My sweet Noah

I want to make sure that all friends and family know that our little Noah is safe and sound! Sadly, there was a young boy, also named Noah Gentry, who died in a drowning accident yesterday in Decatur. My heart goes out to the parents and family of this boy. He had just graduated from kindergarten, like Ally. His family and friends are in my prayers.

I am so thankful for my sweet Noah!!

Two years ago, my little four-year-old begged to have her long, beautiful hair cut short.  I really hated to do it, but her daddy and I finally gave in.  She instantly looked much older!  Although it was very cute, I felt like I had lost my little girl with just a hair cut.  It grew to be quite long again, as you can see in the graduation pictures posted earlier.  Well, my little Ally Grace has

 been begging again to cut it short.  I remembered what this did to me two years ago, and told her no.  Somehow she was able to talk us into this yet again, and since I wasn't about to let her chop it off before her kindergarten graduation, we took her two days later and here are the results.

Ally's graduation

Ally has graduated!  :(    Now, she has one more day to make up from the whole swine flu thing, and she will be done with kindergarten!  Where did the year go?  I am so glad that I was able to have lunch with Ally and her class occassionally and also help in the classroom a few times.  Mrs. Powell was great!  Ally loved her, (well, still does!) :)  and I don't think that her first year could have gone any better!  Thank you so much, Mrs. Powell!!!

Mrs. Powell's kindergarten class 

getting her diploma

the class clowns :)

Ally stayed up until after midnight finishing the book that she wrote and illustrated for Mrs. Powell.  "Oh Beary!"  It was a pretty good story!

Ally also gave her a Willow Tree 'Angel of Learning'.

Here is Ally & Mrs. Powell reading "My Tooth Ith Loothe!"

I have a feeling that Noah's clip will spend a lot of time on the red sign when he starts school!

One more day

Tomorrow is the big day! Ally graduates in the morning and I am still not ready for it! I guess I will just have to take lots of pictures and video.

Soccer is over

Ethan and Ally

Well, Ally had her last soccer game yesterday.  It rained for just about all of it, and the poor little thing isn't used to playing in the rain. :)  Most of the parents were heading to the pavilion for shelter while the kids started their game on the field.  But when Matthew and I turned around to see Ally following us, he told her that she should be with her team.  She looked back at them on the field and said "should I?".  She did join them, but it took several minutes for her to realize that she was already wet, and to just play!  We are still not sure if there will be a second season of soccer for our Ally Grace. 

School's almost out!!

I can't believe that Ally is just about finished with her kindergarten year!  I knew that I would have a hard time with her starting school, but I thought once she was past her first year, that it would be easier.  For some reason, knowing that she will be promoting to the 1st grade class at church this Sunday was harder for me to take than I realized it would be.  Does it ever get easier?  First grade sounds so much bigger than kindergarten.  Why?  I guess maybe because she is now in children's church with the kids up to the 5th grade!!  I'm hoping that making this change at church now, will help prepare me for when she actually starts school this fall.

Mother's Day

I had such a wonderful Mother's Day!!  As we were getting ready for church, Ally admitted that she had planned breakfast in bed for me and was a little disappointed that I was already up and half-ready for church when she woke up.  Since we were running a little behind this morning, we decided to wait until after church to open my gift.  When we got to church, they had a 3 minute video of the kids for all of the mother's to watch as we fixed ourselves a plate of breakfast!  Since we had been running late, I waited until after Sunday school to participate in that.  It worked out well, since the first service seemed to run a little longer than usual, and we had to wait for them to finish.  We had a great service, like always, and then Matthew and the kids took me out to lunch.  On our way, the kids each gave me a craft that they had made for me at church.  After eating more than I had room for, we came home and the kids gave me a very special gift.  First of all, Ally had made me not one, but two cards!!  One had a short poem in it that she had written.  I opened my gift...2 Willow Tree figurines!  I love those and have a couple that Matthew has given me over the past few years.  Today, I was given one of a little girl and one of a little boy.  I found out that Ally had planned several days ago to go and get these for me.  She picked them out and had wrapped them.  Also, in the bottom of my gift bag, was a picture album, a bracelet and money!  :)  Ally was worried that her daddy wouldn't get her to the store in time for Mother's Day, and she wanted me to have something special for today.  So, she put some of her special things in there for me and also money from her piggy bank.  She is such a sweet, giving little girl!!  I don't deserve such a special daughter!!  For so long, all I cared to be "when I grew up", was a wife and a mom!  I just never dreamed that I would be so blessed!!!