Memorial Day Fun

 It's officially summertime! For Memorial Day, our friends, the Mathews', invited to their lake house in Conroe for a little boating and tubing. The kids had a great time and both tried out the tube. Grace was very hesitant but when it was her turn, she climbed right on and held on for dear life. We're looking forward to lots of sun this summer! 

Gracie and Emery

All of the kids (minus Grace) with Ty

Cooling off with some Popsicles

Grace and I on the tube

The kiddos on a float in our pool soaking up the sun

Pre-K Graduation

Jake is officially finished with Pre-school (sniff, sniff!). He had a wonderful year at Community Christian School with a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Armstrong. Last year he only got to go half a year because of his surgery so we felt very blessed this year that he was healthy all year long and did well. He's leaving pre-school knowing all of his letters and sounds and on the verge of putting it together and reading....so close! His writing has improved and he loves counting and math. He learned a lot of Spanish...his colors and parts of the body (he can sing "Head and Shoulders" in Spanish). Most importantly, he learned about God's love even more this year. He learned the books of the New Testament and many Bible verses in chapel. Mrs. Armstrong taught them the 23rd Psalm which his class recited at Graduation. It is very hard to believe that our sweet Jake will start Kindergarten in the fall. He'll be going to the public school in our neighborhood and is all registered. I don't have to think about that yet, though. We're just concentrating on having the best summer EVER! 

Here are some pics from his Graduation from Pre-K:

Saying the Pledge of Allegiance

Singing a fun version of "Jesus Loves Me"

Walking to get his "diploma"

With his best buddy, Jackson--they will be sad to be at different schools next year!

How sweet is this???

Big Kindergarteners now!

With a proud Mommy!

Doing the balloon release after the ceremony

Away they go!

With two of his biggest fans, Papa and JoJo

With Mommy and Daddy

With his very special teacher, Mrs. Armstrong

Grace's Joke of the Day

Grace has been telling this knock knock joke all week, and it's actually quite funny. I recorded it today when we were swimming. She's quite the character...and she knows it :)

Dallas Heart Walk

We participated in two It's My Heart Walks this year--the National one in Houston in February and the Dallas Walk in May. The February one is always so busy for our family since both our kids and our nephew Nash have birthdays around or on the walk date so we invited all of our family to do the Dallas one this year.

We are definitely blessed for sure. My parents and brother and his family came from OKC, Ty's dad and stepmom came over from Marshall, Ty's mom came up with us from Houston, and then his sisters in the Dallas area were there. We are blessed to have family who love and support us. We are also blessed because they all get along so well! We are also blessed with incredible friends who continue to support us along our CHD journey.

Each of these heart walks raises money to spread awareness for congenital heart defects and with both walks combined, our Jake's Jets team raised almost $2,000 this year! I have helped start a blog for IMH as a support for families dealing with CHD--www.chdblog.org--we're still working on the layout but have been posting stories and articles for a few months now. Check it out!

Here's a "photo scrapbook" from the weekend:

At dinner the night before the walk--Grace with her Uncle Ryan...she's loves the view from his shoulders!

The morning of the walk--Jake had a sleepover with Hendrix in Gigi and Poppy's hotel room while Grace got to stay with Nash

Grace with her other three year old cousins--Nash and Gentry at Mark and Destin's house

At the walk--Grace walking with one of my former students, Holly

The star of the weekend--Jake with the Chick-fil-a cow

Gentry going for a stroll on the track

Our whole team--Jake's Jets!

An attempt to take a picture of all of the kiddos that were on our team

Holly and me

The Brannon's--Mark, Destin, Nash, and baby Tucker

Poppy with Grace and Morgan

Larry and Donna Roper with me--they're the parents of one of my best friends, Randi

Harding picture! Our good friends, Tim and Amanda Allen were at the walk, too, walking for their son, Bennett who also has a CHD. Here we are with them, my dear friend Shannon, Ryan and Crys, and our friend Natalie who was Crys's roommate at Harding. Gotta love college friends!

Knight's picture :) Ryan and Tim were in the social club Knight's at Harding and Amanda and I were queens for the club. Go, Go Knights!

Amanda, Shannon, me, and Bennett--LOVE these girls :) (And, Bennett, too!)

Our CHD warriors--Bennett and Jake!

Cute pose--awkward face :)

Grace posing with the IMH mascot, Artey

Pops, Nonnie, Aunt Casey, and Uncle Jose with Jakers

My best friend Jennifer who came to see us that weekend, too!

After the walk, the Roper's very nicely invited us to swim at their house! They are awesome and have been like second parents to me! Here are the cousins swimming behind the waterfall with Shannon.

Gentry and Grace

Poppy and Gigi with Morgan

Sunday morning before church--Nash and Grace matching :)