May Pictures

~Making a wish~Mama and Fella in blue~Snugglebug~

~Snuggle brothers~Art brothers~Summer livin'~

~Cuddles driving~Bike riding~Hear wearing~

~Baby snuggling~Rope climbing~

~Ball throwing~Homework working~

Boys Day at the K!

Our good friends, the Holthaus', had some extra Royals tickets and offered them up to Levi and the boys! Of course, they couldn't say no! So Jeremy, Jalen, Rex, and my three fellas headed out for a night at the K!! And oh, how handsome they looked!! 4 rambunctious boys and 2 dads- who knows what could happen! But they sat in their seats for the whole game, other than trips to the bathroom and concessions. They even stayed til the end and didn't get home til 11:00!!! 

It was definitely a memory for the books!!

Broeckelman Family Picture

After Layton's birthday party, we gathered together for a family picture! Its a rarity to have everyone there for a gathering, so we took advantage! It had been 3 years since our last group family picture and all the kids look way different now! Luckily Bre's parents were there to snap a few for us, and believe it or not, we got a pretty darn good one!!! 

Very thankful for this wonderful Broeckelman family!

Grandkids: Grant (8), Wyatt (6), Haylie (6), Layton (2), Piper (5), Collins (3)

Mower Driving

Back when Grant was little, his favorite thing to do on Grandma and Grandpa's farm was go for mower rides. Then he moved on to tractor rides. Then it was on to go-cart rides. But this time, it was all about the mower driving!! We've let the boys practice driving our mower around the backyard (with the blade off) to get the feel for a zero-turn mower. Someday they will inherit the mowing chore, so why wait to train them :-)  

The go-cart was buried back in the building, so the next best thing were the mowers! And Grandma and Grandpa have some big mowers!!

I got more videos than I did pictures because they were just too funny, driving in circles around the farm!! 

Candace Gets Married!

 My dear friend, Candace, whom I've known since we were 7, got married!! She is undoubtedly the sweetest person I have ever met and to know she has found a match so perfect just fills my heart with so much joy!! Celebrating her was a beautiful occasion! And always a fun time celebrating with this amazing group of friends! Love you Candace!

And a picture of us, just because we NEVER look this good!

Grant's Last Day of 1st Grade

I'm not sure how this is possible, but 1st grade is OVER!!! I mean, didn't it just start last month? Crazy!! This kid has grown soon much this past year- not just in height either!! He has far surpassed any expectation I had for him this year!! He's a rock-star reader, mathematician, science whiz, and history buff! He was a great friend, responsible student, and just an all around good guy!! (Hopefully I'm not just biased when I think all that!) But truly, he had a remarkable year, with a fantastic teacher, and an awesome class! Couldn't have asked for a better time!!!

Comparison pictures, because I just love them! His face literally changed before my very eyes!!

The obligatory Last Day of School photo in front of the Morse Elementary sign!!

 Who doesn't have lunch at Orange Leaf on their las day of school? It was totally warranted!

 And again for comparison sakes, 1st Day of School vs Last Day of School for these sweet friends!!

Yes, Grant chose his outfit on purpose! :-)

And now, its on to SUMMER VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wyatt's Last Day of PreK

Wyatt's an old pro when it comes to preschool- three years strong!!! But how lucky we've been for him to learn and grown in such wonderful, encouraging environments! But it is definitely time for this kid to move on to Kindergarten, although if he had his way, he's move on to 2nd grade with Grant (and I'm pretty sure he'd hold his own!)

His last day of school consisted of a little program, followed by an Ice Cream Social. I will surely miss their sweet little songs that come along with preschool! He is always so "in the zone" when he's up there singing his songs! Sweet boy!! It was a great time celebrating such a momentous milestone!

Not a doubt in my mind that Wyatt will do amazing things in his life! He is smart, responsible, kind, and a great leader!! I pray that as he moves on to big school, he will walk confidently and proud of the boy God made him to be! We sure are proud of him!!

Cuddles

Cuddles is still such a big part of our family! He goes in the car with us often, watches TV with us most evenings, and definitely is present for most games and playtime! Grant often tasks one of us with babysitting Cuddles while he goes to school, or to practice or something. He's such a good bear daddy!!

Newsie Hats

My nephews had gone to see Newsies the musical and Mason brought home a "newsie hat." Grant thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread and he knew he just needed to have one! On our special time celebrating his birthday, I told him that he could use sof his shopping money to buy one, but apparently he didn't want one that badly because he didn't want to do that. But that didn't stop him from modeling one for me!

So when he went on his special time with Mimi, he came home with one. And I think it stayed glued to his head for quite some time!

And then Wyatt got one and it was no stopping them! Grant wore it to school everyday for a good month. Now that its warmer, he doesn't wear it as often, but he definitely points out other people who can appreciate a good Newsis hat!

Snuggling Thumb Sucker

Wyatt is 6 years old and loves to snuggle just as much now as he did when he was a newborn! He still fits so perfectly on the shoulder, or lap, or in my arms. His snuggles are just so precious, because he usually whispers sweet things like, "I just love you so much" or "You're the best mommy." I just can't get enough of this sweet little guy!

Grant's School Supply Obsession

Sometime around Spring Break, Grant's love of school supplies went to the extreme. Every MWF at school, the 5th graders host a school shop called the Marksmen Market, where they sell pencils, pens, folders, etc. Of course, they aren't just plain on pens and pencils. They are gel pens, or shape erasers, or mechanical pencils. You know, things that just sing to Grant's heart. So every MWF he was trying to scrap his money together to buy little treasures. His little buddies would do it too, and then after school they started trading school supplies or little trinkets. It because this thing they'd do EVERYDAY. One Sunday, while prepping for the week, I was trying to put a snack into Grant's backpack pocket and it was literally bulging at the seams. I thought, "What in the world does he have in here?" Well, this is what he had in there..

In one pocket!!! From them on, I honestly never knew what I'd find in his backpack. 

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He likes to "organize" his school supplies in his backpack or special box quite often! Even with just 4 days left of school, he took 2 quarters to school to buy a special eraser at the market. He's so silly!! 

Last Thrill Before Will

#lastthrillbeforeWill was the hashtag for the weekend! The weekend before my dear friend Candace Hays became Candace Lavery! For her bachelorette party, we took the Amtrak to Hermann, MO for a weekend of wine and good times!! It was a wonderful weekend spent with my dear friends, reminiscing about the all our good times we've had together and celebrating our sweet friend!! It was a beautiful day, going from winery to winery, and giggling and dancing around like the college days!!!

It was such a wonderful weekend!! I can't wait to plan another trip back there soon!!!