Sing...sing a song...sing out loud-sing out strong!

Last Friday Emma's class gave a little song show.  It was so cute! Emma did such an awesome job and even though we were sitting 2 feet from her, she barely looked at us and  just focused on the task at hand....singing her little heart out and showing us all the songs she has learned at school this year.

Here's  few action photos....

Our precious Emma Roo!

Emma and her favorite teacher.

Now it's on to first grade!

Puff-puff-huff-huff.....

We are almost to the end of P90x.  Day 88 to be exact.....

Did you know that I can do push ups like it was easy?

Did you know that I can do one handed push ups?

Did you know that I can almost see my abs after giving birth to 3 children?

Did I tell you that I purchased Insanity as my summer workout? 

Kirby just shakes his head at me and says, "What did I get myself into?"

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.......

Today was Emma's big gymnastics show.  Here we are getting ready...

Emma's fans today were Papa Ray, Daddy, Tyler, Logan and me.

Here is Emma doing her balance beam routine-just look at that air!

Yup-she's got her Daddy's vertical.

 

Emma Roo on the high beam. A few weeks ago she was too scared to even attempt to jump up to the high beam.  I kept telling her the more she practiced, the easier it would get.  One day last week, after practice, she looked at me and said, "Guess what Mommy?  I jumped up to the high bar and I wasn't scared!"

Good job Em!

After the show---showing off her trophy and cute smile.

This is Emma and her teacher Ms. Kim.

Ms. Kim is an awesome teacher and LOVES coaching gymnastics. We are truly blessed to have such loving people in our lives that love our children so much.

Great job Emma! We are so proud of you and all you have learned and accomplished this year.

Best Buds.

This is a recent photo of Tyler and Logan out turkey hunting a few weekends ago. They didn't shoot a big turkey this year but the stories Logan came home with where enough to fill that void.   Logan LOVES his big brother (he loves Emma too but in a different non-fighting way.)  There is a ten year age gap between the two of them but Logan doesn't mind. He idolizes his big brother and can't wait to shoot hoops, wrestle, watch him play video games or just sit by him as he watches TV.  Ahh, brotherly love....

Top 5

5. School is almost over and Summer is on it's way! There is much talk about Daddy's pool opening soon...

4. Have you had a really good day at work recently? Mine was today. I got so much done and so much accomplished. The day flew by and I felt good when I shut down my computer for the day.

3. We said good bye to our favorite ECFE teacher tonight who is retiring to spend time with her husband. This woman is amazing and loves each child as if they were her own. You don't find good hearted people like this too often these days who un-selfishly give their time to spend it with other people's children. (well, except for teachers and coaches :) )

2. Emma has a new bike and is becoming an expert bike rider on two wheels. Logan is so happy that his sister has a new bike-he's just as proud as she is. Isn't that sweet?

1. I go to bed each night so thankful that I no longer have un-wanted, un-used stuff sitting in my basement creating clutter. Our past garage sale was awesome!  I can now see my basement floor and couldn't be happier to walk downstairs and see organized bins.

"Sorry sir, it's POLICY."

Yesterday I met with the other managers of the Rush City Aquatic Center to discuss our fast approaching summer pool season. We sifted through some applications and agreed on some new hires. We also hashed out some things we wanted to add to our Policy Manual. The Head Honcho had recently attended a Pool Directors workshop and sat through a break out session on "Having Policies In Place". Bossman told us about a facility that had a 36 page policy manual for all employees and the general public to peruse. (yeah - not happening) But he also gave an example of another Director whose manual consisted of only 5 main points where pretty much any and all circumstances and situations could be covered under those well thought out "policies". We all know that life happens and not everything can be "painted with one brush".

As some of our readership may have noticed, there has not been a regular supply of new posts to the Kirby Krew blog. For that, we apologize. Hang in there friends and family. This Spring has brought some unforeseen challenges to our family. Not to worry though, our faith, hope and love remain as strong as ever. To fill you in just a little.... let's just say, Michele and I have been required to sum up our approach to raising a family in a "Policy Manual" of sorts.

Annually, I'm asked to write Christmas letters for the masses. With my gift for gab and the written word, I gladly oblige. I've also thoroughly enjoyed documenting the ins and outs of my Fall hunting adventures in prose. However, when tasked with actually writing down what our family values and morals are, I quickly realized the magnitude of such an undertaking. Michele and I talked about, wrote, edited and re-wrote for days. At times we struggled with what what to include and what to leave out.

"Would we have 36 pages of policy or just a few strong statements that cover everything?"
"How do we put into words how much we love our children?"
"How does one openly write for others to read - the emphasis you place on family, above all others?"

Raising kids doesn't come with an instruction manual but it's good to have walked this walk with my family.   I recommend spending time with your loved ones discussing the direction in which your family is headed and what you believe in. Don't take it for granted as unspoken but known to everyone. You'd be surprised what you could discover about yourselves. Know too, that your family's Policy Manual may be an ever-changing "document". We love all of you that visit "the Kirby Krew". Thank you for your support, love and understanding.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love.
NIV... I CORINTHIANS 13:13

News Update!

*We are loving the weather! It's so nice to be back outside with the kids in shorts and flip flops and enjoying our big back yard again.

*Last Friday, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Vanessa came up for a visit and we took them bowling! The kids had fun showing them their bowling skills and I think Vanessa enjoyed her first time throwing an 8 pound ball down a lane.

*Kirby and I are still doing P90X...we are on day 61! The past week has been rough to find the time and energy but we both are feeling good with our progress.

*Emma is almost done with Kindergarten~Wow! It's been a fast first year of school for her.

*Emma also has her gymnsatics show on May 22nd....can't wait to watch her skills in a show.

*I was lucky enough to attend a work conference up at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, MN.  I would highly recommend this resort!  It was beautiful and there is so much to do there. I'm hoping to find a weekend this summer to take the whole family there.

*Kirby is busy umping HS baseball and is pretty close to getting that pool schedule set up for the summer. The kids can't wait for Daddy's pool to open up!

*Kirby and our family have recently been thrown a curveball and we have grown stronger in our faith, a couple and a family as we are reminded of what is important in life. It's comforting to know that he and I still share the same values and trust that everything will be okay in the end.

*Many of my friends and family members are expecting babies!  There must be something in the water-I'll be sure to pick a different glass....May god bless them all and provide healthy, happy babies!