On again, off again rainy days

For the past couple of days, with the exception of today, the weather has been partly cloudy with showers throughout the day. These days prevent the girls and I from playing outdoors, never mind the fact that we're having our siding replaced as well and there are ladders and equipment throughout the yard. So, we decided to do some "girl" things this past Monday to pass the hours away. For starters, Kate requested braids in her hair, while Lauren settled for ponytails.

After hair was complete, we moved on to making necklaces and bracelets with an array of colorful beads (as seen on Lauren in the photo below).

To round off the morning, we had a "picnic" lunch of hot dogs and pretzels in the living room on our "picnic blanket." Not bad for a rainy morning.

Party at the Park

Following Kate's graduation ceremony, we grabbed lunch from McDonald's and headed to a park for some fun with friends. Kate's friends, Connor and Kathryn, their parents, and Maureen and the boys joined us for the event. After finishing lunch the kids tackled the playground before heading to the lake to scope out the turtles and fish. The adventure was complete with the discovery of a honeysuckle bush...mighty tasty! It was beautiful weather and a perfect way to end such a special day!

Graduation Day

It's hard to believe that our first-born graduated from preschool and is starting Kindergarten in July! After completing 2 years of preschool, we had the honor of attending Kate's graduation ceremony yesterday. (It's amazing how much she has grown and learned since the first day I dropped her off at the age 3.) The classes performed several musical pieces and received their diplomas. After the ceremony, the parents greeted their children at their self-portraits created at different times during the year.

We are so thankful for the wonderful teachers and friends that have surrounded Kate the past two years. We are looking forward to watching her grow in the years to come! We're so proud of you, Kate, and we love you very much!

Peak Fest

Last weekend (yes, I'm a little behind) was Peak Fest in our historic downtown district. The festivities began with a pancake breakfast at the fire house at 7:30am, followed by Kate's soccer game, and then a return visit to downtown to partake in the fun activities offered. Shortly after our return, the girls spotted two of their favorite "friends," Harry, from Harris Teeter and the ever-famous Chick Fil-A cow, who we've seen quite often in the past several weeks.
After making our way down the main street, occasionally browsing at one of the many craft tents, the girls spotted one of the highlights of the day. They joined their cousin, Peter, for some fun on the blow-up slides and bounce equipment before taking a break for lunch and then heading home for an afternoon nap.

Mark's family, who were in town for our nephew, Michael's, baptism on Sunday, joined us at the Peak Fest as well. With everyone semi-rested that evening, we gathered at our house for a pizza dinner and some family fun in the backyard. Although a busy day, we enjoyed every minute!

Pirate or Princess?

Tonight, one of our local Chick Fil-As was having a "Pirate and Princess" night. Seeing as how both girls love princesses, we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Kate and Lauren both opted for the "princess" face painting (rather than the pirate). As always, they each selected their favorite color as the main focus in the design.

The girls also came home adorned with tattoos and glitter stars on their hands and cheeks. Plus, we have keepsake photos, courtesy of Chick Fil-A, with both the princess and the pirate cow. (Even Dad got in on the action!)

Easter Activities

This past weekend was consumed with various Easter activities! The first event was Saturday at our church's annual Easter Eggstravaganza. The girls enjoyed singing songs, making a craft, playing games and searching for eggs. As you can see from the pictures, our girls displayed a little egg discrimnation...Kate searched for purple eggs and Lauren pink.

After the festivities we headed to Trader Joe's for a few needed items, only to spot the Easter bunny outside the Hallmark store in the plaza. The girls posed for a picture and graciously received "bunny corn" from the furry friend.

Easter morning we attended a beautiful service at church in which the girls wore their Easter dresses, compliments of Grampy and Grammy. We tried desperately to get a family shot after church, but as you can see, one of the family members didn't cooperate as well. I guess smiles aren't everything.

The day ended with a delicious dinner at Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop's as well as an Easter Egg Hunt orchestrated by Grandma Kathy (Patrick's mom). The kids ran around the house in search of hidden eggs and gifts. Both girls were exhausted by the end of the day and fell asleep in the car on the way home. However, they continue to play with their bunny ears, baskets, and plastic eggs...until mom puts everything away for the season.

Ride 'Em Cowboy!

A couple of weeks ago, Kate's preschool had a hoedown for the 4-year-old classes. The days prior to the event, the kids created belt buckles, vests, bandannas, and horses to wear and ride at the hoedown. They sang songs by the "campfire," ate trail mix and played games. Kate had a blast and talked about it for days. We even have her horse, Emily, at our house. Luckily the horse doesn't eat too much hay.

Enjoy the picture of Kate with two of her friends!