Vacation!

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We went on a cruise and had a blast!  The only negative was not having Emily with us... she has started grad school and a new part time job and wasn't able to attend.  But we did get to hang with Alli and the boys!  Woot!

Four years home

 Fours years home today... look how much they have grown and changed!

The first month home, they were five years old and

 wearing size 3T.  So incredibly cute!

(Candace left and Sarah right)

Now they are nine, and still tiny...

 but such beautiful big girls they have become!

(Candace left and Sarah right)

My heart bursts with love for them every day.  I feel so blessed to be their mommy.

Memorial Day weekend fun

Last day of school was Thursday for the littles.  On Friday, they got to have a delayed birthday sleepover with besties Ava and Sophie.  First we went to see the movie Epic.  It got thumbs up all around, from the bigs and the littles.  Then we enjoyed dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise before returning home for the sleepover fun.  Saturday, Candace and Sarah whipped up some Easy Bake treats from the kit they got from big sis Anna for their birthday.  And last but not least, some swimming made it into the weekend agenda... despite what I would consider less than ideal conditions. (i.e., cold water!)

Ava and Candace

Sarah and Sophie

Decorating the Easy Bake cupcakes.

Showing off the finished products!

Excited for the first swim of the season!

School's out... let summer begin

Today was the last day of class for the 2012-2013 school year.  There have been several fun activities over the last couple of weeks:  field trips, class picnics and (pictured below) track and field day.  I love watching the kids try their hardest at some pretty interesting events.

Candace was pretty good at the standing long jump.

Sarah jumped 64 times in one minute... without any misses!

Thomas struggled valiantly in the anchor position in tug of war.

Many of our evenings and Saturday mornings have been taken up with baseball and softball.  The girls played last year and did surprisingly well... they had never even heard of the game until we signed them up for it.  They took to it quite naturally.  This year they are old pros and have really improved.  Both are good batters and Candace has quite an arm on her little self.  This is Thomas' rookie year in baseball.  As a kindergartner, he "should" be in t-ball in our league, but the organizers recommend he play up a level, in coach pitch.  Apparently word of his athleticism on the soccer field preceded him.  Do I sound a little like a bragging parent?  Well, yeah.  

Thomas at bat.

Sarah loves to play catcher.  :)

Candace takes off for first after getting a hit.

Looking forward to lazy summer days and enjoying more of the great American past time with my littles.

Nine years old!

On Friday, Candace and Sarah turned NINE years old!  It's hard for me to believe my little twins have gotten so big.  We had a very busy day, but managed to have some special birthday fun.

First up, birthday lunch at school with Mommy and Anna.

After school, presents!  The whole family was there to watch.

The twins and Thomas with the presents he gave them.

Finally, after a thrilling evening softball game

 against the white Ashland team... birthday cake!

The Graduate

May 10, 2013... it's graduation day at Iowa State University.

There are dignitaries and speeches...

... and many graduates.  This one is our favorite,

 oldest daughter Emily.

A proud cum laude graduate with her very proud parents.

Sisters in real life and through AOII, too.

Good-bye, Cyclones.

 Good-bye, Cy.

 Good-bye for now, bestie Maggie.

 Jump for joy... moving on with life!

First Holy Communion

On a windy Saturday afternoon, two precious children of God

 prepared to receive their First Holy Communion.

Beautiful twin sisters... Candace Selam and Sarah Fikir.

The whole family was there to celebrate...

...even Grandma Miles came from Indiana!

Mommy and Daddy are very happy and proud.

Mass began with a procession of 

First Communicants into the church.

Sarah and Candace were so excited!

Receiving the holy sacrament.

Receiving blessed scapulars.

 Happy girls!

Some pictures are by Abbey Marie Photography.

Happy birthday, Anna

Saturday, Anna came back from college to attend prom with her good friend Scott.

He was crowned prom king.  :)

On Sunday, the cute little baby pictured above...

...celebrated her 19th birthday a day early.  

Today is the real deal.  Happy birthday, sweet and funny Anna.  

We love you so much.

A spring evening

Spring is starting to show around here... finally... and although the clouds were out, the warm temperatures lured the kids back outside after dinner this evening for the first time in awhile.

Sarah swinging... I love to watch little kids swing.

  They just radiate joy.

Eyasu jumping on the trampoline with Alli.

Thomas

Candace, Zachary and Sarah with their sand pie.

Thomas, Alli and Zach on the trampoline.

It was a nice evening for doggies, too.