There’s 6 inches of snow on the ground, it’s 25 degrees, and I’m sitting in my office in my winter coat and space heater practically on my lap.  My office sits above the garage and it’s FREEZING.  I’m going to try to tough it out so I can share this post about Drew.

Drew LOVES KU basketball.  I think he likes to pave his own way and try something different than the rest of the family.  A rebel, I guess.  Maybe just in regards to his love of KU, because he’s actually not a rebel at all.  He’s the sweetest kid around!

We signed him up to be a ball kid at Allen Fieldhouse again this year and he was selected for the East Tennessee State game.Luckily we have connections for less popular game tickets and we sat a few rows off the court (thank you Don!!) Look how close we are!We had amazing view, however, the best seat was the one he had right there on the hardwoods.  It’s definitely worth all the sweeping!Check out this cute video clip of the warm up.  He was in heaven being so close to those players! 

Brian was sitting behind me with his arms crossed, meanwhile I was cheering for KU and ended up on the big screen waving my arms in excitement in Allen Fieldhouse and on TV.  FAMOUS!  Brian didn’t even get a picture of it.  boo!  And this isn’t the first time I was famous!  Remember when Morgan and I ended up on TV for being model baseball fans at Drew’s game!?

Apparently they were doing a news story on how crazy spectators get at youth sports games and we caught the attention of the camera for having fun and not yelling/losing our cool at other parents/umps etc.  That’s how we roll…just happy to be there to support!  No crazy behavior here.  That ended up being Drew’s last few games of baseball and as much as I will miss it, because he is wickedly smart about the sport, the pace of play is just not for him.

He is now on two basketball teams and just won his first tournament with his GABL Futures team.  Way to go Drew!

Just the day before Drew got to be a ball kid, he was chosen to be part of the assembly at school with KC Wolf!  This kiddo was having an amazing week.  It couldn’t have happened to a better guy, he’s wild about sports and also a great student.  I think he’s fitting right into middle school and winning the hearts of all the teachers. 

Luckily a friend of mine is a teacher there and sent me the pictures and a video clip…

He did say it was a little smelly in there!  Drew says some of the greatest things ever.  Just ask my family, we can laugh forever.  And the best part is, he isn’t trying to be funny or sweet or charming.  He just is!  This week I was giving him trouble for always wearing the same shirt and he said, “well, this is my cold and tired shirt.”  And who can argue with that?  When it’s early, you’re cold, and you’re tired, you just have that certain shirt that makes you feel better.  You go DREW…wear that shirt with pride…except it’s too small.  Let’s find a new “cold and tired” shirt!!

 

 

It’s December 2019.  This means Fall soccer is over and  we’re already into the indoor season!  Competitive soccer is a year-round commitment and with 4 kids that love the sport, I suppose you could refer to me as a “soccer mom,” but I’m not one for titles.  The truth is, I’m not a soccer mom.  I’m an all-sport mom, a laundry expert, a carpooler, errand-runner, appointment maker, proofreader, problem-solver, counselor, and just all-around ‘keep the ship afloat’ mom.  So yes, I LOVE to watch my kids play soccer but I also love to decorate, create, craft, exercise, learn about wellness, plant flowers, watch movies, go out to eat, spend time with friends & family, travel, write, read, organize, help others, and probably a bunch of other things too!  This might be news to my kids even though these have been hanging on the wall since their births,I was always very committed to excelling in school, got two college degrees in 5 years, had a career at Hallmark for 15 years, and here I am now not titling myself in any fashion, but hoping to excel in this phase of life and document a little bit.  A large part of me hopes my kids follow in my footsteps in regards to education and as always, I want to set an excellent example for them.  We could have a future wildcat in the house!!

Back to soccer!!  While these cuties were enjoying the football game in Lawrence, I was in St. Louis with Reece for a soccer tournament.  I’m a professional soccer tournament attender now.  My bags practically pack themselves!  Reece’s team is wonderfully talented and made it to the championship game.  We came home with finalists medals instead of champions but we enjoyed the weekend together.  The girls had an extra room to hang out in “the she shed” and parents went crazy in the lobby.  It’s really not about soccer at all and more about the parents having a wild weekend — wait, did I say that!?

When they weren’t playing soccer, they were watching soccer!  What the heck is wrong with these 8-9 year olds!?And I missed half the championship game standing in line for a shirt that Reece doesn’t even like that much…oh for the looooove.

In regards to this season, they finished with 12 wins, 5 losses and 3 ties.  They scored 59 goals and conceded 37.  They went 5-3 in league, won the CSI and finished second in the MAG and SLSG Fall Classic.  I don’t actually know these stats, people, this comes from the head coach who is absolutely obsessed with soccer and emails us multiple times a day (we love you, Chris)!  I’m not a stats keeper at all!!  But I do want to share this quote from the coach, “The competition they faced I assure you is the finest I have seen in all my years at this age of player.  The level of play is so much higher than it was even five years ago it is truly amazing to me.”  And here are a few more pics from the fall season…

Meanwhile, Drew at the old age of 11, has been playing on two soccer teams and 3 leagues and a new competitive basketball team.  He’s played in a million games (one Wichita tourney) and I don’t even have many pictures!  Maybe it’s because I’m just constantly worried about if he has on the right uniform or he’s at the right soccer complex, or even playing the right sport!?  His primary team (2008 MLS) has a new coach and everyone is adjusting.  Instead of doing tournaments, he opted to play in two leagues 9v9 and 11v11.  That’s a LOT of running.  Thankfully Drew is good at that!

 

 

 

Jake has had a bit of a hiatus from his team.  Since a majority of his teammates were playing on their high school teams, he has been practicing with his old team.  However, they are now back together and played in the HIT tourney in November.  They came up with finalists medals which is quite good considering they have not been practicing together for a few months.  These guys are always fun to watch!

 

Morgan started in a new club after being part of the Fusion family since 3rd grade…wow!  Change is GOOD!  With the exception of having to buy and entirely new uniform kit….eek!   She loves her new coach and is enjoying a new number, new friends, and new challenges.  GO MOMO!

So there you have it…lots of soccer memories!  We’re moving on to basketball/indoor soccer/futsal season.  More to come!

 

It’s always a whirlwind around here.  As I sit here in my office for the first time in weeks.  I’m looking around at stacks of stuff that I want to go through and sort into memory boxes.  For Jake’s 14th birthday, I remolded his room and still have all of this piled in my office now…

How did this happen!?  Isn’t that the way it goes for moms?  We spend our time making everything great for others and we get what is left over!  In my case, it’s a messy office full of stuffed animals and baby bedding I can’t part with.  I guess it’s not a bad thing to always put others first, but if I don’t get a handle on this soon, I’m going to be overtaken by piles in here.

What started out as a harmless trip to Target to get a birthday balloon in the dollar aisle ended up with an idea to remodel and cart overflowing with stuff.  This is the way I do things sometimes – just ask my family or my neighbor, Kim, she crossed paths with me that day in Target and I don’t think it even phased her that I ended up at the paint store an hour later.

My Jakers was leaving for the weekend with a friend – what an awesome surprise!

After 24 hours, it looked like this – with the help of my amazing side-kick, Morgan, of course.  And Brian, who said he would NOT be a part of it, ended up putting on a second coat of paint for me.  I love it when my peeps actually embrace my ideas.  My dad has said when I put my mind to something, I go for it.  He’s right.  And look at my super handsome birthday boy!The first thing he said was….where are all my trophies!?  Here we are in December now and they are still in a plastic bin in the garage.  It’s on my to-do list to get some of those back in there.
In the meantime, he passed his drivers permit test on the first try, we pulled off any amazing football-themed celebration, and he played football for the first time since he was in grade school.  I would say this guy is living it up right!

I love this guy so much, it’s hard to even describe.  He is an annoying teenager that wants to spend most of his time with friends right now, he loses everything that’s not strapped down to his body, and he eats like an animal, but I know his warm, kind heart is still in there!  It’s just a phase of life and I’m determined to be a part of it.  Jakers, keep being your charming, funny, & smart self.  YOU ARE LOVED!

Awwwww….I really want to go back to the days when Jake asked for a Rainbow Loom for his birthday!!  Remember the “rainbow loom” craze!?  We found this in the closet and it brought a smile to all of our faces.

I can’t wait to see what my Jakers accomplishes in the year ahead!  One thing is for sure, he is no longer in youth-sized clothing or shoes and he can set his chin right down on the top of my head with ease.  He’s really making me look short 😉

 

 

It’s hard to believe that my little Jakers is not my little Jakers anymore!  He’s actually quite tall now and he has his driving permit!  Gasp!  You blink your eyes and they are suddenly 14.  We had an amazing birthday celebration for him, by the way, but that will be another post.  Has anyone noticed that I still haven’t posted from Reece’s birthday party in May?  Gasp, again!!

Jake is a huge lover of the sport of golf and he was on the course all summer long.  He’s driven, he’s focused, he’s always “all in,” and he’s an absolute blast to watch.  I love seeing his expressions, I love seeing how he interacts with other players, and let’s just face it, he’s looking sharp in his golf clothes.  As summer came to an end and Fall sports began, we realized his club soccer team is comprised of 99% high school students.  What this means for Jake is, he has no team in the Fall while those teammates are playing for their high schools.  At first I was a little freaked out by this.  For so many years we do our normal crazy life of 18 million soccer games.  And change is hard for me!  In hindsight, this has been perfect.  This freed up his weekends to play the US Kids Golf circuit.

Jake has played every weekend at numerous golf courses in the KC area and played some excellent rounds of golf!!  I couldn’t be more proud of him!  Although I don’t get to be at most of the tournaments because I’m not his normal caddie, and it’s my job to get the rest of the kids to their activities, I am always up to date on just about every stroke he takes- thanks to the normal caddies – Brian and my dad.

This is “Papa Bear” as Jake has appropriately named him and they will talk about golf and watch golf 24-7.  They love spending time together and are always having a good laugh about who knows what!?  They always seem like they’re ‘up to no good,’ as they say.  Papa Bear is always out for the thrill of getting something free – so he picks up tons of golf balls along the way as he watches his grandkids play.  Check his pockets…they are always full!

And he always has this advice….LOOK AT YOUR PUTTS BOTH WAYS!  I bet I’ve heard this a billion times and it makes me smile every time.  However, this fetish he has with finding free golf balls is getting ridiculous!

Jake ended up in 3rd place for the Fall season among some very talented golfers and that’s an amazing accomplishment!  He of course wants to be in 1st and qualify to go play at Pinehurst, but a very solid season, nonetheless.  It’s been ups, downs, torrential downpours, it’s been a wild and fun ride!  I have no doubt there are many more tournaments in his future.  This kid has his sights set on playing college golf.  GO JAKE!

Whoa…struggling to find a place to start here.  This is the first day I actually feel like a somewhat normal person since returning from the 6A State Championship in Hutchinson, KS, with a fat speeding ticket in hand.  That’s right, I got out of there so fast, that I actually got a speeding ticket!  Doesn’t that officer know that I’m tired, completely wind-blown, and emotionally drained after watching my precious daughter agonize for days.  I mean, does this guy not have daughters!?  Surely he understands!?  Well no he doesn’t, he just sees my Johnson county plates and Patagonia coat in the passenger seat and he wants to stick it to me.  Ok fine, so I’m bitter about it.

Moving on. The girls arrived in Hutch on Sunday morning to play a practice round–9 sets of clubs and pull carts + luggage in 1 school van and 1 suburban.  eek!

On day 1, with wind gusts up to 60mph in the prairie lands of Hutch, these girls were fighting hard.  Morgan had an amazing first 9 holes in these conditions.  In fact she was sitting in a great position after 9, among 90 girls.  Job very well done, Mo!

The next 9 holes didn’t go the way she wanted and she ended up shooting 100.  She strives to shoot under 100, but in these conditions, I was so happy with what she did.  Especially considering there are girls out here that hire private coaches and practice in their basements all winter long.  As much as you try to console, it’s just flat out HARD to get mentally re-set.  There were tears, there were hugs, and there was Brian cussing out the taxi company that was late to pick him up to take him to Wichita to catch a flight for a business trip.  Anything to keep the day interesting!  

The head coach was sick in her room, the assistant coach was taking an on-line class in his room, so all the girls piled into my van (1 on the floorboard) and I took them to dinner.  We had a good time and spirits were fine considering we had just found out that our team was tied for 6th place (top 6 teams advance to play the next day), and we lost in the tie-breaker.

However, Morgan, and 3 of her teammates did qualify to play as individuals based on their Day 1 scores.  YAY!!

As I arrived at the course on Day 2, I reminded Morgan to just have fun and be grateful to be there, grateful to be playing on Day 2.  Many other girls had to pack up and go home and the weather was better–a sigh of relief.

The first 3 holes went well!  Then the wheels fell off and mentally Morgan was just not there.  I would like to be able to explain how that feels as a mom to watch your child mentally suffer for 6 hours, but I can’t actually put it into words.  She’s always the bright spot, the encourager, the happy one!

All I know, is whether she’s first or last, I’m always proud.  Some days do not go as we hope, but she’s a healthy, bright, beautiful, and hard-working young lady.  She’s honestly, the most amazing 16 year old I have ever known.  I  assure you that I was never that awesome when I was in High School, and I was a good kid!

Here are a few shots of her during the tournament!  These girls are AMAZING.  Some people may not be fans of the sport or think it’s boring and long.  I have an appreciation for these student athletes like I’ve never had before.  They have to be skilled and mentally tough and quite honestly, many of us could never hack it.  Congratulations to all these young ladies who came this far in the season!Last year Morgan shot her best round at the state tournament and I know she had hopes to do it again, and I think this pressure was the downfall.  It’s time to put this cart she’s been living on for the last 3 months, AWAY, and re-focus!  WE ADORE YOU MORGAN and you deserve everything good in life!  GO GIRL….we see you being AWESOME every day!

On a sidenote–we put together the best goodies bags for our girls!!  They deserve every bit of it!  Victoria Klausner, our #1, took 3rd place at State — she’s amazing!!

Morgan had so many well wishes from friends and family and we appreciate it so much!  Our favorite was a video clip she received from this precious little one that she babysat this summer…

Ok I guess I’ll get back to paying my stupid speeding ticket.  Ugh.

 

 

Somehow this 11 year old has ventured into middle school and eligible to run cross country.  Just a second ago he was in Kindergarten, I swear!

The kid can RUN!!  Without hesitation, we signed him up and Jake as well.  Jake ended up ditching at the last minute to play football – but that’s an entirely different post!  It’s a short season,  practicing 4 days a week, and most of the season was boiling hot.  Not to mention, Drew is playing on 2 soccer teams and a competitive basketball team right now.  EEK!  Needless to say, from time to time, we let him skip practice and prayed for the season to be over so we didn’t get turned in for over exerting our kiddo.  Our good friend, Stacey, spotted Drew along the road running one afternoon and she almost picked him up, she felt so sorry for him!  LOL!

 

Don’t worry, he’s a beast!  Most days, he said he could keep running, he wasn’t even very tired.  He must get this from his mom!  Actually, I don’t like to use this word, but I HATE running 😉  I love to exercise, but going on a run is terribly boring to me.  So, thankfully, my boys are not taking after me in that area.

In 6th grade, the number of runners is plentiful.  Then it starts to tail off as the kids get older and realize that running is hard.  Look at all these 6th grade boys!And they’re off!!Within 6 minutes and 34 seconds, Drew as crossing the finish line and we were rushing off to the next activity.  It literally takes longer to get in and out of the high school parking lot than it takes to watch the meet.  Look out…that ONW parking lot is treacherous!  It’s a wonder any of those students make it out of there without it being a crash up derby.A fantastic 2nd place finish for our Drew!

The 2nd meet was against Frontier Trail and Oregon Trail and a rain shower came through right at the start.  They finished and another 2nd place finish.  He’s got this figured out!

He clocked in at 5:48 for his mile run.  That’s my boy!

 

The 3rd meet was back at the ONW course and was against Mission Trail and Chisholm Trail.  He improved his time to 6:19 on this course and another 2nd place finish!  We aren’t sure how he managed that because he got tripped and trampled at the start!!  Love the perseverance to overcome that one!

Finally, at the pinnacle of the season, the ALL CITY meet was held at CBAC and it’s an 8am race.  And it was cool for once!!  Unfortunately, Drew never feels great in the morning.  Generally he has a stomach ache and it takes him forever just to get a granola bar down the hatch.   With the combination of nerves and the early hour, he struggled to gear up and decided not to sprint at the start which had been his strategy in the previous races and worked well for him.  He ended up missing a medal by one place and took 11th.  Which I personally think is amazing out of all of those schools!!  That’s a huge accomplishment!  He knew he could do better so he was disappointed.

He sprinted past the finish line and all the talk in the stands with PRT parents was….Drew must be sick if he’s not coming in 1st for Prairie Trail.  Every meet this season he was 1st for his school.

PRT took 2nd place in the city in 6th grade boys, 7th grade girls and boys, and 3rd in 8th grade girls. Out of ten schools, this is an amazing accomplishment!  Way to go Huskies!

It’s been such a great season and no matter where I went, if I ran into people from school, they always commented on what a great runner and athlete Drew is.  SO PROUD of him for trying something new and excelling.  I already can’t wait until next season!  I know this won’t shock most of you, but I pretty much tear up at every meet because I’m so proud of all of those kids out there!

 

 

I have a love/hate relationship with back to school time.  I love the cute back to school outfits, squeaky-clean new shoes, meeting new teachers, and routine.  However, I hate that it also marks the end of summer, my fave season.  This means I have to catch up on everything I throw to the side because “it’s summer.”  Summer is a sabbatical from my normal.  And when I say “throw to the side” I mean that literally.  This is Morgan’s 16th birthday party that is thrown in the corner of the basement STILL!

And I still haven’t downloaded pictures from Reece’s 9th birthday party in MAY.

This summer was quite different than the past.  Mostly because the kids were busy and gone a lot!

Morgan spent her summer being a nanny for 2 families – 3 adorable girls and life-guarding at the Lenexa Rec Center.  She rocked it and worked her little heart out but we missed her smile around here very much!

Jake spent every day on the golf course.  If he wasn’t playing, he was practicing, and also competed in multiple KCJT (Kansas City Junior Tour) events and on the PGA Jr team representing Lake Quivira.  His passion and commitment for the sport of golf is awesome!  He also played some great baseball and spent some time in the basement gaming – I mean he is a 13 year old boy!My dad (Papa) has pretty much turned into Jake’s full time caddie and Jake LOVES it.  They are quite a pair!  The only thing missing is Papa wearing one of those weird caddie bibs.  Papa, you need to step up your professional caddie attire!

So many memories being built on the golf course.  And my absolute favorite part of watching Jake this summer was seeing him in his element, teaching young aspiring golfers with such patience.  He could come in dead last in every tournament for the rest of his life, and I will never be more proud of this.  THIS is so much more important than a low golf score.  Keep it up JAKE!

Drew played a lot of golf, took some intense basketball lessons, and finished out his last season of baseball.  So sad to see him moving on from a sport that he’s so good at (best 2nd baseman around!)  but he has a passion for basketball right now and when he sets his mind on something, that’s it!

Reece moved up to Level 4 in gymnastics which means she has doubled her time in the gym to 13.5 hours a week.  Yikes!  She also tried competitive dive this summer and really excelled, making it to All City with a 2nd place medal around her neck.  WAY TO GO REECE!

Some other “firsts” for Reece this summer — competing in the Drive, Chip, & Putt sub regional competition and making money being a range attendant for the Lake Quivira member guest tournament.

Awww…there are so many more memories I would love to share about the summer but I would literally be here all night reminiscing!

BACK TO SCHOOL…

School registration occurs online, but there is a day at the end of July that the middle schoolers can get their schedule and get into their lockers.  For the 2nd year in a row, I have strolled into the school BY MYSELF to pick up schedules, while everyone else has their kids in tow, walking schedules, decorating lockers, & taking pictures….

I never did get Jake to come to school before the 1st day so I left him a little locker note and school supplies.  By the end of the 1st school day, he had already been to the counselor and changed his entire schedule around!

Drew did finally get some practice using a locker and walked his route a few times.  Thank you Drew for appeasing your mom and acting a little more excited about the upcoming school year!  First year of middle school…this is BIG!

In elementary school, you find out your teacher by looking on an app the Saturday before school starts.  As soon as I woke up, I  checked it, and sure enough it did not have the name listed that she was expecting.  In tears of panic she called me saying “what if I don’t learn anything and I’m not ready for 5th grade!?”  She always wants the teachers that her siblings have had and true to her elementary school career, she did not get a Conley teacher from the past.  She never has.  Pave your own way, Reecie, you’ve got this!

Meet Mrs. Miller!  She has a perfectly organized and colorful room with a couch, cute pillows, fuzzy blanket, and she’s a K-Stater.  What’s not to love!?  She is described from past students as “chill” and “laid back”, all the kids adore her, and loves math.  These adjectives are quite opposite of how I would describe Reece, which is where her concern lies.  In Reece’s world, she likes to stick to the rules, no funny business, and every student should be on task.  Love that she has these visions of perfection, but seriously…that is just not realistic in ANY classroom.  I think Reece is going to have a GREAT year in Mrs. Miller’s class, she seems wonderful!

Each year I write the kids a letter about the upcoming school year (a lost art in this day and age) accompanied by a small gift.  Each year it changes, sometimes each kid gets the same thing or type of thing and sometimes it’s just whatever I can get pulled together as my summer sabbatical comes to an end (ie scrambling around like a crazy lady).  This year my theme was cleanliness and essentials.  So – deodorant, cologne, toothpaste, shower supplies, essential oils, and underwear.  Come on – they’re getting older – they need to understand the importance of that stuff!

On the first day(s) of school we always gather in our driveway with neighbors for breakfast and pictures.  For some reason, the actual “first day” is never the same day for my crew, so we get to do it twice.  It makes Drew really happy to get dressed up two days in a row and smile for the camera super early in the morning.

Look at this adorable crowd!

The Dearmore family has 2 seniors in the house now!!  I cannot believe it!

Morgan gets an extra shout out for setting her alarm to get up and watch Drew and Reece get on the bus for their first days as 4th & 6th graders (she didn’t start school until the following day) BEST BIG SISTER!

And take a look at my darling nieces and nephews on their first days of school!  They are all growing up so fast.  Ethan, Alyssa, Collin, Audrey, Eli, and Zach…I’m excited to see the amazing things you do this school year!

Cheers to the 2019-2020 school year!

The Conley’s are not stellar bike riders.  Period.  When I was little, all I did was ride bikes-EVERYWHERE!  Around the neighborhood, to Kerr’s pharmacy to get candy and Icee’s and when Hardee’s opened in south Olathe, you better believe we rode up there to get french fries!  We were pros.

In preparation for our annual back to school donut ride to Price Chopper with the neighborhood, I had the tires aired up and trial runs completed around the block.  This was going to be our most successful ride yet!  In the past, it’s been an absolute disaster most of the time.  Either the kids can’t make it up the hills or their chain falls off or they aren’t experienced enough so they take a scooter or walk instead.  The one year Reece got enough courage to ride a bike, she slammed into a pole just yards from our house and we had to ditch the bike along the path and walk the rest of the way.  And when Morgan was going into 8th grade, she flipped over the handlebars and broke her wrist and skinned up her face.  That one was REALLY SCARY!

Honestly, I’ve made it my lifelong motherhood quest to make this bike ride work.  I never give up.

I am so pleased to report that we DID IT!  All 4 of my kiddos made it to Price Chopper and back and there were absolutely no incidences!!  I have such a feeling of PRIDE today…GO CONLEY KIDS GO!  It’s going to be a great school year, I can feel it!

And a sidenote….getting your kids up at 7:30 a.m. to ride bikes when you still have one last day to sleep in before summer ends is not easy!

 

Our first baby was due on the 4th of July.  She decided to make a grand entrance a few days early.  And when I say “grand” I mean she tried to pop out before making it to the hospital.  SCARY!  Brian was driving like a wild man and I was hanging on for dear life.  Many of you know that Brian is a wild driver, but on June 29, 2003, it was the worst I’ve ever experienced.  But, we made it!  Thank goodness! 

This past week as I prepared to celebrate her sweet 16, I have reflected on a lot of memories of Morgan.  Our baby girl would never sleep, made messes, had to be rocked constantly, but she was absolutely adored by every person she came into contact with.  Some things never change.

There are people you come into contact with in life that are just extraordinary and Morgan is one of those people for me.  She never ceases to amaze me with her positive attitude, her willingness to try new things, her hard work ethic, determination, and she’s just a bright, beautiful, and fun person.  I don’t know how I got so lucky.  I mean I might not have felt that way when she was crying, making messes and covering herself in diaper rash cream during her naptime, but I see it very clearly now.

She’s 16, driving, and bringing home a paycheck as a lifeguard and nanny.  WOW times have changed!

It’s summertime and I’m running around like a crazy lady getting my busy kids to their activities and all the while trying to pull off a beautiful party for her.  Morgan helped me so much! 16 looks great on this girl!We tried to surprise her when she woke up with the driveway COMPLETELY covered in chalk art made especially for her, a giant yard sign, and a lot of bling hanging from our tree!

I styled a sweet 16 party for our dear friend, Emily Kate, earlier in the year so I used the same inspiration and added in the greenery.  Sometimes It just takes one napkin or one roll of wrapping paper or a little succulent plant to inspire me.  When I asked Morgan’s opinion, she said, whatever you do always turns out cute so go ahead with your idea.  I love that she trusts my designs because sometimes I don’t even trust myself!

As I was working along I decided it was perfect for a teenage girl and I LOVED it so much!

As I looked around our home that was filled with so many friends and family celebrating this special occasion, my heart was so full.  I think we had about 63 people here!  Morgan is LOVED!

Everyone was so excited for this party!  Reece had her outfit, jewelry, and hair accessories laid out days in advance.  Drew was so disappointed that his baseball tournament games interfered and he would miss out on the great food.  Don’t worry, he made it and we fed him well!  Other than the Dearmore’s slacking off and heading home early – we had an absolute blast!  Just kidding – I had to include that because it’s been a hot topic of post-party discussion;)

I’m not sure what I did on my 16th birthday, but I’m so thrilled that I got to do this for Morgan and she deserves the world.  Can’t wait to see what life has in store for her.

And the worst part is taking this beautiful party down.  It’s soooo sad!  All that work just gets shoved in the basement – and trust me, it’s still sitting there and probably will be until school starts back up again!

If you would like to watch Morgan’s Sweet 16 Video, you can view it in dropbox here (may have to copy and paste into your browser)…

https://www.dropbox.com/s/00cportdduwmxaa/Morgan16Bday%20Video.mp4?dl=0

LOVE YOU BABY GIRL!

I have decided to dedicate this post to my Drew Boo because let’s face it, he’s just sweet and cute and he has had A LOT going on!!  It’s hard to believe this guy has completed his elementary school career!  Here he was in 2013 on Kindergarten sneak a peek night and his first day of Kindergarten….uhhh can you say CUTE!?

Kindergarten is the absolute BEST!  He only went in the mornings, so I got to spend all afternoon with him.  awwww I miss those days!

Fast forward to his last days of 5th grade…He’s grown and changed but he is still the very kind-hearted boy he’s always been.  Just ask Mrs. Swearengin, she agrees!

The last days of school are always filled with excitement and nerves and so many activities!  I, of course, try to make it to everything even if I’m wearing the same workout clothes from the day before.  There’s only time for so much!  The cool upperclassmen (5th graders) get to be station leaders for Fit-n-Fun day and he agreed that it was a lot of work looking after all the younger kids and trying to keep them in line!  It’s validation that being a teacher is really hard work!

They always have an awards assembly which is pretty uneventful but cute to see all the kiddos standing up to be recognized.  The best part is watching the teachers trying to keep the antsy kids from losing their patience!  Teachers are amazing.

This was also the day that Drew was in a state of worry because he discovered that his very organized mother didn’t order him a yearbook.  WHAT!?  The rest of the afternoon I was in a frantic panic trying to figure out what went wrong and in a puddle of tears.  I ALWAYS order yearbooks no matter the cost and I, Indeed, had not purchased yearbooks for Reece or Drew.  My poor kids had to be the ones who got a sheet of white paper for their autographs.  This was a major low-point in my mom career!

Turns out I wasn’t the only one that made this same mistake and thankfully, I was able to get my hands on one on the last day of school.  Hallelujah!  My good friend, Stacey, made a color copy of one so at least Reece has something!

The 5th graders always take a final field trip to the KU campus to tour Allen Fieldhouse, do a scavenger hunt throughout the natural history museum, lunch at the KU Union, and swimming at Free State High School.  It’s always a blast and the kids really look forward to it.  It helps that Drew is a KU fan but you better believe that Brian was wearing his purple to chaperone his group!

Meet the Manchester Park 5th grade class!!

One of the other highlights for me this May was the 5th grade talent show!!  Drew and his buddies did a dance/rap choreographed by our sweet friend, Keaton Coad.  They absolutely ROCKED it!!  I LOVE the courage these kids have!  I remember being in the talent show with my friend, Chesley, and we did a dance.  Wish I had video footage of that!!  Back then, you put a cassette tape in a boom box for your music!!  LOL!

These boys were the last performance and they stole the show!  Way to go boys!

The 5th grade graduation night is short and sweet but what isn’t short and sweet is a mom who obsesses over the outfit for the evening.  I was bound and determined to have Drew the best dressed even if it took days of scouring the stores for clothing and shoes!

This guy is looking SHARP!

Look out Prairie Trail…these 6th graders are coming your way!  YIKES!!

In the midst of all of the school activities, of course, sports are still in full swing and we love every minute of watching this guy do his thing.  Even our precious Grammy made it out to the fields to see him!  Total highlight of the month and she’s a trooper!!Drew’s U11 soccer team became division 1 champs with a win over the Billy Goats, their very talented rival.  Drew scored the game winning goal in the final minutes and I can honestly say, it was one of the proudest moments of my sports-mom life!Drew works really hard and he did his job in a clutch situation.  I jumped out of my seat so fast and jumped up and down in the far corner of the field like a crazy person!  And those of you that know me as a spectator, that is not something I do!  I usually sit quietly in my seat like a good girl 😉  SO HAPPY for these boys!And my grammy got to witness it!  She’s the good luck charm!Just prior to this, his team traveled to Wichita, KS to compete in the Wichita Spring Invitational and came home CHAMPIONS!!  I can assure you, these boys are so fun to watch!!

And competed in the Junior State Cup…And it’s also baseball season…these NBA baseball kiddos are so great!

Ok ok ok I could talk forever and ever about Drewy so I will close here with the last day of school – the 5th grade party and clap out!!  The last day my little guy will pass through the doors of Manchester Park as a student.  Wow – how did that happen!?  Drew, you are so LOVED and we couldn’t be more PROUD.

I’m the luckiest person in the world to be Drew’s mom!!  A new adventure is ahead and I’m embracing it (with tears of course because that’s just what I do!)

Happy Summer!!