Bowling for Gage

Nora Jane has been telling us all about her "boyfriend" this year from preschool.  His name is Gage Thompson.  Around Christmas time, she was telling us how the made "get well" cards for him at school.  So I asked her teacher one day, when I was picking her up from school, and she told me that around Thanksgiving Gage, had to have surgery for a brain tumor.  Then I made the connection that Gage actually lives right here in our neighborhood.

In February, Gage had to have surgery again on the brain tumor, and this time I was able to help a friend take dinner to his family, and meet his parents.  As soon as I said I was Nora Jane's mom, they both knew exactly who Nora Jane was.  Evidently she's very mothering (or smothering) to Gage at preschool.

At the end of April, there was a fundraiser for Gage's family that we were able to go to and "Bowl for Gage".  Such a sweet little boy!

Tea time at the Grand America for Nora Jane's Birthday

For Nora Jane's 4th birthday we invited Jane and Ava and their moms, (AJ and Kristin) to Tea time at the Grand America.  We got all dressed up fancy, and had a really fun time.  The Grand America was so sweet and accommodating, they good the cake that I brought, and put candles in it and brought it out and a pretty stand, with a knife to cut it and plates to serve it on.  The harpist played "Happy Birthday" and then lots of Disney Princess music, that the girls got to dance to.  It was a perfect way to make her feel like a princess for the day.  We're so grateful to have such cute friends in the neighborhood to do this with!

Nora Jane, Jane and Ava

Nora Jane's 4th birthday and Uncle Stu's 18th!!

Started off with birthday pancakes.

Then we took pizza a cupcakes to school for Stu and his friends. Grandma and Grandpa were in Australia, so we thought we'd help Stu celebrate some.

Then we had a family party at Grandma & Grandpa's...

Nora Jane's new swing for the swing set...

Nora Jane's cute new outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Olson.

My old "Tulip" dress

My mom sent me a package with some of my old dresses she kept.  Here's one I wore for my oldest brother's wedding when I was almost 8.

Nora Jane just turned 4.  Good to know she has hope of not being as short as me. :)

(when I get a picture of my in it scanned in, I'll upload it.)

A boring spring break...and a late snow.

We didn't go anywhere for spring break this year...and look who suffered.

He asked for a piece of paper, that he could make a sign out of, and tape it to our fence so that someone passing by would read it and stop to play.

This was taken on April 6th!

The Looser

Tucker had to learn a story or poem, and then tell it in class with props.

Tucker memorized this in a couple of hours.

This stuff really stresses me out...but we pulled it off this time!

His teacher sent home this note:

Graydon's 1 Year old Photo Shoot

Graydon's 1st Birthday!

Graydon's cute birthday cake! Thanks, Nothing Bundt Cakes!


Presents!



Since Graydon's our 3rd child, there's just not a lot to buy for him, that we don't already have from the older two kids. So I finally settled in on this swing, which will make our swingset more functional this summer with the kids.



On his birthday, I was feeling bad that all we were getting was the swing, so I thought I'd just go buy him a stuffed animal, cause each kid needs their own stuffed animal right? And then Nora Jane would have something to give him. He's been really intrigued by Daniel's basketball, so I thought I'd grab him one of those, and let Tucker give that to him. It made for a stressful day, running around to more stores than I was planning to get these extra toys.







Well I should have stuck with my first thought because Grandma and Grandpa Olson came through with the most darling "Tempurpedic" puppy. And Grandma and Grandpa Pace supplied him with balls of all sizes and colors.

Feel blessed that my kids have both sets of grandparents who love my kids dearly!















Sweet Tucker came up with the idea for this gift all on his own! He called Uncle Stu to help execute the plan....and Uncle Stu came through!







Graydon's own mini-bundt.
















Just love this sweet boy, Graydon. He is so mellow, and calm and patient! (with Nora Jane as an older sibling, he doesn't have much choice but to be patient and mellow.) He smiles when you lay him down to sleep! He has cried once or twice, but it hasn't lasted more than a few minutes. He snuggles like crazy! I sometimes just walk all around the house snuggling him after he wakes up, and avoid sitting down cause I know he'll then want to get down and play. He's turned into quite the speedy crawler lately, and pulls himself up to standing a lot. He loves drawers...and loves to shut his fingers in drawers even more. :) We all love you so much Graydon! Just stay my sweet baby forever!