Q & U Get Married…

I’ve looked forward all year to the big Spring event in Kindergarten… the day that the letters Q & U get married!
When I did my final internship, it was in a Kindergarten classroom and the teacher was AMAZING- the Q&U wedding was one of her big events and I knew it would be even sweeter this time around, since I got to see it through AB’s eyes!
The kids spent weeks getting ready for the wedding… they made their own bouquets, talked about big words like ‘boutonniere’ and ‘reception’ and learned some very important lessons in grammar!
The kids were encouraged to wear their Sunday best and they were all so adorable.
I’d volunteered to make the wedding cake and punch. I thought it would be fun to make it look like a traditional cake, but do the inside Funfetti, like one of the layers of Carrie's wedding cake. :)  I felt like MacGuyver that morning when I realized we didn’t have a cake topper and I made a “Q & U” out of some of the wire stars the teachers had used for table decoration. :)
The teachers had decorated the room with wedding bell confetti, tissue paper, fake flowers and the like. It was PURE wedding PERFECTION in the eyes of all of the 5 & 6 year olds! The chairs were covered with black garbage bags and the kids thought it was the most fancy event they’d ever been to. :)
The parents and guests were waiting in the classroom, while the students made the processional around campus through the front office and then back to the classroom…
They all marched in paired up with another bridesmaid or groomsman and took their seats…
Their music teacher was a special guest and she played some wedding songs on the keyboard and even a special one written and dedicated just for Q&U.
Another teacher performed the ceremony and then the kids all marched out behind the bears who played Q&U. We all watched and blew bubbles as they drove away to their honeymoon.
After the bears had gone, we made our way to the classroom next door for the reception. Punch was served in fancy stemware (plastic, of course) ;) alongside cake and mints. After the cake cutting, the kids gathered on the carpet for some reception dancing… kindergarten style, which meant the chicken dance and the Hokey-Pokey.
It was such a fun morning in Kindergarten! And I’m willing to bet that none of those kids will ever forget that anytime there’s a word that starts with Q, U will always come next!
~amw~

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day weekend was busy and busy during difficult times is always a plus…
The weekend started with our sweet nephew, Parker’s, first birthday. My SIL, Lauren outdid herself. It was adorable and the perfect ‘Barnyard’ party for a little boy who’s so loved.
I was taking pics with Lauren’s camera, but I did manage to get my little crew enjoying the party with my phone…
Tucker enjoying boiled peanuts with his Daddy & Pappy…
and our girls had the best time sitting with their three great-aunts. My FIL has three sisters and they are so much fun. They kept Mamie & AB entertained during lunch.

Grandma came down for the party and spent the night with us, so we had everyone over afterward for dinner to celebrate Mother’s Day with her.

Sunday morning, DW got donuts for breakfast, because he knows the way to his babies’ momma’s heart. :)
We’d planned to go to Marine Land with my parents that day. We thought the girls would love seeing the dolphins and we were right. Unfortunately, one of the tanks was closed, but we ended up getting a “backstage” tour by one of the workers, so it turned out really neat.

After seeing the dolphins, sea turtles and sharks, we headed for a late lunch in St. Augustine.
It was a really sweet day. I’m very thankful for my own momma. She’s so great and has always taken such good care of our family and loved us all so well. She’s the kind of Mom who after working all day on Wednesdays, cooks dinner for my crew (and I mean usually a meat, a starch, two veggies, a bread and dessert kind of meal…DW only has one mother-in-law, but you can bet, even if he had two, she’d be his favorite) ;), she’s the kind of mom who never waits for me to ask for help- she just shows up…(like to AB’s t-ball game, even when she had a cast on and couldn’t play, because I might need help with Tucker & Mamie), the kind of mom who still to this day takes me shopping and likes to treat me to new clothes once in a while, and above all, the kind of mom who has prayed for me my entire life. She taught me to love Jesus and I pray my kids can all say the same thing about me someday. (She also taught me to leave shopping  bags in the car until the coast is clear…and by coast I mean the Daddy of the house isn’t home…you can bet my girls will be able to say that about their momma too) ;)
~amw~

8 Month Pictures

Tucker’s 8 month session was in April.
We started in his room… I love that our photographer gets them in their daily surroundings – just crawling and playing and doing what they do. :)
Then we took some outside – we continued with the dumptruck shots- I think those are going to make a fun progression from his newborn to his first year pics!
Tucker & Daddy…


Some of my favorites are always the ones I don’t know she’s taking…

But my most favorite of the whole 8 month session is this one…
When DW saw Tucker that day, he said, “we’ve got to get him belt.” Ha.

I’ll never regret doing the “Don’t Blink” sessions...in fact, I wish I’d done it with our other kids. I’m so glad she’s gotten a few cute ones of the girls each session, too, though. (AB was in school the morning we took these, but love this of Mamie)-
I’ll treasure the pictures always.
~amw~