Last Day of Preschool

 It's hard to believe that the school year is over and Hunter has completed a year of preschool.  Today, his class had one last program to show us more songs that they had learned.  As always, they sounded great and the songs are always fun to listen too.

 During the program, we had intermission.  Hunter was in charge of selling popcorn.  Other students were in charge of selling us tickets, putting stamps on our hands and handing out programs.  The last group of students were in charge of handing out straws, spoons and napkins for root beer floats.

 He is proud that he completed his first year of preschool.  We have decided to wait to send him to kindergarten so he will be going again next year which he is thrilled about because he loves his teachers.

 Speaking of teachers, the preschool staff was amazing.  Here is Hunter with his aide, Mrs. Sievert.  She is amazing and I feel as if her work goes unrecognized.  She is constantly helping and during programs is getting the next thing prepared to keep things running smoothly.  She told me that Hunter gives great hugs and gets them often from him.  It is so nice to know that he is loved and not just another student.

 Hunter's teacher was Mrs. Roste.  She is so good at what she does.  I am a little sad that this picture is a little fuzzy, but that's what happens when you have a little boy who is almost two wiggling in your arms.  Mrs. Roste makes learning fun.  I don't know where she gets her energy to keep up with two sections of 18 preschoolers.  I am sure she sleeps well at night.  She has always been so patient and kind to Hunter and I am so impressed with how much she has taught him this past year.  I am thrilled to be able to have Hunter go to Zion for one more year especially when they have such a great preschool staff and know that he is in great hands while learning and having fun.

 Hunter met some great friends while at school.  Here is a picture of he and his friend Dylan after the program/intermission/parade/awards/root beer floats.  They had fun playing in the gym.

This is Hunter's other friend Gabe.  We are sad that both Gabe and Dylan will both be moving on to kindergarten next year, but know that we have made great friendships and that there will be many play dates this summer and hopefully in the years to come. 

It is a bittersweet day for me.  It is a reminder that my little boy is growing up and there is nothing I can do to change it.  But so exciting to see what is to come in the future.  I have no idea what we will be doing Tuesdays and Thursdays now, but excited to have that extra time with the boys because as Mrs. Roste said today, "Enjoy this age because they won't stay little for long."  So true and I realized that every day.  I'm excited though that our Tuesdays and Thursdays will be open so we can go to the cities if we want, or head to Iowa to check out some wind turbines, or go on vacation.  I am sad because we said good-bye to a lot of friends today.  But happy because there are friendships that will last and new ones to be made.  I wish Hunter and Brody could stay little forever.  I love them and not sure how I will ever be able to let them go when the day comes.  But yet, I'm excited to see who they will become and what dreams they will chase.

Sad day on Seventh Street

Today for us, it was a sad day on Seventh Street. Our neighbors across the street moved out of their house. While we are excited to see who will be moving in and for them to enjoy a new home, we are more sad to see the people we have gotten to know so well and become friends with move out. Thankfully they will still be in the area, but it is still hard.
They have a 5 year old boy who Hunter has gotten along with so well and they have developed such a great friendship. He also loved playing with their older daughter who is 8, and I think if you caught Hunter on the right moment, he will admit he liked playing with their 2.5 year old daughter even though they didn't always see eye to eye. Last summer, there was hardly a day when the two boys didn't play together. They were inseparable. They were the kind of neighbors that you could borrow a cup of sugar from, you could trust to send your kids over to their home without having to worry, someone you know would help if you got in a pinch. And the funny thing is, it's not just a saying. We made all of those examples come true.
We have known for over a month that they were moving, but it doesn't sink in until you watch your son hang his head and shed a few tears as he watches the moving truck pull away from the driveway with all of their belongings. I must admit, tears have been shed on my end too. But he has assured me that even though his friend is moving, he knows that they will be friends forever. I really do hope that this is true and that over the years, we continue to get the kids together-their two daughters and son and our two boys. It will be weird not having them around almost everyday. And to see someone else enter their home this weekend. I will miss the chats with their older daughter and the random doorbell rings from their youngest.
Today, Hunter was watching out the window and the new owners were there for the final walk through. He came running to me and said "Mom! Someone is at ***'s house! I think it's robbers! We better go get them!" I explained to him that no, they're not robbers. They are our new neighbors.
As I post, they are arriving and starting to unload their trailer. I know they cannot replace the friendship we have made with the previous family who has lived there, but I do hope they have a kid that Hunter and Brody can be friends with. I hope that they are nice.
Even though it is exciting, it is still a sad day on Seventh Street.

I Can See Clearly Now...

It's hard to believe that is has been almost a year since Hunter received his glasses. I will never forget the day he got them. They looked so foreign on his little face. He looked like a different boy and I hardly recognized him. We drove away from the eye doctor and he exclaimed, "Wow! Everything is so much bigger!" We had no clue he needed glasses let alone that his vision was pretty much horrible. Especially in his right eye. Our eye doctor wanted to do a follow up with him in a month. The day he got his glasses, he was seeing 20/200 out of his right eye! It is amazing to me that he was able to function in the real world without his glasses. He literally had everyone fooled that he had perfect vision. A month had passed and there was little improvement. We tried patching, but that didn't work. We even bought a special patch that would go over his lens to help build the right eye stronger. He hated it. He cried while he wore it. It itched, it felt weird, it was hard to see, everything was blurry. So, we went to plan B and did eye drops that would make his left eye blurry. The problem was that it was blurry for 1-2 days. It wasn't ideal, but we did what we had to do. As the monthly appointments went by we saw major improvements. After two months he was seeing 20/80. Time passed and four months ago he had stalled out at 20/40. There had been no improvement in over 3 months. Our eye doctor was still hopeful that things could change because we caught it at the perfect age, but she also told me that it may not be correctable. My heart kind of sank, but yet was happy at how far he had come. She said we were doing the right things and it may just need time. The good news was that he would still be able to drive, hunt, etc. The bad news was that if the eye became weaker, he would no longer be able to do those things. We didn't tell him that part though. Could you imagine how much that would crush all of his dreams?? Well today we went to the eye doctor. Our first time in 4 months. There was a new optometrist there. I was kind of nervous because our previous one had so much patience with Hunter and would answer all of his questions about how this worked or what that button did or what if you moved this like this...you get the point. Then I saw the new optometrist. he looked like he was stressed and having a bad day and felt overwhelmed. In my head I thought, "Oh great. He will be so annoyed with Hunter and he just wants to move on to his next appointment." I guess the old saying holds true. You can't judge a book by a cover. He was great with Hunter! He hadn't had the time to look through his file that much, but I brought him up to date on what has gone on the past year. He did a thorough exam on Hunter and we found out that he is now seeing 20/30!!! He is determined to get Hunter to seeing perfectly and is amazed at how far Hunter has come in the past year. No more eye drops, or as Hunter likes to call it, the bee sting in his eye. And our next exam won't be until 6 months! But, if I know my son, we will be there in the next month or two with a popped out lens or crooked glasses that need to be adjusted. And the glasses don't look so foreign anymore. They are a part of his look. If anything, he looks weird without them. Funny how things change :)

Life is Precious.

I feel like life is something we take for granted. Something we feel like we deserve. And when do we ever take the time to stop, look around us, and realize how lucky and fortunate we really are. Not too often.
Yesterday I went to a funeral for a 4 month old (son of a friend from elementary school). A little boy who had so much ahead of him. He had just had his 4 month check-up last Tuesday and they told his parents he was healthy. Friday morning he was no longer here on Earth because of SIDS.
I can't imagine the pain his parents are feeling right now, nor do I wish I could. I am sure they have so many questions that will never be answered during our time here on Earth.
While waiting for the service to start, I glanced around the sanctuary seeing if I knew anyone. But, something caught my eye. I watched as his parents said their final good-byes before the funeral director closed his casket in order for the funeral to start. I saw them embrace each other, clinging to the memories they had and the fear of how to face the days and years to come. My heart sank and I could feel a tightness in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. I quickly looked away, but I couldn't help but to cry not only for them, but for all parents who have had to endure such pain. I thought about myself. What would I do without my boys? I have no clue. My life would feel empty. Incomplete. Unfair.
Today is also the one year anniversary that a dear friend of mine lost her mother. Her mom was an amazing person. She literally lit up the room with her smile and laughter whenever she entered. She took the time to get to know me and was a friend to me. I know she is missed daily, but especially today. My heart aches for my friend and her sisters today. I can't imagine not having my mom. We've had our ups and downs, but without her, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be the person I am today. I love my mom with all my heart and feel so blessed to have her here today.
It's sad that it takes such tragedy to make us stop and think of how lucky we really are. I have two boys who are healthy, fun, loving, great personalities and even though there are some days where I feel like I'm living in a zoo and just want to escape for a little bit or scream, I wouldn't change it. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally for who I am through the good and the bad (I sometimes still wonder what he sees in me and question how I got so lucky). Not only is he my husband, but he has become my best friend over the years. Someone I can trust everything with. I have a family who supports me and is there for me through thick and thin. Who will listen to me whenever I need someone to talk to. Who will help with the boys if I need to run an errand or just need a night out with friends. I have friends who choose to like me (yep, I wonder about them too). Friends who allow me to have fun, but let me be serious and have heartfelt conversations. Friends who will listen to me vent about the little things in life that build up over time.
I am so lucky and blessed. Having people in my life who care about me and love me for who I am is the greatest thing I could ever ask for. Life is precious. We take it for granted. But take the time to look around and realize all that you have going for you. Some days it may be hard to see because there are dark days that block it, but if you look really hard, you will find it.