Meet the Newest Member of the Pierced Ears Club

We've always joked with Kiera, "Wanna get your ears pierced today?" and she never took us up on it. Well there is nothing better than your peers to get you to do something...Caitlin came over a few weekends ago with pierced ears which quickly prompted Kiera to want to do the same! She and I went to the mall. She picked out her own earrings, "jewel butterflies" as she calls them. I was hoping for "pink ice" like Auntie Em's first earrings to carry on the family tradition, but she was set on the butterflies. She didn't cry at all, but said it hurt a little bit. She has proudly showed off her earrings to everyone she comes into contact with!

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Happy 60th Birthday, Papa!

You are too sweet to us!

We love you!

Timber!

We watched through the front window throughout the day as the tree came down.  

Farewell Big Tree

We had to bid our lovely, old oak tree adieu this summer. We loved her shade, privacy and little face; we didn't, however, love the fact that she was an accident waiting to happen...a cracking, 3-way split trunk. We grabbed the camera and snapped a few last photos of our fam and the tree.

Celebrate Good Times!

Last weekend was birthday party weekend for Kiera! She went to three parties. The first was for her friend I at a horse barn. The kids got to groom, tack and ride horses. Right after that, we went to cousin Gia's third party. They just moved into a new house with a pool so the kids spent a lot of their time in the there. On Sunday, Kiera went to S's Super Hero Bowling birthday party. The kids were supposed to dress up as a super hero...so I made Kiera a Super Kiera costume.

Grooming 

 Riding

 Kiera and the birthday girl 

 The cousins swimming

 Kiera and Karson are inseparable! 

 Superhero bowling line up!

 Kiera and the birthday boy

First Day of Kindergarten

Today was Kiera's first day of Kindergarten! It was really more of a "meet and greet" meeting. Only the girls in the class and their parents came to the school for an hour to meet the teacher and the aide and see the classroom. We also heard about the classroom procedures and routines. Kiera's teacher is Mrs. Simoson and the aide is Mrs. Ziegler. She was excited to put her supplies into her cubby and meet a few of her classmates. I think I was more nervous and anxious than she was and only got teary eyed for the end of the meet and greet when we were taking pictures and talking one on one with the teacher and aide. I can't wait for Kiera to learn new things, especially how to read! 

First Day gift for the teacher and aide...an apple and a

 Bath & Body apple scented hand sanitizer 

 Brooke is going to miss having Kiera at home all day!

 She struck this pose all on her own!

 Kiera and Mrs. Ziegler, her classroom aide

 Kiera and Mrs. Simoson, her kindergarten teacher

 Is St. Raphael's ready for this girl?

 I had a special treat waiting for Kiera in the car...

 ...stating she's "Oh-fish-ally" a Kindergartener!

Swim Lessons

Kiera took three weeks of swim lessons this summer. She was in level three and passed to level four. She enjoyed Friday Fun Day on the diving boards and the slide.

Here she is getting her certificate

High Dive!

Low dive!

Slide!