Mckenna Graduates!

Thursday night was Mckenna's preschool graduation...excuse me, Pre-K graduation. She is quick to correct me. She will probably hold the record amongst our girls...3 preschools in 3 states and two coasts!
Each class performed a song in the program. Afterwards they were dismissed and put on their cap and gown and walked down the aisle as their name was announced. It was really cute and of course it made me flash ahead thirteen years to her real graduation.
Walking down the aisle with her class.
The Pre-K graduating class of 2009.
Mckenna and her buddy Carolyn.
A decent family picture...except Morgan looks like a deer caught in headlights. At least she is awake!

I organized a collection from the parents and we pooled our money to get their teacher a bunch of different gift cards. I think she was very pleased to get some time at the spa, dinner out, and several visits to Starbucks versus several cheap gifts from each child.

Our graduate...hope her next graduation is this easy!

Look out full day Kindergarten...here comes Mckenna!

Memorial Day

Holidays like today are so meaningful to me as a military spouse. We didn't get to spend this weekend with Brad as he was volunteering as a mentor at TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Grief Camp. It's an annual camp designed for families who have lost a military loved one. Brad had a tiring weekend as he was assigned to a twelve year old who's father had committed suicide after returning from the war. As much as we missed having him around this weekend, the fact that he would volunteer to do something like this when he could have had a relaxing weekend is one of the things I love about him.

We headed to church without Daddy after a morning photo shoot. Our church had asked anyone in the military to wear their uniform to church. At church they played all the different services' songs and had the various branches come forward as their song was played. I would say approximately 25% of the participants were in uniform. Once everyone had come forward onto the stage I would say there were at least 125 people. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering the location we live in and its proximity to DC. It was a very emotional service and made me proud to be in the Air Force.

My patriotic girls...

Thank you to my hubby for his service and sacrifice for our family and our country. We're proud of you.

My Gardening Team

My girls took to planting flowers this year...they did a great job! Initially I was micromanaging and then I decided to let them go for it and I started some other projects. I hope and pray these flowers grow well considering how excited (and impatient) they are to see them grow. Ironically...we planted impatiens.

Brooke was happy to help since she had a Dora shovel.
My pretty lead gardener.

Baileigh was very focused and serious about her assignment.

Teamwork...Baileigh took over the beds and Mckenna and Brooke worked on my pots.

2 Months Old

I keep pondering whether the past two months have flown by or whether it seems like two years since Morgan was born. The answer is "YES"! When I think of everything that has happened since she arrived and the amount of family we've had visit then it definitely seems awhile ago. When I think about how naturally she fits in our family and how "normal" it feels to go to a restaurant and ask for a table for 6 with a sling for an infant carrier.

Perhaps this quick transition to normal has been due to what an easy baby Morgan has been. Apparently she got the memo that she is the fourth and final and this means, according to personality trait studies, that she should be easy going and laid back...and spoiled. I foresee all of those in her future.
She is giving us a few smiles here and there to the delight of her sisters. They are very proud of themselves when they can get her to smile and it often becomes a competition.
Snoozing...
I just love her little lips.

At two months she is getting up once a night usually around 4:30am for a bottle which I can't really complain about. As far as a schedule...she is the 4th child with three busy sisters...what schedule? She goes when we have to go and she sleeps when she can...perhaps the reason for the easy going temperament of last borns. I think they quickly realize the world isn't revolving around them and that they are along for the ride. I wonder daily what I used to do when I was home with Baileigh?! Seriously...all that time I had in comparison! I guess I was figuring out the "Mom" thing...I love all my girls but it would be nice every once in awhile to have those days!

The Nursery

I was taking a few pictures of Morgan today and decided to share some pictures of her room. I'm proud of this room because I made a lot of things in it...with the help of my hubby and my mom. I've used the same Pottery Barn bumper and quilt for my first three girls, and while I like it and it holds a sentimental place in my heart I was ready for a change but didn't want to spend a lot of money.

We painted the room "pine nut" when we first moved in...okay, okay, it looks yellow. But in some lights its a little more creamy, thus the "pine nut " name. We took out the brown wood fan and put up a new white fan. I already had this rug from one of the girl's previous rooms. I bought some fabric I liked and used it to decoupage letters for Morgan's name, create a cornice board for her window, and made a bed skirt for the crib with my mom during her visit.

I bought a second complimentary pink fabric and used it to cover a lamp shade I already had as well as a recycled night light and memo board that was a shower gift for Baileigh in 2001!
Her name took longer then I expected to decoupage but it was relatively fun and pretty easy and inexpensive.-

I bought an inexpensive soft pink bumper since I wasn't using my old bedding...considering the only other thing I really bought was some fabric I figured I could splurge!

She may wear a lot of hand me downs in her lifetime but at least I can tell her she had an original room!

Chalk

A Little Encouragement

I know Mother's Day is over...but here is a little clip and a song for some encouragement to all my mom friends...

My Mother's Day

My family made it a wonderful Mother's Day thanks to my wonderful family. My morning started with breakfast in bed accompanied by presents and homemade cards! Then we headed off to church and chose this morning to finally join our church and become members which meant going up front as a family towards the end of the service. After church we had a nice lunch out and then returned home for some rest time. After a little downtime Brad took the girls on their first fishing excursion! Earlier in the week Brad bought them their first fishing poles and it is all they have been talking about since then. Initially Brad didn't think fishing on Mother's Day was a good idea, until I told him he had my complete support to leave the house for two hours with three out of four of our kids! That is a gift in and of itself.

I was supposed to use my "alone" time to relax but it was such a beautiful day and I'm so desperate to loose some baby weight that I decided to use my time by taking Morgan in the jog stroller on a walk. We went to the lake in our neighborhood where Brad was fishing with the girls and I brought my new camera to capture the moment.
The night before Brad was prepping the tackle box the girls picked out at the store. His quote was, "Never in my life did I imagine stocking a pink Barbie tackle box!"

Mckenna has a very cool fishing rod that is more like a gun...you pump it and it shoots out the line instead of traditional casting. While I was there tacking pictures there were 3 boys that came by on their scooters and stopped to watch. They immediately started talking about her rod and the fact that they had seen it on TV and how cool it was...she was pretty proud. And she caught two fish!

Such a good Daddy...not just on Mother's Day.

I was there taking pictures when Baileigh caught her first fish. She ended up catching two more in about five minutes. Thankfully it's catch and release!

This lake has tons of fish which makes for a great first time experience. Each girl caught at least one fish in their less then two hours of fishing.

Brooke selected a pink barbie rod at the store. She even caught a fish (with Daddy's help). As expected, she was the first to loose interest...the fact she missed her nap didn't help.

After dinner they went and picked up dinner so I didn't have to cook. We finished out the night by making smoothies with my new Mother's Day blender that I had asked for (mine died). It was a relaxing and fun day. I'm very blessed to be a mommy of these four girls. I had to take at least one picture of Morgan who chilled in the jog stroller and watched the fishing show.

Out to the Ballpark

On Tuesday Brad's office went to the National's game. I stayed home with Morgan and he took the Metro into the city with the three girls. Let me just give my hubby kudos for the fact that he has no reservations about going out with his girls. He is a great Daddy...I've learned that we do it different...but he does it just as well!

Being silly on the metro... Watching the players warm up...each girl received a free t-shirt. They are huge so they'll make perfect summer nightgowns.

Apparently their seats were on the front row of the upper deck. Brad said I would have been so glad I wasn't there because it was a huge drop to the next level and that I would have been a nervous wreck watching the kids lean against the thin plastic strip that was between the railings. He is right! But they had fun...and more fun without me there since I would have spent the entire time yelling at them to get away from the edge!

Playing with my camera

One of her first official smiles...caught on camera thanks to a faster shutter.