First Days of School

Ahh, the end of summer... Sorry to see it go, but happy to see the beginning of school! The kids are getting restless and need some structure again!!!

Dillon was first off, starting on Aug. 24th. He's attending Trinity Lutheran School, in the Alternative Kindergarten program. It's essentially kindergarten for young 5's - kids with summer birthdays who for whatever reason are being held back. It's every day, but mornings only. (Their kindergarten program is all day, every day) We've decided to hold Dillon back and not start true kindergarten until next year, partially because of social reasons (he is still one crazy little boy!), but mostly because he's just so small for his age - always the smallest in the class. He is still the smallest in his Alt-K class, but at least when he starts K, he will at least have his age going for him! And, he should be more mature, we're hoping that will give him a better start to his school career... Anyway, long story short, he was very excited to start!



First job of the morning - hang up your backpack in your locker!

Next, sign in...
Finally, give brother a hug and wish him a good day!
Three weeks later, Owen finally got to start his preschool. He has been waiting a very long time for this day! He's been trying to be a big boy for so long now!


Their first day and first several weeks have been a success - they seem to be enjoying school and are making new friends every day. It's so wonderful to see them growing and learning so quickly - just a pure joy. Love these little guys!!

Hot Air Balloon Ride

In early August, I entered our names in a contest on the URE website, and as luck would have it, we won a free ride in a hot air balloon during the All-Ohio Balloon Fest here in Marysville. There were 35 balloons that showed up this year, and the weather cooperated on Friday, so we were able to get up in the air for about a 20-min. ride! Here are a lot of pics from our fun, memorable evening!


After the landings, the balloons were packed back up and taken back to the airport for the next part of the show - the "balloon glow". All the balloons are lined up, inflated, and as the sun is setting, they take turns lighting up - pretty neat to see!

Day at the Lake

Saturday was a long but very fun day at Seneca Lake with our good friends. After looking through a few potential vacation properties, we rented a pontoon boat and headed out on the lake. The weather was a perfect 83, low humidity and sunny, really doesn't get much better than that! The kids had a blast driving the boat and three of the four boys tubed a few times. Including Owen - we were shocked (kind of) that he wanted to do it all by himself, but he did! I was nervous, I think more nervous than he was, but he did great! Hopefully we'll find a place soon and can make many many more memories like this one in the years to come!!!

Summertime!

Yes, it was over 90 degrees this afternoon, but that doesn't stop preschoolers from having a blast at a park! (I just wanted to post this pic because it was so funny to see Dillon's hair standing on end!)

Happy Birthday, Dillon!

July 9 - time for Dillon's birthday! 5 years old today - so hard to believe... We celebrated with a bowling party, since bowling is one of his favorite things to do lately. (Yes, that is his very own bowling ball he got for his gift this year..) The kids were great, and had a fabulous time, I'm glad we did it. Here are some pics:

Happy Fourth of July!!!

After seeing fireworks at our friends' house in West Chester on July 2, and in Mason on July 3, we returned home to Marysville to have another party.. This one for my birthday - 33 today, yikes! I remember when my best friend from middle school's mom turned 33, and how we thought that was so old! Our family came out for a cookout, and some stayed long enough to go to Marysville's fireworks with us - we just couldn't get enough! The boys probably enjoyed playing with sparklers more than the fireworks show itself! Thanks to our friends for sharing their sparklers with them!

Mason Red Rhythm and Boom

Mason, Ohio hosts a huge event every year for the 4th of July, and our friends happen to live right next to the park that has all the activities. We use it as a great excuse for a short mini-vacation that allows us to stay in a hotel without going too far, and visit with great friends at the same time.