Last day

 Jack had his last day of preschool. He was so excited and could not believe that he didn't have to go back to school for 90 days! He also insisted on wearing his new jacket even though it was way too hot for it. I made him promise that he wouldn't wear it out to recess. I am a little sad about him finishing preschool. That means he is going into kindergarten!! He will start when we get to Japan and they have all day kindergarten there. I think I will be sad for him to be gone all day. What will Anderson do all day? He is going to be so bored without him, which means, he will be hanging on my feet wanting me to entertain him. Jack is definitely his entertainment. Even though they fight some times, they are fairly good at playing together. So this could be interesting. I get nervous sending him off to school. I want to be there to tell him that whatever the other kids are doing, isn't always what he should be doing. I want to make sure he isn't playing with the naughty kids and picking up all sorts of bad habits and potty talk. Basically, I want to shelter him. Keep him from learning all the bad that is out there. It scares me. Hopefully we can do enough at home that he will be able to stand on his own two feet and walk away from people or things that don't quite fit our standards.

 I'm not ready for that cute little face to grow up.

Cinco de Mayo

We went to a fiesta for Cinco de Mayo at the Adam's house. Krista had the cutest decorations and the best food. The kids played pin the tail on the donkey, and Anderson apparently ran off with the blind fold.

 There was a photo booth that provided some great entertainment.

 These two were definitely up on the favorites list!! I think he looks pretty authentic.

This one was my favorite from the night. I had to beg and bribe Jack to put that mustache on. I think this picture is hilarious!! I love it.

Hola!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day might be my new favorite holiday. I woke up and had a yummy breakfast that Justin made. We had cinnamon rolls, fruit and orange juice. My plate was surrounded by cards, flowers, and little homemade gifts. I think Justin gets more and more thoughtful with each holiday we are married. Then we went to church, and I led the primary kids in singing "Mother I Love You". They all sang so loud and were so excited to be up there. All except Jack. He said to me after the kids came down, "I didn't sing because I didn't want to be up there." Maybe next year. We came home and Justin also made a delicious dinner. He might be in trouble now that I know his cooking skills have moved beyond scrambled eggs and toast!

I feel extra gratitude this year to be a mom. These kids can make me a little crazy at times, but Justin and I have both been saying how much we have been enjoy them lately. I love seeing their individual personalities. I love seeing them grow and learn new things. I love their curiosity. I love being their mom. I love that when they are scared or hurt, they run to me to make things better. I love their cute faces. I love that Jack looks like Justin and the Heaton's and I love that Anderson looks more like me and the Brownell's. Being their mom has definitely been the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. I'm so grateful for these little people. They really are a miracle. I'm so happy that they have each other and that Justin and I have them. I don't even want to imagine my life without them. I feel like moving around has made us grow closer together as a family, and I'm sure moving across the globe will be no different. We really are each other's best friends.

 Justin helped the boys make these. He said they were not happy when he started painting their hands. Our kids were never known to enjoy being dirty.
I LOVE the poem that he put on here. I'm not sure who it's by, but I thought it was perfect for today. I already feel like they are growing up way too fast. Sometimes I wish I could just make them freeze exactly how they are now.

Jack has been extra excited about Mother's Day this year. He picked these "flowers" for me in our back yard. :) He was sad though that there is a Mother's Day and a Father's Day, but no Kid's Day. He kept saying, "But when is Kid's Day?" He felt a little ripped off!

I love these boys. I can't say it enough. I really just want to cry when I think about how blessed I am to have them. I hope they feel the same about me as their Mom. I know my own mom is one of the greatest people I know. It's amazing the influence that mothers have. I have a great respect for my mom. Especially now that I have two kids of my own. How did she do it with five?? She was amazing, and still is! Hopefully I have some of her greatness running through my veins.

this and that

 We have been quite busy around these parts. The reality of moving to Japan has started to sink in and the "to do" list that comes with it keeps getting longer and longer. There are so many things that need to happen before we can even get our official orders which will enable us to start booking flights and the movers and such. It is overwhelming at times. But even in the midst of the chaos, everyday life must go on, and we are trying to make the best of it.

Anderson has grown so much since we have been here. He is turning into a big boy. This crazy summer will fly by and before I know it, he will be three. Three! He's already planned his birthday party. "A Buzz party in Japan". Buzz Lightyear that is. We'll see if it stays the same up until his birthday. I asked him the other day who is favorite friend is. He thought about it for a minute and said, "Umm...my name's...Gack. That's my favorite friend, Gack." I  love that he calls Jack, Gack. He still says "my name's" for what his favorite anything is. I try not to correct him, hoping that he will stay little for as long as possible. I'm in love with his cute little voice. Of course it's not so cute when he yells at me, but I'll take what I can get.

 We went on a date.

This might not be blog worthy to some, but this is a rare event for us, and I was so happy to have a night with Justin. We went to a nice restaurant and to the movies. I love being able to have adult conversations that we can actually start and end without being interrupted twenty times. I am hoping and praying to find the perfect 15 yr old girl that falls in love with my boys and wants to babysit for me every Saturday night. Maybe I will find her in Japan. 98% of the kids I know here are ages 10 and under. Which is why our dates are so rare!!

 Jack is still doing t-ball. He's on the Rangers team and looks extra cute in his baseball pants and oversized t-shirt. Anderson wants desperately to be out there playing with Jack. I always feel bad telling him that he can't.

Could that helmet be any bigger?

 "But I want to be out there!!!"

 I'm still making homemade bread. I stopped buying bread from the store in November and I'm not sure we will ever go back. I hate that the stuff you buy at the store has 30 ingredients that I can't pronounce and it really doesn't taste that great. I'm hoping that I can keep this up forever.

 We went to our annual ward "Fish Fry". They fried catfish. I was a little nervous to try it, but it was actually really yummy. Minus the fact that it had a bath in a pot of oil and probably clogged a few of my arteries. We tried not to think about that part. Don't you love the guy cooking it?

 Jack tried out his hoola hoop skills.

We spent Sunday afternoon in our driveway drawing chalk and playing with squirt bottles. Anderson found some ants to watch. 

 Jack and I drew a flower garden.

 The boys washed their scooters with the spray bottles. Anderson did this forever. He would drive it around in the chalk and then wash all the chalk off the wheels. It was quite entertaining.

We were having so much fun....

until this rolled in.

 Check out those clouds!! It came out of nowhere. Isn't that a little scary?? We watched it for a few minutes until it started dumping down rain and washed away our pretty flower garden that we drew. Mississippi has some crazy storms. A little scary at times, but fun to watch.

Paul B Johnson State Park

 Justin had a down Friday (which  means he doesn't have to work that day) and we decided to go camping. We hadn't gone camping in so long and it did not disappoint. My family went camping all the time growing up and I've always wanted my kids to have the same experience. We didn't go with any friends, just our little family. There is something about being away from the computer, the TV, and all of the things that distract us at home and just spend time together. 

 When we made our reservation, we asked them if they had firewood that we could buy. They said they did, and how much it was and told us that check in is at 4pm. So we got there at 4 and Justin went into the campground office to check in. He asked about the firewood, and they said, "Oh, you have to order your firewood by 3pm. After that they stop bringing it." Ok, so why didn't the person tell us that on the phone?! We were having tin foil dinners that night so a fire was a necessity. So, we drove around the campground looking for any wood we could find. We ended up with enough wood, but Justin said he felt white trash scrounging up leftover wood from empty campsites. Then he said, "Oh well, we're making memories, right?!" It's true. We will remember that. Plus, it saved us $7!

 Anderson started to not feel good and got really tired. So, we put him to bed and we stayed up to make s'mores. What is it about marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers that is so addicting?? Justin and I decided it's the perfect combination. It's so perfect, we couldn't stop eating them. Our kids are so funny though. Jack had one and decided that was enough, and Anderson just wanted plain marshmallows. What little kids don't want to eat endless amounts of s'mores? Ours, I guess.

 We had a rough night's sleep. Anderson got really stuffed up and was waking up all night long and was up for good before the sun. Camping isn't really known for getting a good night's sleep, but ours was pretty bad. Luckily, he was doing a little better once we got out of bed and was able to enjoy the rest of our time there. After breakfast, we decided to try out our fishing skills, and found out we don't have any. Apparently we didn't get the memo that the fish really like hot dogs. We didn't catch anything but we had some casting lessons and enjoyed to view of the lake.

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