Family Photo

At least once per year I try to get a good family photo without spending a fortune. I can manage to get nice pictures of the girls but never with Kevin and myself in it too. The photographer I'm using for the Ollie and Olina photo shoot was doing mini sessions. We were able to just purchase one digital image!! I've been super disappointed with family photos in the past so it really made me smile to capture such a great moment on film. If you have kids you know it's near impossible to get them all to look at the camera at the same time and have a good smile on. Charlotte's expression is priceless. I'm in love.

Tanya Haswell, owner of Now It's Personal Photography, did a wonderful job! We took photos at 7:30pm on a beautiful night and even used one of my personal favorite quilts to sit on. (It's the summer sampler series.)

I'm wearing a beautiful shirt by Escapada that I purchased at Everve. Kevin has on his favorite puckerware shirt from Patagonia and the girls are wearing coral and blue dresses from Gymboree. I love the color coordination but not the matchy-matchy that this color platform gave us.

Charlotte Finishes Kindergarten

Today Charlotte graduated from kindergarten from St. Francis Borgia Catholic School​. We have been a part of the school community for three years and each year somehow is far superior to the year before. The teachers are seriously magical. The doors have closed and the kids will enter a NEW school next fall-- they are very blessed! Gretchen will be there in one more year, for kindergarten.

We are so proud of this 6yo. She's probably the last in class to loose a tooth (was pulled at the dentist a few weeks ago) but is an awesome reader and has a kind heart. Besides academics, Charlotte has learned a lot about herself including when to be patient, when to step down, and when to be good when it really counts. These things I'm most proud of her for.

As for a jungle ornithologist, she came up with this on her own. She said, "I want to live in the jungle and take care of parrots and other birds." I had to look it up, but I knew there was somebody who did things like that. Next in line was still her option to be a rock star, but that really is not going to be an option for her (vocally).

Gretchen Graduates from 3K

Today Gretchen graduated from 3K. She's been in the program for over a year and is now four. I have had such a wonderful experience with the Early Childhood program at Grafton Elementary School. The teachers are magical! With Gretchen's speech apraxia, she really struggled to find her words and has some motor planning issues. The staff, including OT and speech, have helped tremendously! Gretchen is almost always confident in herself and finally has some opinions. She plays well with others and most people just love her.

We are super proud of what she's overcome. This summer will be filled with summer school (speech) and lots of playing. We are going to work on /s/ sounds at home and some other things like writing her name and letter recoginition. She can write her name, legibily, but we'll work on making it better.

It's hard not to love this little face and fashionista. Although she now wants to be a nurse doctor, I have a feeling we may see some fashion in her future.