Little swimmer girl

The big girls both took Mommy/Daddy and Me swim lessons at the Y when they were babies, but we didn't do anything more formal until last summer when we enrolled them in weekly lessons through the summer. The girls did great and advanced quickly and loved the lessons and coaches. We took a break in the fall and winter, but picked classed back up again in February so they'd be ready for the summer pool season. Charlotte graduated from the Goldfish level last weekend and is now a Jellyfish with Anna! Anna only has a few more skills to master before she graduates to the next level! Swimming is something I've always loved doing and the pool is one our favorite summer activities, so I'm thrilled both girls share the same love of water and sun!

Zoo days

The weather looked pretty iffy for the holiday weekend, so in very non-Jen fashion we didn't have concrete plans except for dinner out on Sunday night. After swim lessons Saturday morning it looked like the rain that had been predicted was going to stay away, so we quickly packed up and hit the Zoo. We'd never been in the afternoon thanks to naps and heat, and we'd heard from a friend that were there in the morning that it was pretty packed; much to our delight it wasn't bad when we got there! Score one for the fact that Miss Charlotte isn't a big weekend napper anymore and we're definitely take advantage of the fact that Miss Madeline will sleep in her stroller and isn't on a strict schedule, you know, third kid and all : )

Family train ride!

Trying out the new wagon

Zoo'ing wears a baby out! 

Oh, the places you'll go: Anna's end of year Kindergarten ceremony

Although Anna's last day of kindergarten is next Friday, her class hosted a sweet ceremony for parents today. And by sweet, I mean that I about lost it emotionally when she walked into the cafeteria with her cap on; I had totally NOT prepared for the tug at my heartstrings. 

For all of us, this has been a year of growth, change, and the unexpected. From having a baby two days after her first day of Kindergarten, to learning of my kidney issue and CLL relapse, to how much she's grown going to school just half a day (I mean, she's reading, that's crazy!) ... The best way to describe my feelings are "sad happy" because I'm so proud of her, what she's accomplished, and look forward to what will come, but also sad that this chapter is closing. How lucky, though, am I have these feelings and be in the thick of this fun, exciting, crazy, and trying season of life. 

Oh, Anna, the places we KNOW you'll go! 

They sang the sweetest song, check out the video below : ) 

Upon receiving their Kindergarten diploma, each child told us what they want to be when they grow up, Anna wants to be a doctor!

I'm so proud of this girl!

Selfie with Mom before she's too cool for them : ) 

I scream, you scream

we all scream for ice cream!