Audrey's Fifth Grade

Audrey had a great fifth grade year. She had teachers who kept things interesting for her and I am so grateful for their efforts! 

Audrey's Georgia O'Keeffe-inpsired art piece was featured in the District Art Show. Yay!

Fun with her friends at Olympic Day.

 Audrey accepting her awards. I think she might have had the most in her class! I had no idea she had one of the highest GPAs until she was awarded the Presidential Gold Seal for Academic Excellence.

She also received:

Principal's Honor Roll

Spelling Bee Participant (3rd place!)

Art Award

Reading Olympics Gold Award

DI Team Participant

Citizenship Award

What a great girl we have!

(Try watching video in Firefox.)

Weatherford and Athens

Last weekend, we spent a night in Weatherford to celebrate Daddy Jeff's birthday, which was earlier in the week. Jeff and his kids came over from Dallas, too. It's always fun to get some hugs from squishy little Nelson!

 On Sunday, we followed Daddy and Gail east a couple of hours to Athens, Texas, where Daddy's father was born and raised. Daddy's grandfather and his wife's family built the Shelby Chapel there in Athens, in 1895. We have been there before, but had never been inside. The benefit of going the weekend of Memorial Day is that there is a small service held inside and a potluck lunch for descendants of those buried in the cemetery.

We had fun singing old hymns on the creaky pews.

This painting hangs inside.

 Daddy, reconnecting with someone. There aren't too many of our actual relatives that attend the lunch, but Daddy did know a few faces.

 The little gate to the Shelby Chapel Cemetery.

 Miles Jefferson at his great-great-grandfather's grave. (Jefferson DeCal Horn)

Grateful Sunday

We spent Saturday night in Weatherford. Neal's dad grilled some prime rib and Jeff and his family came for the evening. We sang Happy Birthday to Daddy Jeff (79) and snuggled with little Nelson!

Today, I am grateful for so many things. This weekend has been so nice: lots of family time, pretty weather and yummy food. All the important things! I'm grateful that:

• we had a safe trip to Athens and back today. I always love going to East Texas. The pace is slower, and it feels as though there is more of a history than a future to the places out there. In a good way! It is quiet, scenic and full of Horn history. Will post more soon.
• there are only two-and-a-half more days of school. We are all so ready to be done. I am ready for Parker to get away from the kids he is surrounded by every day and for Miles to have his playmates at home every day.
• I have an eternal family. It brings me such peace knowing that we are bound together forever. I am so blessed to know that this is true.
• my boys love baseball. It makes me so happy that my favorite sport is their favorite sport. I am always very grateful that they don't like football!
• we got to chat with my mom and dad tonight. We are all so excited to be in Sundance this summer (where it snowed today)!

End of Preschool for Us.

Miles went to the best preschool this year! I am so glad I found it and that we shelled out the extra bucks to get him there. It was a great year for him. He turns six this summer, so he needed some sort of bridge class, and the one we found was perfect.

One of the last days of school, they got to walk to McDonald's for lunch. Super exciting!

Miles and his buddy, Seth.

Miss Natalie and Miss Lisa were incredible! We will miss them and will likely never have such enthusiastic teachers again. :(

Graduation night. Miles with Austin, Saharsh and Seth.

All-Stars

We were so honored when Coach Greg chose Miles to be on the All-Star team for the 5U league! He got to play on a team with his buddy, Seth, from school. They were the National League West team and ended up winning both games to become the All-Star Champions! I have never been to more exciting tee ball games! They both came down to a sort of sudden-death inning situation. Nail-biters!

In the dugout at Game 1.

Getting set to bat.

Pep talk from Daddy Jeff before going up to bat. 

The moment they realized they won during Game 2! (Parker was dugout assistant.)

Getting his trophy and medal from Coach Randy.

There should be a video right here. I couldn't see while using Safari, but I could on Firefox.

Fathers & Sons 2012

 Camping with the boys!

 Horn and Wright Boys

Pooped out after they got home

Miles' Baseball Season

Miles played with his buddies on the Padres again this season. We love the people on that team and we have a great time together. And now for some action shots. Keep an eye out for that little tongue. He seriously can't do anything without it.

Go Padres!

Pinewood Derby

We had the Pinewood Derby the other night and it was a lot of fun. I had spent a large portion of the day setting up the race with my friends, Tara and Scott. I was so grateful for their help! Putting together a borrowed track with no instructions was not easy.

Once the race got going, it was super exciting for the boys. In the end, Parker's Tron Lightcycle car lost a wheel and he won the award for "The Keenest" car. Not super sure why, but we'll take it!

Neal helped Miles make a car, too. He is so nice to do that.

Grateful Sunday

Today has been wonderful, and I am feeling so grateful. I am grateful for:

• these three little people in my life. What in the world would I be doing if I didn't have them?! I shudder to think. They make my life so happy, full, and blessed. I am thankful that they are good, happy children who seek to do the right thing. I have had a few people point that out to me lately and I am thankful that my kids are doing what they have been asked to do. That they are good examples and that they are choosing the right, even when it is easier not to.
• Parker's strong spirit. He was involved in an incident at school last week where another boy ended up punching him several times at recess. The violence was unprovoked, and Parker was fine after an ice-pack and a few deep breaths. I felt so sad that I wasn't there to hug him right afterward (but I did come to school and find him in PE and give him a big hug)! I was told that Parker did nothing wrong, that he withstood the bully's attack in the best way possible. (Neal told him that next time he should punch back. At least one time, and then met with the principal to see what kind of disciplinary measures would have been taken had he done so.) Also, an understandable reaction. I just hope that never happens again to my sweet freckly dude. Sometimes I wish I could just hang on to my kids and never let them outside of the front yard.
• the angel watching over Miles when he was choking on a peppermint yesterday. I have had enough heart-stopping moments for one week, thank you very much.
• my husband, who treats Mother's Day as though it is Wife's Day and does everything he can to make me feel good (with a little bit of help from the kids). I am so sad that his mother is not here to receive Happy Mother's Day wishes and hugs. We miss Mama so much.
• my own mother, who has spent decades of her life devoted to her own six children. I know she still prays for us and worries about us and loves us from afar. I am so grateful to have such an example in my life. I brag about my mom all the time; she is the kind of person I want to be. Love you, Mom.

Girls' Night

Neal took the boys camping for the Fathers and Sons Campout. It was looking sketchy for a while since it had rained all day, but they were tough guys and went out west for the campout anyway. Audrey and I had fun with our girlfriends. We met at the local pottery painting shop for a bit of crafty fun.

Then we grabbed some tacos and met up with some other friends for frozen yogurt. We came home and cuddled a bit before bedtime. Hooray for girls' nights! I am so grateful to have a daughter as loving and sweet as Audrey.