JJ's last day of school

Jaylee loved her teacher and her class!  Mrs. Steiner was so so sweet and compassionate.  I loved her.  She didn't mind when I came with the other kids and always was watching out for Jaylee.  We are really going to miss Jaylee's old school!  It had small class sizes and GREAT staff!  Jaylee seemed to have a relationship with everyone there, teachers, lunch ladies even the janitor!  She is just so kind hearted and kind to others I love that about her!

 Bryn went through a stage of wanting her bangs in her face..

 Miss JJ and Hope..The have been together since preschool!

 Her good friend Ella.

I swear I did do her hair before she went to school...she just plays so hard that she usually ends up taking it out!

Grandma Hansen

 As if we don't have enough grandparent figures, we adopted another set while in Cedar Falls.  She really was kind of a mom figure to me and would help me sew and help me with tough decisions.  She also would watch the kids during the day for me to go to Jaylee's school activities. When also had lots of fun crafting together.  My kids just adored her!  Especially Jaylee!

Snake Bite

 Brecken found a snake at my mom's so her grabbed my step dad to get it.  Well my step dad thought it would be fun to try to let MJ hold it.  Yep he got bit.  Luckily it wasn't bad and he is up to date on all shots!

Even more Goodbyes

So, I had a family in particular that was really hard to say goodbye too.. My IA BFF.  Seriously when we where together Bryn would call her Mom and me Cole.  Our kids all  loved each other.  Our husbands loved each other.  I mean it didn't get much better.  We had double dates together, we watched Vampire Diaries every Thursday while  the boys played.  The boys would have date nights and then stay home for us to go out. It was great.  I will definitely miss this family.

I am not sure where Jaylee was during all the picture taking.  She spent a lot of time with her friends right before the move, so if we didn't have them at our house she was at theirs.

More Goodbyes

More good byes... Breckens teacher and daughter came and told us goodbye.. It was so sad, Brecken loved her so much. I wouldn't had made it through the year with out her.  Miss Amy was such a wonderful person.  She was phenomenal.  Words can't describe how great she was with MJ. He had a really hard time going to school. Amy told me he was so different at home then he was at school.  I am so thankful for her and all of her support with Brecken.  I am sure I will be calling her as soon as school starts for pointers!

Bryn

This is a very interesting little girl.  She can be the sweetest, most snugly little thing ever..then she will turn on you in a minute and be a beast! She almost always has a messy face and crazy hair.  When she is made she throws herself down and just screams, wherever we are! She will always corrects you if you say stupid.. she will say Mom we don't say that word.  

She follows the kids wherever they go and wants to be involved in everything they do.

She screams if you tell her no.

She want us to sing twinkle twinkle little star every night at bedtime.

I love her so much, she is so much fun and keeps me on my toes!

A few more...

My neighbor Torie took this one of MJ!  Look at those lashes come on now, I wish I had those!

  One of Brecken's favorite thing is to catch frogs, fireflies and pretty much anything gross.

Random Brecken Pictures

He loves his "cool guy" sun glasses!

 This was his last day of school... When he woke up he said mom I need to get Miss Amy flowers because I love her!  So we rummaged through my craft box and these are the ones he picked.  I thought it was funny because his shirt said Ladies Man! hahaha  couldn't be more true!

 Brecken and Allie Jo...this is Miss Amy's daughter and also MJ's "girlfriend!"

Saying Goodbye

 I am sure that my neighbor doesn't miss having to clean her window every 5 minutes!

This is difficult for me to even look at, let alone write about.  Lets start with the beginning,  a few days after moving in we were all outside because that's the only place my kids like to be, and our neighbors introduced themselves.  Chuck says well you kids can just call me papa. "ok" I thought .  Then a few days after that this cute recently graduated from high school girl shows up with a huge plate of cookies, it was their Granddaughter that lived with them. Her and I quickly became really close.  She came over and helped babysit all the time, if I needed to run an errand or whatever.  That summer she pretty much lived at our house, and me and the kids both loved it! It only took a few visits and my kids where calling Connie..Grandma Connie and calling Chuck Papa.  By the end of the 3 years we were at their house on a daily basis.  The kids got up in the morning and immediately went over in the pjs and got gum (it was just their thing) On the first days of school Connie and Chuck were there waving off JJ.  When I was 9 months pregnant and snowed in because Mark left so early that by the time I woke up there was like another5 inches...Chuck would plow me out..everyday!  It wasn't just all the acts of kindness that they gave me that made them so special, it was that they loved us and we love them so much.  Connie helped me become a better mother and learn  that "it is what it is!" say it with me "it is what it is" They will forever hold a very special place in my heart!

Now on to Torie...where do I begin.  Well she was a fun friend because she didn't have kids.  SO she could come over whenever and it was awesome.  Whether it was our afternoon hangouts jamming out to music dancing with the kids to sitting with me outside having adult conversation while watching the kids.. Or late night girl tiem while mark was gone she helped fill the void I had felt bc Mark wasn't home. I know she was only 18, but she was an old 18. We loved clothes, makeup, food, movies pretty much all the same things!  She became my sister and the day she left for college I cried!  She has such a strong bond to all of my kids it was amazing. I love her and her future husband so much they were both so supportive and loving it  was wonderful.  I will never be able to express how thankful I am that god sent them to be apart of my life because they are now a huge part of mine and my kids life.  Oh I am so thankful for facetime!  We miss you Torie!!!!

Random Happenings before the move

We tried to spend as much time with friends as possible before leaving, mainly my friends not the kids! hahaha.

Bryn will wear a headband everywhere even if I do her hair!  She also loves to dress up!

 Me and my BF(Iowa), we were seriously separated at birth.  We both went through some really interesting trials while we were friends and she was my support and I was able to be hers.  I love this girl to death.

 This is another person who really made me feel comfortable right from the get go.  I loved where we lived.  I loved it so much it made me forget how sucky Marks residency was!  This was at our farewell...somehow these are the only two pick I got?  It was so nice everyone wrote on a piece of paper a favorite memory they had with us and it was so touching.

 One of the world best babysitters!  I love her to death too!  She helped me every Sunday.  Every Sunday she took and picked JJ up from class!  She would also help me to my car, oh I was so so spoiled!

Another helpful hand...one of Marks YM, he would help me with Brecken every Sunday! He would also help out with yard work really whatever we needed!

 Our house was kind of the hangout house...  Most days we had something going on, usually involving water.

We decided that the slippery slide wasn't slippery enough, this is another one of the best babysitters ever...Again can you see why I loved it in Iowa so much!  Great friends, tons of helping hands, the best neighbors!  I mean the house sucked and so did residency but everyone who was in my life was such a huge blessing to me!

Well I obviously never caught up from September!  Oh well, we will pick back up from some things that happened in the beginning of June.