In Other News Monday, May 28, 2007

In other news, Justin has finished his first year of official school! Yay! He'll have a few camps this summer - cub scout, business (hopefully!), possibly a lego robotics, vacation bible school, and art classes - besides reading his 20 minutes a day. He's started on Magic Tree House books and is devouring them. Fortunately Barnes & Nobles Reading Program is based on Magic Tree House books this year!

Festival of the Ages

Each year Justin's school puts on this AMAZING event called Festival of the Ages where each grade sets up booths and tables from the time period in history that they've studied over the year. Justin's class studied medieval times and he was Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood). Thanks to Oma he had an absolutely fabulous costume that with a little tweaking and the addition of a bow, arrows, and a quiver for the arrows was as authentic as it could be. His little friend, Luke, was Nicholas Copernicus, astronomer, and looked fabulous as well. The two of them hung out together all morning and had so much fun! They waited in line forty-five minutes to joust with foam swords and went all out once it was their turn. What a great end of the year treat and last day of school day!

Pretending to sleep.

My last minute medieval outfit look and one of the teachers (not Justin's) and the lunch monitor. I worked on many, many lunches with her at the beginning of the year when Justin started going full time and Brandon and I agreed to be curriculum coordinators for our Sunday School - so pretty much right up until I overcommitted myself in way too many areas. Oops. Next year my schedule is FREE for when Shawn goes to kinnygarten and for when Mommy wants to go hang out with him at lunchtime. Bethany won't be teaching next year : ( as she is going to UT full time. She is such a sweetheart I am going to miss her!

At the closing ceremony.

Above and below - at home the morning of the big day!

Picking Peaches

Thursday I found out there was a place to pick peaches here in Austin and only for the next two days. Saturday we went to pick peaches. The peaches were full of moisture from the fresh rain we just had and the place was muddy as can be. The peach orchard and neighboring wildflower field was absolutely gorgeous and we had a blast.

The picture above of Brandon and Justin and the cactus flowers below was taken at lunch beforehand at our favorite place that's similar to In-N-Out - P. Terry's.

I look like Eve about to take a bite of app - er, peach.

Trying to cool off on the way home.
Goofy Shawn after Mom took one too many pictures of him
cooling off with the window breeze.

End of School Year Party

Friday night we had Justin's end of the school year party at one of his classmates grandparent's house on the lake. We had a BBQ (although they say 'grilled out' here in Texas), played in the water, canoed, and talked. It was absolutely gorgeous.

Captain Justin. I can't believe what a man he has become, the big eight year old!!

Shawn running around like a crazy cutie like he is.

Not from the party, from the night before and too precious that I had to include it.
Shawn's hand and mine.

The girl section - that's Justin's Language Arts teacher on the right in purple. She is such a sweetheart and her son who is in Justin's class and Justin have hit it off which is GREAT because they live just down the road.

At the Carnival Sunday, May 20, 2007

This was on my parent's thirty-eighth anniversary.
I hope we're this happy at 40 years. I hope we're this happy now!

Mmmm cotton candy!

Oooooh my carnival sword! (seriously since Oma bought the boys one at the Santa Cruz County Fair that's almost all they talk about when we mention a fair)

Tired mommy. It was something like 95 degrees that day. Whew.

This reminds me of days at the Boardwalk when my Dad would win my sister and I the big giant stuffed animals - only now it's my son. Good memories, good memories.
I love the colors in this too!

The looks on their faces on the way back down were priceless.
It was somewhere between shocked and exhilirated.

This picture was after the carnival at Chili's -
the waitstaff sang happy birthday to Luke and Justin.
The anniversary kiss - well, one of them!!