Last Day of School; 2015

The boys finished the 2014-15 school year splendidly. They both grew a lot, enjoyed their classes, made friends and gave me a break. They'll both be attending next year again as will Carson. So glad to have such a great place to send the boys!

Spring 2015

such silly smiles!

May 2015 was a Month of Rain, so we were in rain coats and had Carson with us which made getting pictures on the last day a little difficult. The following were all taken with my phone.

First and Last Day of School photos

Carson's Pizza & Pampers Party!

We didn't want to have a traditional baby shower for Carson, but I did want to celebrate him in some way, so we came up with this idea of having a Pizza & Pampers Party at our house. It was perfect. We had lots of friends and family join us, good pizza/cake, and received lots of love in the form of gifts from our people. Kim and David naturally offered to help and they took care of decorations and the cake while Seth and I did the pizza, had Deimi clean the house, and even had Leta over to help watch the boys. I wanted her to come meet Carson, of course, but I also wanted to be able to enjoy my guests that evening, so she came, ate, and helped monitor the kids's activities.

I was absolutely in love with this balloon.
I haven't let Seth throw it away!

hand sanitizer at the ready!

decorations

pizza and cake

Leta and the boys doing silly faces while eating before guests arrive.

Nonnie and Gramps and the boys.

We were well-loved-upon.

Anyone who knows me well knows how I've said for the past two years that I could feel we weren't done having kids every time I looked at a photo of our family. I would look at a picture of the four of us and just have this weird feeling like there was "a head missing." That there was someone not present. Yet. And then we brought Carson home and without even seeing a picture of us, I felt done. He was home a day and it felt like we were finally complete, that all the people that needed to live here live here now. And then we had Carson's party and got to get this great picture of the five of us and it became even more clear. We are done. We are a family of five. All the heads that belong in this photo are there.

Our Complete Family.

Carson's Progression Photos -- 1 Month

It's so true, what they say about "the days are long but the years are short." How has this much time gone by already!? That makes me again thankful for the opportunity to blog; I'd never be able to remember all these sweet details.

They say they can't smile yet, but I don't believe it.

Mother's Day 2015

Momma and her boys, Mother's Day 2015

Mother's Day this year was low-key and enjoyable. I was freshly post-partum, so not feeling super great and obviously tired, but I got great gifts (a new towel set, Starbucks gift card and an October Glory Maple tree!), lunch with the Spofford family was good and some time just chilling at home.

my gifts and hand-painted cards

Grandma Houston and all her great-grand kids on the Spofford side.

Here's my tree being planted several days after Mother's Day.

lowest branch is over my head

Soccer Season 2015

Austin played both soccer and t-ball last year and we really struggled having things to do for so many of our Saturdays. We didn't feel like he got enjoyment out of them worth what they cost to participate in, so we told him he had to choose one of the two for this year, that he could do soccer or t-ball, but not both. He chose soccer, so here are some pictures from our season!

It started off cold (and ended hot!) and we had a few games moved inside and one even canceled because of all the rain we got in May, but it was a team of a bunch of people we knew, so we enjoyed it much more than last year. He's still pretty timid and doesn't attack the ball like we hope to see him do. He smiles and says he's having fun, though, so I guess that's something!

Team Sparks, spring 2015

The first game:

Graham is all elbows when he runs and this is a good capture of it.

At one point he went and made himself comfortable on someone else's chair!

I know it's blurry, but it's too good not to post.
(Not sure why it's all blurry, though.)

score!

Last game and "party"

Austin and Coach Emily

Sweet Sweaty Soccer Dude

Carson did a great job sleeping through the game.

I love how he ended up being the last one through which allowed for a great photo opp.

Popscicles all around!