Mikayla's First Day of 3rd Grade!

Mik with her friend Emma, her teacher, Mrs. Huitink and her sisters. Mikayla loves school and is thrilled to be back in the groove. She went on and on after school about how she loved her desk and chair....because they were for "big kids!" and not like those "2nd grade desks."

Haley's First Day of 1st Grade!

Haley with her teacher, Mrs. VanOtterloo, her sisters, and at her desk. Notice in the picture with her finger up her finger is already dirty and the day has just started! When I got her settled in her desk and stayed a little bit I asked her if she was ok if I left. She said "yes" but sounded about ready to cry...so I asked again if she was sure I could go, this time and she shook her head, "no." I then got choked up and stayed by her side for awhile. She did great though. When I got home from work I grabbed her as she was running by and gave her a hug and asked her how her first day of school went. She hugged me, said "great," and then said, "mom, I really have to go outside and play now!" That's pretty much all I heard about her first day. Oh well...I've got all year to here about it.

Jenna's First Day of 7th School

Jenna with her home room teacher, Miss Veenstra, and her sisters and a group of her friends; Hannah, Maddie, Eva and Shanna.

Haley and Miss America

So finally my computer is back up and running and all my pictures are downloaded again and organized so I can do some blogging catch up. This summer when we went to Indiana to visit my sister/family we like to go to their county fair. One of the highlights was a "Miracle of Birth Calving Center" where they guaranteed a calf birth every day. They even had bleachers set up and everything!! (We did not get to see a live birth, when we were there the calves were born during the middle of the night.---We were bummed about that!) But the new baby calves, still wobbly the next morning were very cute! Haley and I were checking out the calving center (several times each day) to see if Millie or Tilly etc. were getting ready to give birth. To make a long story short we happened to be at the right place at the right time as Miss America (who grew up on a dairy farm in Indiana) arrived to milk a cow! She spoke for a few minutes and then asked if any kids wanted to milk a cow with her. Well, earlier that day Haley had actually already milked the cow, just with the farmer, so she didn't feel the need to milk it again. I told her "You WILL milk this cow!" She didn't quite get why she needed to do so, but she did so fairly willingly. {After I told her she had to and had no choice :) }
I think as she gets older she will understand the significance of her cow milking experience.

Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum

We really enjoy going to this museum especially when it has traveling exhibits. We have seen some really neat historical things. This summer they had an exact replica of the Vietnam Wall, called the "Moving Wall." It was a "quiet zone", you were not to speak and be rowdy. It was breathtaking and beautiful and humbling.

Go Cedar Rapids Kernals

A group from church went to a Cedar Rapids Kernals game against the South Bend Silver Hawks. (The Millers team) We had a really great time, and it was beautiful weather. The Kernals won.