Father's Day 2019

Look at those handsome guys getting ready to disc golf. And look at that awesome Jayhawk shirt Henry is wearing. I believe Nathan might have mentioned how ugly it was. Ha! Disc golf was a bit of a bad experience. Despite bug spray, lots of little bugs kept attacking us, and both Nathan and Jack lost discs. But the chocolate chip pecan pie I made was good!

Easter 2019

Easter pics are better posted late than never! And it was not my idea for Poppy to be in the family pictures.

Strings

Jack started orchestra this year and has really enjoyed learning to play the violin. He and 3 friends even competed at solo and ensemble contest as a quartet and they were amazing! They chose a really hard son,g and their hard work and lots of practice really paid off with an excellent performance for the judge.

Henry's Spring

Henry had been busy playing baseball and hanging out with friends this spring. He also worked really hard on a presentation for PEAK on his country of choice -- the Philippines. He studied the country all year and knows so much about it. He also randomly became a Tarheels fan this spring and my friend Heather (who went to UNC) got him a Carolina shirt.

Henry and Cameron at our end of the school year party. Next year Cameron gets to go to EPiC with Henry! Together again finally. It's been a few years since preschool.

Good friends at field day.

Eating pizza after an epic baseball win!

At his PEAK presentation. In the Philippines, they celebrate Christmas for much longer than we do. Hence the Santa hat. 

6 Year Makes a Difference

I had Henry take a picture of Jack and I on his last day of 5th grade. I was shocked by how tall he is! It made me think of another picture of Jack and I that we took in kindergarten before school one morning. What a difference 6 years makes!

Last Day of 2nd and 5th Grade

School is finally over for the year -- goodbye 2nd and 5th grade! It was a great year, but we all need a break. No more early mornings or making lunches. For a couple of weeks at least.

Henry was not amused by the headlock.

Goodbye 5th Grade!

Jack had a great end of the school year, filled with all sorts of fun 5th grade activities. During the last week of school they walked to the movie theater and went fishing. He missed the big week of 5th grade recognition activities because we were in Jamaica, but he decided Jamaica was much better. The last day of school the 5th grader walk through the hallways one last time and give all the little kids high fives.

EPiC has been good to Jack. He has had amazing teachers and made awesome friends. EPiC is unique because it's the same 50 kids every year. This group has been together since 1st grade when the school opened. Although it seemed they were all ready for the school year to be over, they are definitely going to miss each other next year. They will split up to go to separate middle school based on their neighborhoods. Jack is heading to Liberty Middle School in the fall for a new adventure. He is going to rock middle school!

Here he is with his sidewalk square. My job (with another mom) for 5th grade recognition was outside decorations. We used chalk paint to spray paint all 50 names on the sidewalk outside of school. One of the 1st grade teachers has amazing handwriting, so she helped too.

Jack and Quinn -- they met the first day of kindergarten summer school and have been best friends every since. The wind was making Quinn's hair crazy.

Here they are at their kindergarten music program.

Jack and William -- They've been playing sports together since 1st grade. Lots of football and basketball games!

Mrs. Caywood! The best 5th grade teacher!

Here's a poster from 5th grade recognition. 

Good friends on their fishing trip.

The day before we left for Jamaica at their yard games party. Jack discovered he is an amazing hula-hooper. He stopped at 600 and could have kept going!

We invited some of Jack's friend over to celebrate the last day of school. They had a blast having a nerf gun war and eating hot dog and s'mores.

Jamaica 2019

Our big family vacation this year was to Montego Bay, Jamaica for Ashley and Dom's wedding. We had an amazing week: lots of time with grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, beautiful weather and many, many strawberry "dokies" (as Henry would say). The resort was beautiful, the pool and ocean were great, and we made lots of memories.

The view from our room.

New Jamaican swimsuits!

Room service for breakfast.

Lots of pool time. The pool was great because there were ledges all around the outside where you could sit and hang out. Henry couldn't touch in the main part of the pool, so he burned lots of calories swimming back and forth to the swim up bar for drinks.

Hanging out at the beach. Henry spent several hours one day making an amazing sand creation. Jack also made friends with the lifeguards after he cut his toe snorkeling. 

Wedding time! The ceremony was beautiful and they had an awesome reception right on the beach. 

And now, the best part of the resort... the sweet shop! Needless to say, we came here every day. Henry was a big fan of the chocolate fountains. 

The food was great all throughout the resort. The boys loved the breakfast buffet and got smoothies every morning. Henry loved the pizza at the restaurant by the pool, and Nathan and Jack loved the jerk chicken hut. Henry and Nathan also loved the Asian place. And we can't forget the coffee shop that also had a donut bar!

We also went on a catamaran trip and snorkeled in the ocean, and then went to Margaritaville to play on the inflatables in the water. We didn't get any pictures that day, but it was super fun. Here are the boys hanging out in the lobby waiting for our shuttle to go to the airport. 

And one last look at the pool and beach from the lobby. As a wise Henry once said, "This is not what I was expecting... marble staircases and ladies bringing me drinks." We'll just choose to forget about a certain 11-year old puking on the plane to Miami, those weird foot rashes and the nurse telling me Henry needed to go to the Jamaican hospital, and the delay on the way home that made up get back at 3 a.m.  Oh, and the swimmer's ear after we were home. It was all worth it for an amazing trip!