kyle's 6th birthday party

Kyle wanted to invite all his kindergarten class and his Primary class to his swim party.  Thank goodness I had help!

Mark was manning the cake.  He loves taking pictures - can you tell?

Grandma Bybee got in on the fun!

Bryan apparently thought sitting part way down on a rock waterslide to eat his food was comfortable?

I love my birthday boy!

kindergarten graduation

I love that Kyle's school does a kindergarten graduation.  They really make a big deal out of it.  They gave all the parents a professional picture of their child in graduation cap and gown - so cute!  At the assembly the kids sang songs they had practiced and then each got to walk up and receive their certificate.  It was so darling!  Kyle had a wonderful year and absolutely LOVED his teacher.  As parents, we loved her too!

My sis Heidi

I have an amazing sister (four actually - and one amazing brother).  Heidi has been through a lot in her life.  Lately I've really been able to look to her for an example of how life doesn't have to get you down.  When you try to do what's right, Heavenly Father helps everything to work for your good.  

It has been really fun to have Heidi living so close by - to be able to renew our friendship.  When I left for BYU she was seven years old.  I never really got to know her as a friend.  We lived so far away while Mark was going through all his training, I only got to see her once a year if that.  I really enjoy getting to know her, not as my little sister anymore, but as a grown-up woman who I consider not only an amazing sister, but an amazing friend.

I love you Heidi!

Colton's 3rd Grade Field Trip - The Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum

I had so much fun chaperoning Colton and his friends on their field trip.  He is such a great kid - so fun loving and sweet.  One of his best friends at school is Adam.  Those two are two peas in a pod.  They are so much alike it's hilarious.  Here are some of the pics from their trip.

 

These rocks were displayed in a pitch-black room.  This picture was taken without a flash - the rocks glow in the dark naturally.  So cool!

Morgan's 4th Grade program

I really love the great friends my kids have found at their school.  They have such a good network of kids around them.  Great parents, too!  Morgan's 4th grade program this last year was so fun to watch.  It took the audience through different periods of time (music wise) in America.  Morgan was in the 70's part.

with one of her best friends - Ella

KYLE turns SIX!

We love our Kyle.  He just makes us laugh every single day.

Kyle saw a picture of this cake (teddy grahams, marshmallow, and mini-chocolate chips) and had to have it for his birthday.  I love making cakes for my family on their birthdays.  This one he got to help decorate.  He was so proud.

We had our friends Kevin and Heather, their little guy, John, my sisters Heidi and Jamie over for the party! (wish I'd moved that plant on the table)

Kevin and Heather visiting before their big move to Germany for 3 years!

Bryan saved up his money to buy Kyle the beanbag he had been wanting for his birthday.

Kyle enjoying his ripstick type scooter

Mark celebrate NUMBER 37!

Mark has an ongoing joke with me where he teases me for getting old, but I always get to turn it back on him because he will always be two years older than me!  I think my dear husband is amazing.  It's so fun to still realize I married my best friend.  I've known him from when I was about five years old.  When I was seven my dad would tease me because he knew I had a crush on Mark (we were in the same ward and Primary).  I thought he was so cute when we were attending the same high school.  He knew who I was and would always say hi to me (he had no idea I liked him, and it probably wouldn't have mattered - I was 2 years younger).  It wasn't until he got home from his mission in Mexico that I had the courage to call him up and invite him to an activity with the young single adults.  He said yes and the rest is history!

I love you, Mark!

Notice the pecan pie near the cake?  That is Mark's favorite.  He requested it along with what we renamed "Better Than Golf" cake.

KYLE and mother's day

Kyle's sweet kindergarten teacher helped the kids put on a special program for Mother's Day.  They all had parts to say and sang 3 wonderful songs from the Primary Children's Songbook on mothers (his teacher was LDS - so fun!).  The mother's were pampered with cute projects our kids had made for us, darling framed pictures of our kindergartner, and treats for us to share at the end.  Kyle was so excited to say his parts in the program.  He is such a ham and loves being the center of attention.

I love my Kyle!

We BOTH love Ms. Brown!

bEaNbAg WOES

We were all very excited about our new beanbag...until we had to cleanup the mess it made.  The beanbag filling comes compacted in several different bags.  It seemed simple enough...open the bags while they are sitting inside the beanbag cover, then close the bag and fluff it up.

Right.

The static charged pieces of foam floated all over the room - sticking to everything they touched.  This was how the kids decided to clean it up (note the rake).  I thought they were pretty ingenious.

  I think we were still finding foam a week later.  By the way, the beanbag is from Comfy Sacks.  They are quite a bit cheaper than Love Sacks.  This one is actually not green like it looks (that is just the inner cover).  We picked chocolate brown for the outer cover.  When fluffed to its full size it is is 8 ft. wide.

A+ kiddos

Morgan and Bryan received quite the honor in May.  They received a designation given out by our school district called the "Golden Scholar Award".  It is given to students (4th grade and up) who get all A's through the school year.  On top of that, one student from each grade (4th, 5th, and 6th) was asked to give a speech at the assembly where they received the award.  Morgan was picked from all of the 4th graders.  She was very nervous, but she did an amazing job.  I am so proud of all my kids and how hard they work in school.  They are my heroes!

Morgan being congratulated by her teacher

Bryan accepting the award from his principal

for one piece of candy...

I've heard of finding the one lost sheep, but this is taking it a little far.  Mark chose to chuck a piece of candy, hoping it would land on top of the fridge.  When it landed then slid BEHIND the fridge, this is what followed...

That's my sister, Jamie, directing him towards the candy.

After about 30 minutes he finally got it.  Good job, Mark!  Using those gastrointestinal scopes at work is paying off at home too!