Filling up the weekends with Family and Friends

We bookended all our busy weeks in May with some fun with family and friends on the weekends!  

The other Sassers came down one weekend and the kiddos had an absolute blast.  We played in the yard, played all over the house, went to the Farmers Market, did lots of cooking, and spent some time out at the land.  We took a picnic and "fished" (as much as you could with 5 littles ones holding the lines!)  Lots of smiles all weekend.

Wesley got his first fishing pole from the Easter Bunny and had fun casting and reeling it in.  It's about 3 times bigger than him, so he's got some growing to do!

Speaking of Wesley, he took a little snooze in my arms on the Can-Am and my heart is still melting.  He then proceeded to nap for another 30 minutes while I carried him around.  It's not as easy to do anymore!  And I know this may be one of the last nap that my kiddos take in my arms.  You better believe I soaked it up.

After JB's honors day last Friday we surprised him with a trip to Perry after work. He had been begging to see his BFF Mac, and - ANOTHER SURPRISE - they opened up the Georgia National Fair Midway for the week!  We so missed the fair last year, so to experience it twice in 2021 (May and, God willing, October) is a special treat. 

Mac is sporting a super cool mohawk right now, which Wesley immediately wanted on himself. He's still asking for one!

This is the only picture I got of all 5 kiddos...so see if you can spot them. :)

Normally we leave Wesley at home since he's too young for the rides, but this year he came and has finally broached 36 inches.  Although hesitant at first, he soon wanted to ride everything....until he went on a little rollercoaster, cried the entire time, and decided he was done. 

These two best buds are still the best of buds - and have been since babies.  I hope they always are!

JB loves the rides (and now he's tall enough for most of the fast ones, too), but he also loves the games. He's very competitive and these stuffies fill our house because he gets very attached to them and can remember exactly where he won each animal.

And do not get me started on the racket that is carnival games at the Fair. I just try to remember the joy on their faces while we keep forking over the $$$...

We're so thankful for our family and friends! :)

First and Last Day of School Pics

It's not officially the end of school until you capture and compare it!  So here we go, short and sweet post with lots of pictures.

We'll start with Maryn because she's always the first to raise her hand and take pictures :) Last day of Pre-K! This girl is headed off to big school!

And now to compare, last and first day. GoodNESS, this girl's legs have grown inches at least!!

And now our littlest stinker, Wesley, who is always willing to cheesecake for the camera!  He's grown a lot this year, not so much physically but personality-wise. He's still our little guy (but the doc did say he gained a couple pounds this school year!)  

He's insisting on a mohawk hairdo these days because JB's little friend, Mac, is sporting one.  So cute.

And now the first day versus last day...and I stand corrected.  This kid HAS grown physically, too!  Look at that face! He's a full blown boy and no longer my little toddler!

And now on to JB, our biggest guy who rocked the 1st grade  - and, did I mention, ALL STAR STUDENT? We're just a little proud :) 

I didn't realize the "ugh, MOM, do you have to take pictures????" started so young...but he finally gave me a good smile.

And last and first day comparison pics!  That face definitely looks more mature. (You can't really compare growth based on outfit because while it's the same outfit it's actually one size bigger - he outgrew his uniform clothes this year during the schoolyear!)

Again, we are SO PROUD of all three of these kiddos and how hard they have worked this year.  

Wrapping up the school year

Of course May is always busy and filled to the brim, but this one felt even busier because, well, we're simply not used to activities!  After a year of cancelled events and restrictions, and many positive developments in the fight against the pandemic, no one dared cut out all we events that mark the end of the school year. 

First up, our goodbye to preschool for Miss M.  After a wonderful year in PreK5 with the absolute best teachers, Maryn graduated from preschool and is off to "big school" next year.  They had all the sanctuary in tears with their video montage set to Never Grow Up and then their reciting the books of the bible, the Good News, plus all sorts of things they've learned.  These teachers set the foundation for not only success in reading but also a strong understanding of the goodness of God.  We hate to say goodbye!

Maryn made so many sweet friends in school, and she's going to miss them terribly! Especially one particular young man (who she claims is her future husband, so we'll see in 20+ years!)

We are SO proud of this girl and how hard she works. She's a strong emergent reader, quick with her numbers, and always willing to learn and ask questions. She'll join JB next year at the Gifted Academy, and we can't wait for her to tackle Kindergarten!  

Wesley also celebrated his move from PreK2, causing quite the scene on stage with his smooth moves, smiles, funny faces, and teasing of his sweet little bestie, Camryn.  (No family shots because that stinker doesn't sit still...) 

After the last day of preschool, we moved onto JB's big awards ceremony day.  He looked very dapper in his blazer, and they performed very well (Waving Flag).  

During the awards ceremony JB received the All Star Student award for the entire class.  She noted that while all kids did very well and all tried very hard, JB continuously went above and beyond in the classroom - both academically and character-wise.  We could not be more proud of our son!

The teachers this year deserve ALL THE KUDOS for making it a wonderful one, despite uncertainty, new normal, ZOOM.  We've been thrilled with JB's education and he is already asking when he can go back to school.  He's grown leaps and bounds.

We celebrated with pizza afterwards, smothering him with praise and hugs :)

Who would have thought when we started this year where we would land.  I'm so thankful that we're moving forward, and - just like JB - I'm looking forward to the 2021-2022 school year already.  Although, lots of fun summer plans that we'll hit first!