New Home!

We moved today! After six years in our wonderful home, we moved just a short distance to the next town over.  We miss the view of Seattle but are so thankful to live on a lake and have a bigger yard!  It is one of the smaller lakes in the area and has a peaceful vibe (no gas motor boats allowed).  We have been swimming and kayaking a lot already and we just got in this evening. Time to unpack and research the best place to buy paddle boards.

We always took pictures of the kids outside the front door on the first and last days of school so we took a picture of ourselves as we left our house for the last time.

Our new home!

Sitting on their dock - lucky kids!

They jumped right in the water even before we went inside.

Nate :)

Summertime!

Summertime and the livin' is easy! The kids and I are enjoying the break from school and work. We are staying up late (yet still getting up early), going to the pool, spending time with friends, and playing lots of soccer with Nate and Riley both on year-round teams that had tryouts in May and started in June. 

Gramps is home after a month of travel and came to Nate's first soccer tournament.

Nate celebrated his birthday a couple weeks late with a flag football/dodgeball party...so much fun!

Nate's 9th birthday party

Mylie and Riley at the pool

Good night Seattle...view from our kitchen.

Riley, Simone and Olivia at the pool...friends since they were babies!

Serving donuts and juice at church on Father's Day. Happy Father's Day Mesh! 

And happy Father's Day to my dad too and to Badappa in heaven.

Lauren and the Iyer kids selling lemonade...they made a small fortune.

And here's a hint of what my next post will be about.  :)

Goodbye Pre-K, 1st and 3rd grade

The kids finished school yesterday and I have just one more week of work until I join them for summer vacation! We have some major events in store for this summer...I can't wait to get it underway. But first, a look back at the last couple weeks of Pre-K, 1st and 3rd grade.  

Mr. Ben at his new student welcome for Kindergarten next year...with brother and sister already at the school, this boy is ready!

Yep, ready to own this place!

Ramesh went with Riley's class on their beach field trip.

Piano recital - no pictures or video were allowed inside...yes at a piano recital. 

We are enjoying some hot weather this month!

Nate's poetry cafe event at school

Ben watched and acted out every minute of the NBA tournament...starting the games in his warm-ups, watching and re-enacting throughout the game, and copying the post-game interviews. 

Bruno's first grooming session.

The kids on their last day of school holding their pictures from the first day of school this year.

Ben at his end of year carnival saying "Umm mom, you should not be in charge of face paint."

Ben hugging his preschool teacher of 2 years goodbye.  I was doing okay until we walked out the door and then the tears spilled out...I can't believe our family is done with preschool, and on the other hand, I am very proud of my growing kids and blessed to have the honor of being their mom.

Nate the Great is Nine!

Nate is Nine today! It is unreal to me that the boy who entered this world and made me a mother came along NINE years ago today. Time has gone by in a flash and suddenly we are at the halfway point of his childhood.  Over the last year I have noticed a big shift in that Nate is becoming more independent and responsible…and while it is sometimes hard to realize that he's not my little boy anymore it is amazing and an honor to see him grow!

Our sweet little Nate when he was just one month old!

Nate and Ezra. He had his buddy over tonight for his birthday dinner. Nate is having a flag football/dodgeball birthday party in a couple weeks after school gets out.