What I hear...

I'm in our upstairs bedroom enjoying the open windows because its a cool 66 degrees out. I'm hearing Adam begin the process of loading boxes onto our 26-foot Penske truck that is now parked in our driveway. Perhaps I should help, rather than be on the computer....? Our way of helping him, is by staying out of his way. He prefers it that way.

Busy Weekend

We spent our final weekend in Vancouver, Washington, and it was a busy one! Alex's last day of school was last Wednesday, and then he had a martial arts graduation on Friday night. Allison had a dance recital on Saturday afternoon. We specifically set our move date around these three events so the kids could enjoy their activities to the fullest!

Alex graduated to a full yellow belt, and Allison performed three times (one ballet dance, one tap dance and one Hawaiian dance). To add to the fun, Granny and Grampa Mike (Anne's parents) joined us in Vancouver one last time to see the shows. We've posted many pictures below.

We're headed out this weekend. Anne is flying with the kids Friday night, and Adam and his dad are leaving with the moving truck Saturday morning. We have lots of loose ends to tie up this week, but if you're in the area, please stop by. We'd love to see you one more time!

Off to work....

Dance Recital

Martial Arts Graduation

Alex's Last Day

Alex's last day of school was June 18th. Here he is pictured with Ms. Pulham. She is an excellent teacher, and gave Alex such a great start to school. I think she will remain one of our most favorite teachers for a long time to come. We will miss her!

The Waiting is the Hardest Part....

We officially have 18 days left in the Pacific Northwest....in case anyone is keeping track.

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!

Last Thursday I accompanied Alex's class to the Oregon Zoo for their final field trip of the year. Contrary to Alex's attire in the picture (with his buddy Eduardo), we spent the majority of the day in 50-degree rainy weather. However, most of the students (Alex included) had a fantastic time! I learned a valuable lesson, though, about the Oregon Zoo that I never knew even as my many years as a member. Never, never visit the zoo on a weekday during the first two weeks of June. Its field trip season, for sure! We shared the zoo that day with 4200 other elementary students and their chaperons. Apparently that's the norm for this time of year.

International Friendship Day

Friday, at Alex's school, we celebrated International Friendship Day. The school held an assembly that afternoon recognizing the many different international friends at Roosevelt. The school is very diverse...over 120 of the 645 students are English Language Learners.

A few weeks ago, we received a secret invitation to attend because we were told Alex was going to receive an award. Along with his friend Eduardo, they received a Roosevelt Friend award for being good friends to each other and to other students at the school. The award was a surprise for him, and he was informed of his honor when his picture flashed on the big screen in front of the entire school. He also received a certificate, a framed picture of Eduardo and himself, and a goodie bag. All this was very exciting for an almost-first-grader.

Swing Jumping

Slide Jumping