After a year of not being allowed to go with Sista to her many medical appts, the doors are opening and we were both elated to hear the words "You can have one visitor with you during your visit"....definitely a cause for celebration.  After getting an encouraging report from her oncologist, we took off to brunch and then to get pedicures for our upcoming beach trip.  This time last year was such a dark time.  I am thankful today that we are where we are.  The days are uncertain for sure but the time now is lovely and I will do my best to live in the moment!  #lovemysista

Random cute hat pic of Mads

            

Chapman was all kinds of tired one afternoon and curled up in the pillows on our bed for a little nap.

Maddox finished out a session of Spotlight with VOCE featuring Moana

Just a little park pic of Cha...

Cha had some money in her pocket that she was all set to spend.  She enjoyed being in Target shopping like old times.

This cutie lost her first tooth.....and she let her big sister pull it out!  

Chapman's imagination has never ceased to amaze me.  She will find random items and make the most fun out of them.  On this day, it was random boxes.  She put them on and announced she was a toucan...

Every evening, this daddy loads his girls up on his back and takes them upstairs for baths, brushing teeth and stories.  

Dance Time

Maryn and Maddox joined their friends Brooklyn and Kendyl for tap and jazz this year.  The girls thoroughly enjoyed their time learning new genres of dance.  Though they continue to love ballet, this experience has grown them so much!

Recital day was so much fun....I am not a dancer, I was definitely born with two left feet!  I often thank God for my girls' love for dance and their talent in dance.  

Chapman was the best supporter....she attended both recitals and loved watching the girls on stage....she liked the snacks too, lol.

After recital week, the girls participated in audition week.  It was intense and the girls loved it.  They were taught ballet, hip hop, jazz and contemporary dances for three days.  On day four, they auditioned by dancing the dances for judges.  The bigs requested pedicures as their feet were just a little in need of some pampering after all of that dancing!

 

Summer Birthdays

When you have three with summer birthdays, you kind of learn fast that celebrating before the school year ends is really win/win for all involved.  

So, we took a weekend and celebrated our three summer girls as they chose.....friends, swimming, crafting, pinatas and a sweet little tea party.  

Maryn was first and she deemed her day "the best day ever!"

We did a scavenger hunt, we swam, we played pool games, and we ate the beautiful Panda cake.  She was a happy girl!  Hard to believe our girl will be 9 years old in just one month!!

Maddox was next....she chose to have three of her favorites for a sleepover.  They created their own wooden board paintings, played board games, made spectacular sundaes, and watched movies into the wee hours of the morning.....one more month and she will be 12....again, she's growing up too fast!!

And, last but never least, our Chapman celebrated with the cutest doll and friend tea party ever!  This little one will be six in August.  She has always celebrated her birthday surrounded by her family and we have done a school cupcake celebration each year.  But, this year, she has asked repeatedly when it would be her turn to have her very own party.....so, we went all out.  Chapman and her friends enjoyed wearing their tea party hats, making bracelets and necklaces for the special day, learning how to properly drink their tea, dined on fine China, played games and hit collected their favorite candies from the pinata!  It was a fun day for all!

 

Pryce graduated from high school and I am still not sure how this happened so fast!  He went from being my right hand man just yesterday to being a high school graduate today....literally blinked my eyes.

While it has been a bit emotional to watch him transform from needing us 100% to beginning to make life decisions for himself, my heart knows he is ready for the next step in life....college.  And to be attending his father's alma mater is the icing on the cake.  We have enjoyed the last month having home a bit more - seniors got out two weeks prior to the end of the rest of his school.  We have celebrated awards with him at school.  We have surrounded him with friends and family who are so excited for him....and we have taken pictures, lots of pictures.  

One thing we may do differently with our next graduate, announcements.  There's a story but it went like this.....we didn't do a great job communicating and we ended up without announcements.  Goodness, I was a mess and feeling all the failure!  Thankfully, our friend came to the rescue and had 50 extra invitations!  Phew. 

Pryce and Julia have been friends since preschool!

A memory wall with pics of Pryce from birth to 2021

After the graduation ceremony, we went to lunch and then gathered at our house for a bit of pool time and gifts.  It was a lovely day of just being together.

Way to go Pryce!  Next up.....GO TIGERS!