Avery Graduates 5th Grade

A few things to remember about this day,

Avery wouldn't do the boomerang.

And she introduced this song to everyone and if we had gotten there on time we would have seen it.

So we both missed out a little today.  

(But us way more)

(Sorry.  Clearly I dont know how to do this the right way *eye roll)

It goes without saying how much I cried.

I couldn't sit still because I just couldn't stop crying.  Thinking about the tiny baby that made me a mom and the way she has grown into such an amazing person.  And crying watching these kids sing and do just such an incredible job.  Then the teachers came up and talked about each kid and gave them all awards and I cried watching the joy and pride that they had for each kid.  And I cried just thinking about the millions of hours that they spent on these kids that will never be truly known.  The teachers at our school are rock stars.  I say it all the time, but its true. Angels from heaven that came to this school to love on our kids and look past all the lack of resources and the extra set of needs that our community has.  They don't even see that.  They spend so many extra hours and money and energy that its impossible to thank them enough for helping shape my kids.  

Avery got the shining star of the year from her teacher and it was just the coolest thing.  I pray so much that she is a light.  There have been tough times where she has not wanted to go back to school for various reasons, but she has always pushed through and ended up being so glad she did.  And honestly I don't know what its like in a title one school as a student.  I don't know what they dynamic is with half of the classes being Spanish speaking and the other half English speaking.  And we dont speak Spanish.  I wish we did and we are all trying to learn, but haven't yet.  Or where most of the kids get their Christmas from being on angel trees all over the rest of McKinney and hoping they get picked.  Or watching your friends go without lunch.  I can imagine it is hard for everyone sometimes.  

I love you, Munch and I am so thankful for you.  I am so excited for you and all you will do next year in middle school and all you have done in elementary.  You have led the whole news crew team and put on the news with just yourself when everyone was out.  You love others like Jesus does and you know who He is.  You have been chosen by your teacher for such an honor and you have lasting, kind friendships.  You know who you are and your confidence is something that is just so joyful to watch.  You are a light.  The very definition of it and I cant wait to see where all you shine with it next year.

Twin Olympics 2017

Memorial Day 2017

 Memorial Day at Jan and Bobs was such a blast this year.

The Masters just bought a lake house near by and we got to see them off and on the whole time. They brought sparklers over one night and we cooked out and fried everything in sight.  It was so delicious.

The first night we went to the Marina and did karaoke. 

Do you even need to know about anything else we did? I mean clearly that was the best way to start any weekend ever.

Jeff and Bryan for the party started.  Really Bryan.  And then Jeff.  And then Bob sang when Im 64 to Jan and it was ridiculously sweet. J

And shea.  She and aves are perfomersssssss. They loved it.  Shea wanted to sing Let it Go (duh) and they didnt have it (WHAT?!) So Jeff put his phone up to a mic and played it and Shea sang into another mic and it was uh maze.  People died of cuteness I am pretty sure.

Then Aves and Mary did a few stellar hits and all the girls got up a few times.

It was like rock and roll ville in the nicest lake you have ever been to with the most beautiful houses and least redneck marina karaoke ever.

Jeff has a video of some of it and I will post it as soon as I get it.

Shea loved tubbing also.  Another calculated risk. She watched Ben and Sass and Aves love it so much so she wanted to try it.  As soon as she did she wanted to go faster and over more waves AND hold her arms up in the air.  Like she just didnt care.

Sawyers friend Jenna came with us and they were crazy on the tube! They wanted to be in the air at all times and they were hilarious.

This is a normal phone case for an adult 35 year old.

Dont judge me.  OR do.  Its fine.  Allllllll the tweens I am around love it and give me tons of compliments.  its so cool.

Thank you SO MUCH Jan and Bob for everything!!!

Field Day and End of School 2017

 Shea was so excited about Field day that she let me braid her hair and she wore the Elsa dress that Lindsay gave her that used to be Kinleys.  Pretty much her fanciest clothes for the least fancy event.  But she didnt even think twice about it.
Avery hurt her knee so she had to sit out during her part of field day, but she got to help with the little kids in the morning so she was at least glad about that. Though she may have just gone home because she was introverting.  It is sometimes hard to tell...she was better by the end of the day and no signs of pain in her knee. (Quick forehead wipe)

Shea clung to me a little at the beginning and was nervous, but decided she would try and get in line with Sass. Sass kept trying to push her and make her stronger by pretending to be in line with her and at the last minute bailing and making her climb up and go down by herself!  Sabotage. But Shea never lost it or really cared that much.

She is a calculated risk taker.  She only takes a risk once she has assessed the situation and feels like it will be both safe and fun enough to try.

And sure enough, THIS WAS.

 She kept going over and over all by herself.  She loved being with the kids at school and just never wanted to leave.

The next station they went to was an even bigger water slide.  She wanted to try it with ben and it was amazing! It was so tall, but she wasnt the least bit afraid! She loved it!

Then she wanted to stay with Ben's class and keep rotation with them and they were so sweet to her.  It was heart melting. They let her help with all their water events and she was in heaven.  I am so thankful that everyone is so great and laid back up there. I am sure in some other school this wouldn't fly, but here, she was like the queen.  (The Ice Queen).

 

(Avery had the same teacher as Ben so she hopped in the pic)

Then the kids had their end of year awards where they received awards from their teachers and it was so sweet.  It makes me cry every time! (And reaffirms my need to learn spanish.  I love listening to the ESL teachers give awards and just hate that I cant understand them. How can I learn an entire language in like 24 hours?) I am just so dang thankful for these teachers and for their friends.  I am so proud of my kids for how hard they have worked and I just love for our school.

Avery was chosen to be a Burks Ambassador this year, which is like Student Council and she had so much fun.  She loved having different responsibilities and getting to be in charge of things.  (Like doing the welcome at graduation.  That we missed because we can never get to something when it starts.  We told her she had to start doing things that weren't at the beginning.  Her teachers know us.  They understand).  She did a great job and I am so proud of her and all the ways she stepped out and led at school.

But her graduation was on Thursday and that is a whole other post.  She is going to middle school and I cried through the whole ceremony cementing that in her life.  It was AMAZING. More later.

Hilltop Camps 2017

 Easily one of my favorite weekends of the year!

We went to the Petroleum Club in Tyler and stayed at a cabin there and it was perfect.

 Kind of cold, but we paddle boarded anyway and went to the Grove and told stories around the fire and played with the dogs.

 I cant wait to do it again this summer!