Fish

So how many kids do you know who want to have their picture taken with their bus driver?

This is no ordinary bus driver people!

This is FISH.

Fish honks so the kids know he is coming and don't miss the bus.

Fish knows their names.

Fish buys them treats.

Fish let's them stay on the warm bus until the bell rings.

Fish can be heard greeting the kids energetically as they step on the bus every morning ... heard from inside the house!

Fish loves his job.

and it shows.

Fish had piles of cards and gifts at the end of the year from every parent on our route.

and somehow we lucked out and got his again for this new school year!

All good things must come to an end...darn it!

Cole's class finished the year out with an ADORABLE readers theatre and a patriotic program that brought parents to tears! Mom even got to help out with the music for the program! Cole did an awesome job and was the final narrator for the program.

His teacher...oh his teacher. Would that I could clone her and have her every year for everyone of my children. She was that good people. Mrs. Cousin will forever be special to our family. She made an imprint that will forever be present in Cole's life. 

Then it was time for Ali's Kinder graduation!

mom got to help out with the music in the program too!

Ali had a hard time saying goodbye to Mrs. Hale.

She treated ali like her own daughter and Ali knew she was so loved.

She even came to Ali's Tee Ball game!

Ali loved Kindergarten...especially all the social fun there is to be had there!

Here she is with cute Hailee.

What a FABULOUS year!!!!

Easter Sunday

Easter becomes more and more special as our kids get old enough to understand its real meaning.

This year our kids told us the meaning of Easter and relayed all of the events surrounding it in detail. 

The Easter bunny and egg dying still made an appearance, but they seemed to take a back seat to the important things.

I am truly grateful for the knowledge of all that our Savior did so that we can be together for eternity.

 ...and a little grateful for the bribery in chocolate form provided by the Easter bunny which enabled these pictures the happen.

horsin' around

The kids wandered into our room like this.

ali was the horse, piper was the cowgirl, and cole was the seat belt.

seeing them play together warms my heart...

much like seeing them cuddle...even if it is their last ditch effort to avoid bedtime.

Model Behavior

Ali is never more than two seconds from a pose.

because of this daddy often gets a text containing evidence of the days outfit before the kindergarten bus arrives.

this one below is especially tender to us. 

Ali was obsessed with a baby sitter named Maddie when we lived in St. George. 

I was equally obsessed with her mother.

This dress arrived for Ali in a package soon after we moved and ali had been "patiently" waiting for the day she could at last adorn her precious hand me down. 

Needless to say the day it finally fit was special day in her five year old fashionista eyes, and the tender memories it brought out for mom made it a photo worthy moment.

Luck 'O the Irish!

A leprechaun broke into our house. 

He used our restroom and must have felt badly about the mess because he left a trail of candy leading to...

a pot of chocolaty gold

the kids loved the candy coated search

but when it came to the pot of gold, little miss piper guarded it with her life.

If anyone got close she would spread her elbows up out over the pot and yell

"MINE!"

and who could disappoint that face?

Enjoy your chocolate spoils piper...your brother and sister may not always be so accommodating.

Cupids Corner

Ali's valentines were sweet.

Cole's were cool.

Ali's class made their valentine mailboxes together

and Cole and Daddy continued the tradition of constructing hilariously genius Valentine boxes.

You may remember last years commode...this year Cole's idea was a shower!

They worked for hours on this!

and it was a complete hit at school.