The dance recital is getting closer and closer!

 All three of my kids got compliments this last practice.

Quinn for working so hard.

Denali for making her partner smile and work hard.

Isaiah for helping his partner in such a kind way.

OH I love my kids!

 Denali is the only one that has her costumes as of right now, so here is a peak at those.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, we now have more money in our money bags!  It's been great talking about finances, a big important talk to have.  Learning to be responsible, while also being able to treat ourselves is a big concept, and I think we are figuring a few things out.  This will also be nice because the kids will not be asking us for anything, because if they do, we get a quarter, we also get a quarter if they make bad choices on the drive there.  I've told them, they can make as many bad choices as they want, because all the quarters I get, I get to spend on a Disney gift for me!  So they can be as naughty as they want.  They are sure I will not be getting any of their quarters, so we will see!  Thanks for the great idea, Shelley!  Thanks for the cash Grandpa Ron, and Grandma Vicki and Grandpa Steve!  Thanks to Grandma Martha and Grandpa Harold for getting our mail, watering our plants, and taking care of Blue.  We are lucky to have such great Grandparents!

The excitement is getting bigger and bigger, I've had to ask my kids to calm down much more then usual.  The weather has been rainy, school is winding down, and the trip is getting closer!  We are excited, but I'm not sleeping all that great, because I'm as excited as they are!  So I can't get after them to much! :)

We were taking our Disney paintings home, and as I looked over, I loved all the colors and it just made me cheerful, so I had to snap a picture.

 Friday was Relax and Read with my two second graders.  Thank you to my work friends for covering for me at work, so I could get over to Maxey to read and relax with the girls.  We read their books they created throughout the year.  I was so busy reading, I did not get any pictures taken, but thanks to Quinn's great para, we got some.  Seeing how she is loved by her classmates just melts my heart!

Last Wednesday we all loaded up into the van and went to Omaha to Quinn's ENT appointment.  It went great, and so then it was on to haircuts, to get ready for the trip.  Quinn gave away her hair awhile back, so she just got to watch.

Finally I have been thinking how I'm almost sad the trip is getting close, because we have had so much fun with paintings, and sewing.  Watching disney movies, and getting surprises.  Filling out journals, and learning about where we are going.  Making lists of what we want to do, and just spending time together as a family with a fun mission we have gotten to plan for, with all kinds of special surprises.  So I've almost felt bad that it is getting closer.  Well, as we are counting down, the kids told me the same thing.  They talked about how they are going to miss the surprises, and all as well.  So our pre trip planning and fun might be closing down, but we sure have been having fun!  

Here you see our paper chain, the count down calendar is in the background, and a few surprise gifts out with breakfast, ready to start the day.  Feeling very blessed this mothers day.  So thankful to have the three kids I have.  They all made me fun gifts, and I am so thankful to have them to share this fun adventure with!  Blessing to all you mothers out there.  Blessings to all you want to be mothers.  Blessing to all you single mothers.  Blessings to all you that might not be mothers, yet mother so many.  Blessings to all the men who take on the mother role.  Blessings to us all.  I believe God has a plan, and I could not be more grateful for my three kids!

We have been talking about finances.  Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, the kids have some spending money.  Thanks to ideas from friends, I am charging the kids a quarter every time a bad choice is made in the van, as we will be together for 24 hours driving to Disney and again on the way back.

I also have a pack of math worksheets and writing prompts for every time I hear the words "I'm board".  The kids know all about everything, so they are preparing themselves.  

We have also been pricing things so they understand how expensive things are going to be at Disney. We talked about how Disney gifts are fun, because they will remind them of the trip, yet, if they have money left, they can buy things at home too.  They are totally in charge of their money, so we won't hear, can I have this or that, instead those statements get's me more quarters too.  I keep telling them, I home they make lots of bad choices so I have lots of quarters to buy myself some fun Disney gifts. :)

 Lots of learning is happening because of this upcoming trip.  I'm almost sad it's getting closer to being here in some ways, we have done so much reading and writing and learning, and having fun, leading up to our trip, I"m going to have to figure out some fun projects to do that are not Disney based when we get home.

 Here we are getting our new money holders.

 and counting out our cash.  YEAH!

 We have also been making our lists of what things we want to see and what rides we want to ride.  Understanding there is no way we will be able to do everything, so we have to focus on a few favorites and then see how much time we have left!

Our world is full of end of the school year fun!

Dance practice for the recital at the end of the month,

and getting ready for our Make a Wish trip to Disney World in Florida.

Isaiah is excited, he is doing a Cinderella number where they are the naughty cats, and he is also doing a number where he is a horse for the carriage.

 Denali is doing a number where she is a ribbon in the making on the Cinderella dress, and she is part of the Annie program.

Quinn is doing the Wizard of Oz, and as you can tell, it's exhausting!

Life sure is good right now!  But it almost always is, if you choose to see it that way!

We have been busy painting!  We are going to have a wall full of Disney pictures, and decided to add some paintings to that same wall.  So we found quotes, painted backgrounds, sketched out quotes, drew a few backgrounds, and finished everything off with some spray glitter, because who does not love glitter!

Isaiah painted Mickey Mouse.

 Quinn painted the star, but as I was giving her a bit of help, I could not get the picture taken at the same time.  She still has her cold and looks a bit under the weather, so we are hoping that gets better now, before our trip.  She still has a bit to get rid of that cold!

 Denali painted Minnie Mouse.

They turned out great!

and there we added the quotes on top.

 and finished it off with a bit of glitter!

The count down continues, and we got our packet of information, so we are getting very excited!  

We sure do love Make a Wish!