Oxbow Camping Trip

We just got home from a 2-night camping trip at Oxbow Park in Newaygo. We went with my sister Maria, her husband Matt, and Jaden. We had a great time! The first day was super chilly, but Saturday we got lots of sun and had a blast! The kids loved the beach, playing in the sand, and they even went swimming! It was FREEZING, but they didn't notice I guess! It was a really fun weekend, and we are so happy that camping season has begun!

The Basement is almost done!

(This is the bar area)

I know I haven't done very well keeping you updated on our basement! But now it is ALMOST done! The carpet is in (except the bedroom)! The next step is to do the bar area. Bryan is going to build the cabinets himself, and we already have the blue countertop! He also still has to add the stair rail at the bottom of the stairs. We are going to put in more of those swively rungs there! I think the basement turned out AWESOME! We were a little unsure how the colors would look (they are so dramamtic!), but we both love it. Now we just need a little more furniture, pictures for the wall, and we still have to put the air hockey table back too! Hopefully soon we will announce when the big party is!

Relay 2008

This past weekend I was involved in the Relay for Life in Rockford. My friend Dana and I (abd Dana's friend Tara) joined our kids' elementary teams and we went out Friday night to walk the track! It was a lot of fun, and we are proud to have been involved with such a great cause. Saturday morning I brought the kids back for trick-or-treating, games, and hot dogs! It was a bit too sunny, but here are their pictures anyways!

Dance Class Photo Shoot

I brought my camera to dance last night and we took a few fun pictures! Next week is "Production Week," and then our recital is on May 31. I teach a tap class to 10 year-olds, a tap/combo class to 4 year olds, and I am also the choreographer for the teacher tap dance. I have so much fun! Dance is something I have loved since I was little. Rylee claims she doesn't want to take dance next year (which breaks my heart!), but she does love gymnastics and wants to stick with that. Keep an eye out for recital pics in a few weeks!!!

Cute Pic

My friend Clara and her son Brendan came over on Monday to play! Tyson and Brendan are just a few days apart, so it's always fun to see them play together. It's so neat that my good friend from high school now has a son the same age as my son! She also has #2 on the way in July! When the kids all got on the giant fire truck, we had to snap a picture of it! Tyson is in front, then Brendan, then Kaylee (one of my daycare kids), and Aaron is in the background. They are so cute!

Tyson and Miss Nikki

Every Wednesday afternoon, Tyson spends an hour with his teacher, Miss Nikki. She brings a big basket of toys, games and activities. Tyson gets so excited when I tell him Miss Nikki is coming over to play. When she pulls in the driveway he immediately runs to the door to greet her, then runs to the living room and plops down in his spot ready to work! He usually does really well with her. She makes him say all kinds of sounds and words, and then he gets rewarded with a toy or a piece to what ever game they are playing. His new word is "bus." He has been saying "buh" for months now, but now he says it clear as day, and he really stresses the "s" sound at the end. It sounds so cute! He can make many sounds now, but he still has a tough time implementing those sounds into words. But I definitely see improvement! :)

Preschool Graduates

Yesterday was the last day of Preschool for Travis, Aaron, Kaylee, and Aiden. They had so much fun this year and really enjoyed their great teachers and new friends. My friend Dana made the boys t-shirts for a special thank you and goodbye to Mrs. C and Mrs. Y! They officially graduated from preschool (they have a diploma to prove it) and off to Kindergarten they go!

Like Father, Like Son

The other night Tyson was cracking me up. Bryan always sits in his chair in the evenings and drinks an occasional beer. Tyson asked Bryan to pull up the kid-sized recliner right next to his chair. Then Tyson gets his sippy cup of milk and reclines the chair back. Every time Bryan took a sip of beer, Tyson took a sip from his cup! He adores his daddy so much, it is just so adorable. On Sunday we spent the day working outside. Bryan has a big pile of wood that he is still cutting up into smaller logs. Tyson spent about an hour with his toy chainsaw pretending to cut up the wood... just like Daddy does. He sure does look up to his Daddy, and he is so lucky to have such a great Dad to idolize! Wherever Bryan is, you will surely see Tyson tagging behind!