enjoyed seeing everyone but of course there wasn't enough time to catch up as I would have liked.  Thankful for what we got though. 

Finishing School

Because of snow days, the kids ended up going an extra 4 days of school.  Instead of getting out before Labor Day, we ended up going until the Friday afterward.

New Deck & Landscaping

After dreaming for several years we finally added a deck to our back porch.  Our favorite builders, Chip and Bradley, returned to put it in.  And we love it!  We also put in landscaping in the front to help with the water and erosion problems we have fought for several years.  Cason loved supervising both.

New Website

After much conversation we decided to hire a developer to completely redo my website and automate the ordering and License process.  This project has taken much longer than thought but progress is occurring, and Mom and I have seen a huge difference in the amount of work we are having to do during our busy season.  Looking forward to the rest of the changes being implemented.

Beach Vacation

The next day we left for Orange Beach, Alabama were we stayed for five days in a condo.  It was the first time that the kids had really seen the ocean or been on a beach.  The kids loved boogie boarding and catching little fish.  Our condo was amazing.  We also enjoyed the lazy river. 

Vacation Bible School

We came home long enough to turn around and leave for KS again.  The kids attending VBS at my home church for the 6th or 7th year in a row.  It is always a highlight for them.

Camp War Eagle

We came home to get Chad and Kaylee packed for Camp War Eagle.  It is an amazing Bible camp where they are able to go tubing in the lake, do an obstacle course, have fun with huge slides, among many other things.  Chad won an award too!

Family Reunion

We had a few days to recover before we left for Kansas again for the family reunion.  We missed having one family but a good time was had by all.  Just a reminder of the importance to leave a legacy and how thankful I am for the rich legacy my grandparents left.  Cole developed a sweet bond with my cousin Randy.  Absolutely precious memories made. 

Swimming Lessons

For the next two weeks the kids had swimming lessons.  Chad finished by doing all the strokes he needed.  He also learned to dive off the board and swim the length of the pool underwater - the whole way.  Cason made hugh gains and now can jump off the board and swim to the side all by himself. 

4th of July

After several attempts, my family was finally able to come down for a visit.  (For some reason an appendicitis is an excuse!)  We had a fun time celebrating the 4th and Chad's b-day with them.  And in a teaching (and weak) moment, Cole beat Papa in chess.  :)

Garden

With tears of joy, we finally had a much better garden.  The potato crop was amazing.  Still battling multiple groundhogs but Michael is attempting to control the population. 

 

 

Grandparent and 4H Fair Time

Chad and Kaylee spent a few days with Grams and Papa on the farm.  Grams helped them on their 4H projects and they played with Kenzie and Charlee.  They also got to attend the Rodeo Parade and the rodeo.  Chad and Cole, separately, each spent a night with Michael's parents. The kids did great on the projects that they entered in the 4H fair.

Uncle Marc

We enjoyed seeing Uncle Marc during his visit.  The kids enjoyed playing with him.

Petite Jean

To end the summer we spent a week camping at Petit State State Park.  It was incredibly hot but we still enjoyed it, and were very thankful for our air conditioned camper.  While there Chad biked 26 miles one day.  We also enjoyed their public pool and the hiking trails. 

Learning Time
When we were home, the kids read, worked on typing and math.  Cole eagerly read to Cason.

Biking

Michael continues to enjoy biking and we are thankful for the safety God has granted him for each ride. 

Back to School

And now we find ourselves back in school!

Spring Update

Chad:  I've had a great spring.  I really enjoyed Run/Walk Club at school.  I was the 2nd top distance runner for all grades and one of six who completed over a marathon during the spring time.  After school, I also participate in a choir.  Now that the grass is growing, I am mowing again.  I take this job very seriously. 

75.6 lbs
59 1/2 inches tall

Kaylee:   I got my first job making bread for our neighbors once a week.  I enjoy talking to Shirley each time that I drop it off.  

89 1/2 lbs
56" inches tall

Cole:  I went on my first field trip and had a great time.  We went to the Botanical Gardens.  Riding the bus was so much fun. 

Cole just told us that he didn't really understand what marriage is. After hearing Daddy's answer, he declared that he would just date for the rest of his life. He just wants to get to know girls. Not marry one.

When asked what his mommy does, Cole informed his teachers at church that "Mommy plays on Facebook all day."

Even though his birthday is several months away, Little Man received a notepad which sparked him sharing his birthday wish list with anyone he comes in contact with. Sometimes several times over. Here are just a few.

53 lbs
50.25 inches tall

Cason:  My favorite song is "God's Not Dead."  I enjoy school time with Mommy and always ask for something harder. 

Update on Cason

Cason is enjoying having Mommy to himself during the day.  He loves school times and is learning his letters, numbers, poems, Bible verses, and song.  He is also learning to write and does a great job with scissors and glue.  Puzzles continue to be a favorite and he knows he is very good at them.  This is a 550 piece puzzle that he and Mommy did after Christmas.  It was a hard one!

Beyond using big words (which he loves to throw interject into conversations), here are a few of his favorite sayings:

• Easy Pease Wema So Squeezy
• Hold on Tiger
• Calm down there, Tiger
• Totally

Cason is so ticklish.  Rarely does Mommy get to pick him up anymore because he squirms away thinking he will be tickled.  Throughout the day Cason will walk up to Mommy or Daddy and say, "Take me down."  This means that he wants to wrestle...and giggle and scream. 

Even though he is the youngest (or maybe because he is the youngest), Cason feels like he is the boss of the house.  He oftentimes instructs his siblings to do things for him or obey in the manner he believes is best.

He continues to adore Kaylee, loves to play outside, and thinks he is ready to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels. He can't wait for summer, to go camping, and swim.

Cason Turns 4!

I am four now!  And I love being four because I am getting bigger.  It makes me happy to be four!

I like to play with toys.  My favorites are puzzles (I can put together 100 piece puzzles by myself) and Legos.  I also like to read books.  I like all books!

Whenever I go into another room in the house, I always say, "I 'wace' you.  I win!".   Sometimes I race my tummy.  I love ties (when we both win).

In school with mommy I am learning to write letters and number.  I am also making my name neater.  We are learning songs and poems too.  My favorite Bible story is Hannah and Samuel.

Due to some struggles of my brother, I am sleeping in Kaylee's room.  She is my best friend.  We are the "Toothest Twins."  I love being with Kaylee and ask her to help me on everything.

I like to repeat things that Cole says but it tends to get me in quite of bit of trouble.  Oops.  

When I grow up, I want to be a deer hunter.  My favorite colors are blue, yellow, and green.  I love to watch Boz the Green Bear.  Fin is my favorite person to play with.  Chick-fil-a is my favorite place to eat.

Each morning after we drop the kiddos off at school, Mommy and I call Grams and Papa on the speaker phone.  As soon as one of them answers I shout, "Hi, Papa" or "Hi, Grams."  They say hi back and I always giggle because I know that they really like it.

Camping was great fun this summer.  I wrote on Daddy's bike but am looking forward to being able to ride my own bike next summer.

12/2/14 Stats

39.4 lbs

42.5"

Kaylee Turns 8!

And she is 8.  Do not know how that happened.

• I want to be a music teacher when I grow up. 
• Pepperoni pizza is my favorite food to eat. 
• Chili's is my favorite place to eat. 
• Soccer is my favorite sport.
• My favorite Bible story is Jesus rising again.
• I like science and math.

• My favorite thing that I did when I was seven was going to VBS and having fun with Grams and Papa.
• I want to do the same thing while I am eight.
• Blue and red are my favorite colors.
• I like to play games with my brothers.
• My favorite thing to wear is a dress with my boots.

• I love to go biking and camping with my family.  I got a new bike for my birthday.  It has gears and is a girl's bike!

• I really like Beanie Boos.  I got two for my birthday.  Papa gave me a jewelry box and a bracelet.  (I really like him too.  We talk on the phone a lot.)

• Grams and Papa came down for my birthday.  I really liked this.  We had an all girls birthday party at the Crumpet Tea room and mommy made pumpkin pie.  

• Dahana and Ava are my closest friends.
• After school I practice the piano, read, practice my spelling words with Grams over Skype, and teach school to my students.  Mommy gives me my piano lessons and Grams practices with me.  I am almost done with the first book in piano.